Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-02-08
INV the Compromise was Prepared.

washington LeLter 10 Tic New 1OTk Sun. e
In order to appreciate properly the plan
,ronossd for settling the Presidential com
Ppicstion, it is well to bear in mind a few
issiient facts touching the general situation.
THE Senate ssumed by its own power to
abolish the Twenty second Joint Rule,
mhicb originated in that body in 1865, and
,nder which three successive elections for
president had been counted and declared.
Il was maintained by Speaker Randall and
nthers on that side Of the House that the
nile still exists and could not be revoked
without the concurrence OF that body.
No new form of proceeding could be
sdopted without the cooperation of the
Senate, where the majority was held tightly
in hand by a few leaders. Mr.. Morton re-
tused to press his bill Of last year, and every
nossible obstacle was opposed to IN agree
ment for a fair and peaceable count. Mean
lime, the conspiracy which was organized
I immediately after Hayes's defeat, had gain"
z "a Roadway and assumed large proportions.
| n was backed by the whole power of the
Administration, and troops were gathered
in Washington to support fraud by force.
II was openly announced that IL the two
houses failed to agree upon a plan for count.
Z ine the vote, the President pro tenspore of
! The Senate would assume that function and,
mon the papers presented, declare HAYES
President on the 14ta OF February. In the
face of that u~surpation he House would re-
fire, hold there was no election, and pro-
coed to elect Tilden. GIANT was prepared
in this contingency, n perhaps before it
was reached, TO bring in the troops to up
hold FeIry's decision, and to arrest menu
bers of the House who would refuse SUBJ
mission TO that outrage.
Asa result of these extreme and irreconciI-
sble schemes, there was the probability of
two persons claiming to be President on the
18th of March, when each would be sworn in,
and Of a revolution such as is now progress
bgin Mexico, to be precipitated by blood
/ sid at the capital. 1t may be said that the
extremists would pause when the pinch
came, and refuse to take the final leap. The
answer is that their preparations were made
in detail, and still exist. Beyond a few me-
n0rials, meetings. and speeches, no organ
lied opposition confronted this conspiracy,
and Congress was rapidly drifting to the
day for counting the votes, without the least
agreement, or even plan for settling the
difficulties.
Under these circumstances the commit
tees came together, and finally adopted the
compromise, which has been for some DAYS
before the country. To those who fully
believe that Tilden was fairly elected on the |
7th Of November, and that a combination
was then formed to defraud the people of
the fruits OF their victory, any concession
seems hard and unjust. There are MANY
Republicans, not connected with the con-
spiracy at Washington, who think HAYES
WITS chosen, because they have been deluded
in9 the belief that the Tilden majorities in
sehral States were obtained by ''intimida-
ton and ViOlence!'
first blush, opposed the commission, and it
is known that neither Mr.. Tilden nor Mr..
Hayes favored it. Indeed, that knowledge
was one of the obstacles to be overcome.
The fact that Mr.. Hewitt was a member of
the committee has no significance in this
"a. g. -
any representative capacity. Mr.. MOrton's
refusal to sign the report is a strong recon-
|mendatiOn in it's favor.
This project is not perfect, and is open to
Various objections, but. taken as a whole, it
is perhaps the best that could be obtained,
Rnd has the great merit of insuring peace.
Two chief grounds of exception have been
taken in Congress against the bill. First,
that it is unconstitutional, by ~delegating
power conferred alone on Congress; md,
(%econdly, because the clause relating to tes-
Amony is not as clear and broad as it might
bs,
The bill expressly reserves to Congress
fhe power which is claimed, though the
judgment OF the commission is of course
morally binding, and will hardly be dis
Ruted. A commission on the silver ques-
pom, composed in part of experts, has been
flttlng for months, upon the authority of
congress. Two Senators from Colorado oc-
fupy, seats without objection, merely by the
Proclamation of the President, and without
4he approval of the State Constitution by
Congress-, which alone has the power to ad.
PIT new States. Other instances might be
*Neu, though these exceptions would not
justify an infringement of the Constitution
DOW. But they shut the mouths Of some of ;
NE present directors.
while there is a positive feeling in the !
public mind against mixing the Supreme
tCurt in politics, there are questions in
4olVed In this controversy which may be
ftal to the decision, and which are no more
2olilcai that the decisions upon the Recon- !
sskl;flon acts in 1875. In fact the votes of |
L0siana ana Florida may be said to turn
*poh the legality Of the existence in one
#ase and their acts in both, of the Return ,
"a Boards. 1t is commended that no law
$Ns's In Louisiana by which the Returning
2oaid mas the right TO canvass the election
u Electors, and that il there is, it has been
Eagrantly violated by disregarding the
&sy and successful.
Inc political classification of the Judges
Il HiGnated on the Commission is hardly fair.
nn a single exception, the whole present :
patt was appointed as Republican. Some
tlem We're originally Democrats, and (
hsrs were Wings; but, except Judge
&lnord, all were regarded as good Repub-
Fans: A life appointment and the habits
Jaalclai thought have doubtless produced
pahges, and the recent decisions may be {
%sarded as a great departure from partisan
~ doubt is entertained that the five
wees OF this commission will treat the
IN and the facts as they would deal with
other great case, and with a scrupulous
ere 10 be entirely impartial. They nave
IN ne to gain. The eyes of the country
~ De upon them, and no act will pass /
y,nout scrutiny. The friends of both can ,
les will do well, therefore, to reject
&ei1 unworthy suspicion Of their conduct,
Fien would impair the final judgment. I