The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-01-11
Ghe Bulletin.
wAr1ERsoN on THE SITUATION.

wAT1ERsON on THE SITUATION.
Henry watterson, OF the Louisville
CoUier-Journai, now representing his
district in congress, writes a stirring let
ter to his paper upon the political situa-
ton. He declares that while nothing has
been done by the Democrats in congress
ia preparation for the count
the lith of February-while the
members have been waiting for advise.
ment from their constituents, wait
ing in vain, and growing more irresolute
every day-the Republican conspirators,
consisting Of the President, Secretary
Chandler, Secretary Taft, Senators Nor
ton and SheI man, and the General OF the
Army, have constituted themselves into
q close corporation, and propose "by a
bold, defiant and lawless policy, to bring
the senate to their heels and compel the
people to choose between them and civil
war"
Mr.. Wstterson believes that there is 4
peaceful manner by which the purpose OF
the conspirators may be thwarted and
that the way is through "the right of
petition, which, adequately presented ar d
urged. becomes a power" He declares
that 1.-THE Democrats do not include civil
war. in the list Of their resources. Civil
war is not red-tape affair. II does
not come in the regulation way. Nor
is it likely to happen ever until all the
peaceful methods for the redress OF
grievances have been exhausted. The
Democratic party plants itself upon
'the law and the facts Il declares
that the vote OF no state shall be counted
without the consent OF both houses VI
Congress. No state vote has ever been
or ought be. Since the foundation Of
the government 70 the present time, in.
GLIDING the evidence furnished by the
Republican leaders themselves, all au-
'thority tustains this position. On
1T the Democratic party plants it.
'seli and means 10 stand until it il driven
of az the point Of the bayonet. 1t
lis for our people TO determine, there
fore, whether this shall be done. Ii they
will rise in their might, and. exercising
the peaceful right OF petition, will men,
'oriaizc the senate to do its duty, to do
that which every Republican mem
Der of the senate is committed to,
and will send hundred thousand
petitioners TO Washington on the l4th
of February 10 present the memorial in
person, there will be no usurpation aud
mo civil war. The conspirators will be
'thwarted. There will be Republicans
enough in the senate to defeat them, and
I'VE shall have the presidential result
settled by well established constitutional
methods. Otherwise those Republican
senators who wish to do right, seeing
that the country is going to submit, will
submit too, and We shall drift into new
era OF popular discomfort, the end Of
(which no man can see.'
To his own state Mr.. Watterson ad-
dresses himself earnestly and partlcu-
larry. The Democratic state convention
meets on the 18th inst, and he ahjures il
to take ground firmly, not noisily. TOR the
joint right OF the two houses, fortified as
it is by all precedent, and having
the senate, to provide for
the presence OF AT least ten thousand I'M
armed kentuckians in Washington on
the l4th of February. 80 much" says
Mr. Watterson. supplemented as it will
be by other states, will secure through
civil agencies the peaceful settlement of
the most dangerous issue that ever
menaced the existence Of free govern
ment -