Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-03-01
WOODSTOCK, VIRGINIA.
Thursday. March LIST, 1877
The Nations Disgrace.

The Nations Disgrace.
The proceedings of the National Re-
turning Board have been completed.
Appointed for the purpose of ascertain
ing and declaring the true result of the
election, it was natural, when the stand
ing of the members of the commission
was considered, that they should to a
great extent command the confidence
Of the people Of the country. Their
appointment was welcomed in many
sections, because the people were Of the
opinion that their action would be hon.
est and that they were honest when
they swore that they would ''impar-
TALLY examine and consider all ques-
tons submitted to the commission, and
a unemployment give thereon, agreeable
to the constitution and the laws" The
people of this country did not expect
from them fraud and perjury. The
infamy of the Louisiana returning board
which was willing to sell the state and
in order to aid the Radical party chang
ed majority Of over eight thousand for
Tiiden into a majority for Hayes, pales
into insignifcance when compared with
the deeper infamy of the electoral COM
mission. which gave to the dishonest
count Of the Louisiana board, the force
and saction of law. Thre..is, indeed, a
deeper infamy,-one which not only
brands them as partisans unworthy of
public confidence, but which impairs
confidence in the very foundation Of
Republican government; for when the
verdict.of the people, fairly and honestly
expressed at the ballot box, can be set
aside by the act Of a corrupt board COM
posed Of two negroes and two dishonest
white men, sustained by a more corrupt
body Of partisans, the people may well
have misgivings as to the perpetuity. of
the Republican form of government.
The democratic party fairly and honest
ly elected their candidates. There is
not an honest republican Of intelligence
who believes that Hayes is entitled to
the Office. Instead of being inaugurated
as has every one Of his predecessors, he
takes the office conscious that he is a
usurper and that covered with the slime
which proceeds from corrupt returning
boards and more corrupt partisan
judges. he is about appropriating to
himself the honOrs and emoluments of
an Office to which he has not the shadow
offs moral or legal claim, and under
these circumstances, swears that he will
faithfully ''eXecute the Office OF Presi-
dent of the United States, and will to
the 6tt.esfI.s t5.nty preserve, protect,
and defend the constitution Of the
United States" It will be scene of
which every true patriot, without regard
to party, may well feel ashamed. The
position of Mr.. Tilden, chosen by the
people of the United States to be their
president, but defrauded by parties who
have brought upon themselves disgrace
and the execration of every honest man,
is not pleasant, but it is not humiliating,
There is no stencil of dishonesty upon
his garments. There is no conscious
ness Of guilt, no feeling that he stands
before the world arrayedi in stolen gar
ments, and stolen by betraying the
confidence of those whose executive he
proposes to be. Mr.. Tilden is deeply
conscious of the wrong which he has
received, but while he stands before his
fellow citizens a wronged and defrauded
man, his country has received more
severe blow. The institutions, OF
which every American citizen was
proud, no longer present the same APP
pearance of inherent strength. The
Supreme Court, looked upon as an in
corrupt and incorruptible body Of
jurists, stands upon the level of politi.
cal tricksters of the Chandler and
Cameron type. The Senate of the
United States has been disgraced. and
within less than one week, the Execu-
tive will have forfeited the last claim to
public respect and public confidence.
But even in this extremity, we do not
despair. 1t may be the last blow which
an expiring party can give. 1t places
The Republican party in a position,
from which they can never command
the respect, much less the confidence
Of the people. They may hope to rally
by reform, but We may as well hope tc
see a putrid corpse terminated as te
expect honesty from a. party whose
leaders and active spirits hold thei
places by bribery and corruption. The
will of the people has been frustrated by
fraud, and though they did not, as the
guilty parties feared. rise in the majesty
of their power and emulate the exam
pie of the founders Of the government
yet their silence and submission, for the
present, cannot be construed into &C
quiescence. The entire nation feels the
blow and the time will come when tht
right shall prevail.
THE Legislature is about passing /;
law under the provisions of which, NJ
member of a town council or office of al
incornorated town can contract for an,