The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-10

Tour years, because there would be no power
anywhere to question the correctness OF his
count and his declaration OF the result OF that
count.
stitution, then neither the people nor the
electors can elect the president and vice presi-
dent,but the presiding officer Of the senate can
perform that duty and relieve the people of
the trouble and expense of going through the
farce of presidential election.
This theory IS too absurd for argument, ana
yet il is now the main reliance of the republic
can party to thwart the expressed Will of the
people. No one questions his right 70 open
the certificates in the presence OF the con
gress, but no provision of the constitution
ton or laws authorizes him to count the
votes. This he must not do. IL can never De
submitted to by the people. 1t would be
usurpatiOn, for which he would deserve i'm
peachment. The act would be illegal and
void, 3nd would therefore have no binding
force. in law or morals. Should that act of
uSurpatiOn be perpetrated by the president OF
the senate, and IL should be sustained by the
republicans in the senate; and should Iilden
and Hendricks have received majority OF
about one-quarter ola million OF the popular
votes rs actually cast, and a majority OF all
of the will of the people, then and
in that event il would be the duty of the
house Of representatives TO declare Til
den and Hendricks elected, and il will then
be our duty to stand by our house of represen-
! tatives and Tilden and Hendricks, If need be,
with our property and our liyas We want no
war. We want peace at every sacrl-
flee, except that OF our constitution,
| our union, our honor, our liberties and our
/ lives.
We well know and comprehend the horrors
and miseries OF a civil war. We pray the God
/ of our fathers tOavert IL, and save our people
and our country FROM threatened bloodshed,
and that our constitution and union, and the
/ liberties of our people may be perpetuated to
and our children forever.
God helping us we must and will be true to
our allegiance to our government, to our
union, to our constitution. and to the laws
made in pursuance thereof, and to the stars
and stripes, and they must not pass, with our
| consent, into the hands OF usurpeS ana w.
rants. We must emphatically repudiate the
/ false assumption that the hundred
| thousand officeholders. more or less, are
| the government. So far from being the govern
mentthey are our servants, but generally very
unworthy ones. This government belongs TO
| the people and not TO the ofhceholdess in
/ high or low position. No man, no matter what
/ his services may have been, has any right to
powers, nor to surround our halls of legislation
| with an army in time of peace. Large stand
ing armies are always dangerous TO free peo-
/ pie.
The free people of this country are now
menaced with the threat that the regulararmy
/ shall be used to install in the presidential
chair a usurper, and ifthey refuse to recognize
| him, but remain true TO the government, war
| will be made on them. We will not initiate war
| hut we will be true to our allegiance to the
| government, and if usurpers and their allies
and Officeholders make war on us, we shall re-
! greet IL, but can not do Otherwise than To sup
| port the legal and constitutional government
OF our country, Whatever the consequences
may be.
THE VICE PRESIDENTS.
A motion was then made that a vice preSi-
| dent be appointed from each congressional
district, and the following gentlemen were
/ elected by tire delegates from their own dis
! tricts: First district Peter Myer; Second dis
/ trict, Henry Wilson; Third district, Jonas G.
/ Howard; Fourth district, Daniel Badger; Fifth
Banta; Seventh district, William Henderson;
| Eighth district, Judge A. b. Carlton; Ninth
| district, Joseph Ristfne; Tenth district, Nor
/ gan II. Weir; Eleventh district, A. F. Arm
| strong; Twelfth district, ia mes II. Slack Thir-
/ teenth district, Horace Corbin.
JuIian's Great speech.
| When the above appointments had been
made, there We're loud calls for VOORHEES, and
| Julian, and the chairman introduced the
Hon. George w. Julian the first speaker,
stepped to the front and placed his manu-
| script upon the table, and stated that he mad
! reduced his address to writing for obvious
| reasons, which it would be unnecessary to
| mention. He was again interrupted with
| loud and prolonged cheers, after which he de-
| livered the address, which is given in full
/ below:
| Mr. Chairman aud Fellow Citizens of Indiana:
The remarkable political contest of the year
| just closed has been followed by very serious
| and unexpected complications. The condition
of public affairs is well fitted to awaken gen.
eral anxiety and alarm, and calls for the best
thought and highest endeavor of every citizen.
believe no intelligent man can disguise from
himself the fact that the crisis we have reachd
is profoua idly solemnized by tokens of national
danger; and must not enter upon my APP
pointed task to-day without confessing my in
ability to perform it. and my regret that II
not committed to ADLER hands Most fervently.
do wish that / could point the safe way
through the dangers which cloud the political
sky, and menace the peace of our country; but
L must content myself with analyizing the
particular subject with which am to deal,
and simply expressing, In conclusion, my in
dividual convictions as to the duty of the
hour.
THE DISPUTE IN LOUISIANA.
Soon after the late presidential election,
when democratic rejoicing was exchanged for
| the chilling apprehension of defeat and disas-
ter through the action of the Louisiana return
| ing board. the cha rman of the national DEM
ocratic committee requested sundry gentle
men of the north ern states to repair to the
| city OF New orleans IN the interest OF peace,
| and fair and honest return" of the vote cast
in that state. The president of the United States
| ordered the presence of an imposing military
| force "to preserve peace and good order, and
| to see that the proper and legal boards of can
vassers are unmolested in the performance
! order, that 'sshould there be any ground Of
| suspicion of a fraudulent count on either SIDE,
/ it should be reported and denounced at once"
| and that mo man worthy of the office of pres
/ ident should be willing TO hold it, If counted
] IN or placed there by fraud" He also appoint
ed number oi PromInent pu t cnasaet lsa
4 which he is associoted to visit the state of
Louisiana, "to see that the board of canvassers
| make a fair count of the vote actually cast"
| and expressed the hope that "fair men of both
parties" would attend to this duty. The
| turning boarO itself so far recognized the
gravity OF the situation and the widespread
distrust of its integrity, that an official invita-
| ton was extended to the visitors from distant
states of the union to attend It's sessions
while canvassing the returns and ascertaining
the result of presidential election in Louis
/ lana.
THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE TROUBLES.
These are very remarkable proceedings
/ They have no precedent in the history of
American politics, and they bear witness to
| the fearful decay of public virtue, and the
NAL and revolutionary methods. At whose
door lies the just responsibility? Who is to
blame for the atmosphere Of suspicion which
now covers the land, and the feeling of ma
tional peril which recalls painfully the
| opening of the year 1861? The answer TO these
| questions is not unknown TO the people. The
| present government of the state of Louisiana
| was founded in fragrant usurpation and IRE
Il IL