The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-02-02
Text Of the Presidents Message.
The following is the Presidents message
concerning the electoral hill


To the Senate of the United States
follow the example heretofore occasionally
presented of communicating in this mode
my approval of the act to provide for ant
regulate the counting Of the votes for Presi
dent and Nice-President, and the decision o
questions arising thereon, because of my
appreciation of the imminent peril to tn,
institutions Of the country from which IN
my judgment the act affords wise and con
stitutional means of escape.
For the first time in the history Of oul
country, under the constitution rs It now is
a dispute exists with regard to the result O
the election of the chief magistrate of the
nation. 1t is understood that upon the dis
position of disputes touching the electoral
votes cast at the late election by one or more
OF the States, depends the question whether
one or the other of the candidates for ths
Presidency is tho lawful chief magistrate
The Importance of having clearly ascertain
ed by procedure regulated by law, which
of the two citizens has been elected and o
having the right to this high office recognz
ed aud cheeriully agreed IN by all the peopl,
of the Republic cannot be Overestimated
and leads me to express To Congress and tc
the nation u y great satisfaction at the adop.
ton of Il measure that affords an orderly
means of decision of q grsvely exciting ques
ton. While the history OF our country in
its earliest periods shows that the President
Of the Senate has counted the votes and de.
cared their standing, our whole history
shows that in no instance of doubt or dispute
has he exercised the power of deciding, and
that the two bodies of Congress have dispos-
ed of oil such hdoubts and disputes although in
no instance hitherto lave been tte sich that
their decision could essentially have affected
the result. For the first time, then, the gov.
srnment of the United States il now hrpuyA,
30 meet the question as one vital 10 the re.
sun, and this under conditions not ihe brst
calculated to produce an agreement. or in
duce calm feeling ia the several branches oi
the government, or among the people of the
country. In case where, as now, the result
is in doubt, il is the highest duty of the law
making power to provide in advance c m
stitu.ioual, orderly and just method Of exc
cutting the constitution in the most interest.
ing aud critical of its provisions.
The doing so, far from being compro.
mise Of right, is an enforcement of right ard
an execution of powers conferred by the con-
stitution on Congress. think that this Or
derly method has been secured by this bill,
which, appealing to the constitution and the
law rs the gulue IN ascertalniue rlgnts pro-
vides means of deciding questions Of single
returns through the direct action Of Congress
and in respect to double returns by q tribu.
nal of inquiry whose decisions stand unless
both houses of Congress shall consent in de.
termining otherwise, thus securing definite
disposition of all questions of dispute in
whatever aspect they may arise. With OF
without this law, as all of the States have
voted, and as tie vote is impossible,i it mus,
be that one of the two candidates has been
elected, and it would be deplorable to wit
ness an irregular controversy as to which OF
the two should receive or which should con-
tinue to hold the office.