Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-03-16

| th"t sOou, anu IN your calmer moments, yOt
will step back into your manhood again ant
allow the law to have its course.
Mr.. Blaine on louisiana Affairs.
The speech of Senator Blaine, on Tuesday
which has attracted 80 much attention, wa.
as follows:
do not desire, Mr. President, to detair
the Senate by any lengthy presentation Of
MIR. keilogg's case. Regarding him, as
do, as regularly and duly elected Senator
from the State of Louisiana, could wish
there would be no objection to his being
sworn in. | believe he was elected BY q
legal Legislature of Louisiana. believe he
was elected by and represents the legal gov
ernment of Louisiana, and do not see now
to-day,-and that is the main point desire to
present.-how any Senator who voted in this
chamber that the Electoral vote of Louisiana
was legally and properly cast for Rutherford
b. Hayes and yourself, Mr.. President, is
permitted to doubt that S. B. Packard is
equally of right the Governor OF that State.
There may be some technicality, there
may be some keen form of logic which
| have not yet heard, and which l do not
think shall ever be able to comprehend, BY
which man who had nearly a thousand
votes more than the Electoral ticket re-
ceived, was not elected Governor when
the Electoral vote was chosen; and [
frankly repeat that | am not permitted
TO doubt, no man is permitted to
doubt, legally, to-day, certainly the other
side of the Chamber is not permitted TO
doubt, legally, that the Electoral vote of
louisiana was properly east for Hayes and
Wheeler. 1t was decided so by the tribunal
created by that side of the Chamber.
The Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Ed
tony bows to me. lie and are guiltless of
that tribunal (laughter) but, with the sim
gle exception of the Senator from Connecti-
cut, every gentleman on that side of the
chamber in the Congress Just closed, voted to
establish that tribunal, and it came in with
Ieans and shouts and congratulations, that
the day of the political millennium had at
last dawned, and that we now have estab-
lished a tribunal distinguished above all hu-
man lnstrumentalities ior impartiality, and
to whose decision We would all bow in a
most ready spirit of cordial acquIescence.
They took the question into consideration,
and heard it elabOrately argued, and decided,
as believe, rightlully, that the Electoral
vote of Louisiana belonged to Hayes and
Wheeler.
Mr.. Thurman-The decision was that the
Commission could not look behind the re-
turns and therefore would receive no eyi-
dencc. But does the Senator say that the
Senate OF the United States. that is made the
judge of the elections, qualifications and re-
turns OF its members, cannot look behind
the returning board?
Mr.. Blaine-l am coming to that in due
season. The Senator will permit me to say,
however, that the Electoral Commission, of
which he was an honOred member, did de-
eide that the Louisiana returning board was
constitutionally and legally competent to
make the count which determined the cleo
toral vote of that State. Am | right?
Mr.. Thurman-A majority did.
Mr.. Blaine-A majority constitutes the
board. Qaughter.) Then | understand
the Senator from Ohio to admit that the
Electoral Commission did decide that the
Louisiana returning board was legal and
constitutional body, competent to do what it
did do, and that they were unable to review
or reverse it, and that the same board, COM
petent to decide who were the Presidential
Electors of that State declared also who were
the Legislature of that State. The Legisla-
ture, performing a mere ministerial duty.
declared who was Governor of that State,
and | stand here, if | stand alone, to say
that the honor and credit and faith of the
Republican party, in so far as the election
of Hayes and Wheeler is concerned, arc az
indiSsOlubly united in maintaining the
rightiuness of the return of that body as the
illustrious house of Hanover that sits on the
throne oi England, to-day, is in maintaining
the rightiulness of the revolution of 1858.
You discredit Packard. and you discredit
Hayes you hold that Packard is not the
legal Governor of Louisiana. and President
Hayes has no title, and the honored Vice
President who presides over our delibera-
tons has no title to his chair. say, there
fore, that on the action Of the returning
board, which the Senator from Ohio admits
was determined blythe Electoral Commission
to be competent, legal and constitutional
body, rests the authority of S. b. Packard
to exercise the Goyernorship of that State,
and on the authority of that board
rests the Legislature of that State and by
the Legislature of that State William Pitt
Kellogg was duly elected Senator,
by the Governor Of the State thus deter
mined he comes here commissioned as
Senator hearing the great seal of State This
| maintain and do nOt-unless challenged
upon that point-desire to 20 into any Of the
details of the election. | know there has
been great deal said here and there in the
corridors OF the Capitol, around and about,
IN by places aud IN high places OF late.
that some arrangement had been made by
which Packard was not to be recognized
and upheld. that he was to be allowed to
slide by, and Nichols was to be accepted
as Governor of louisiana | want to know
who had the authority to make any such
arrangement. | wish to know if any Sena-
tor on this floor will state in his place that
any person speaking for the administration
that was coming in, or the one that was
going out, had any right to make any such
arrangement. deny it. deny it without
being authorized to speak fo- the admins
tration that now exists, but deny it on the
simple, broad ground that it is an impossi
hility that tho administration Of President
Hayes could do it. deny it on the broad
ground that President Hayes possesses
character for common sense, self-respect,
patriotism, all of which he has in high
measure and in an eminent degree. deny
it On all the grounds that can influence hu-
man action. On all the grounds on which |
men can be held to personal and political |
and official responsibility deny it for him.
and shall find myself grevously disappoint-
ed, wounded and Inundated, if my denial is |
not indicated in the policy of tho admins
tion. But, whether it is indicated or
whether it is not, ! care not. 1t il not the
duty OF II Senator to inquire what the policy
OF an administration may be, but what it
ought to be, and hope Republican Senate
will say that, ON this point, there shall be
no authority in this land large enough or
adventurous enough to compromise the
the honor OF the national administration or
the good name Of the great Republican party
that called that administration into exist
encc. applause in the galleries.)
Resuming the subject, on Wednesday. Mr..
Blaine asked Senator Bayard if the Senator
from Vermont (Mr Eimunds) did not salts
fy himself, as a member of the Electoral
Commission, of the legality of the competen-
cy and of the cOnstitutiOnalIty of the return |
ing board.
Mr.. Bayurd said that tho Senator from |
Vermont gave as his reason for accepting the |
Louisiana returning board his want OF power
to examine into its returns and composition.
Mr. Buine-The Senator from Delaware
has said that the few innocent remarks
which | made, yesterday, sounded to hun
like iire-hcllS in the night. They seemed
destined to rekindlo the fires OF sectional ag
grcssiOn That Senator and myself repre-
sent different schools in politics. We
come from different sections. We rep
resented different ideas, before the war. dur
ing the war, and since the war, wholly and
different. While | have the greatest
respect and kindcst regard for him, person.
ally. do not propose To take his advice on
thls question. do propose for myself, as
long ~ may he entrusted with seat on
this floor, that, whoever else shall halt or
grow weak in maintaining it. 50 long as |
have the strength, will stand for the South
rrn Union men of both culors, and when |
,easc to do that before any presence, North
,r S,uth in official bodlrS ar beiore uublic