, 1877-02-18
THE HAPPY OUTCOME.

morning for thanks that the Presidential
election has been settled. We make no dif-
ference between Democrats aud Republic
ans,-both have equal cause for rejoicing
that the angry contest has been closed. We
do not claim that this national gratitude is
due hecause HAYES is declared elected; it
would have been equally duo had TnDEN
received tho award. This gratitude is due
that a controversy Of such universal interest
one upon which the whole American peo-
pie have been so earnestly and SO equally
divided which has engrossed tho excited
attention Of every city, town, hamlet, house
hold, and person in the land-has been ter
minated by the peaceful Judgment of a court
Of Law. Never in the history Of the coun-
try, never in the history of any people in
any age, hns there been Drawer, uobler vim
dication aud example of unconquerable
devotion to tho wise and peaceful DEGREES
Of the courts of Law. Now, more
than ever before, have the American people
shown their ability to conquer their own
partisanship, and yield all their prejudices
and convictions to the decision of the consti-
tuted legal authorities. Over all this broad
land there is to-day peaceful acceptance and
acquiescence in the Judgment Of the Court
violence is overcome, resistance Withdrawn,
the threat Of civil war is si1enced; and the
spirit of insubordination and revenge finds
expression only in the determination to re-
versa this decision at the election in 1850.
To fully appreciate the condition Of the
country to-day, as the result of this arbitra-
ton, it is only necessary to recall the circum-
stances under which the arbitration law was
passed. At that time, and for weeks pre-
viously, the extreme partisans of both parties
had determined to hnre their men declared
elected ut all hazards. TnDEN had 154 votes.
and. HAYES had 1874 votes, and the two were
claimants for the odd vote in Oregon. This
vote in Oregon was contested, as were tho 1
votes in Florida and the s votes in Louisi-
ana. Each candidate Ind, officially Ger
tilted, 1874 votes, excluding one vote
Of Oregon. The President OF the Senate
vas Republican. The House of Repre-
sentatives had large Democratic majority.
The House denied the power to count the
vote Of my State, without the concurrence
| Of both Houses, aud, under this claim, pro-
posed TO object to counting tho certified
| votes Of Flor1da and Louisiana, and, there
| upon assuming that neither candidate had o
majority, proposed to proceed at once to an
| election Of President. On the other hand,
| it was c1aimed that the Republican President
| Of the Senate, having the custody aud pos
session Of the certificates of votes, should
| proceed to count the votes, deciding that the
Republican votes from Louisiana, Florida,
and Oregon, should alone be considered
Whereupon, he Was to count HAYES in, and
| officially declare him elected President. Be.
tween these two antagonizing parties was a
body Of Republicans who did not believe,
and who would not be coerced into approx
! ing, that the President of the Senate had any
| judiciM powers, and therefore could not law
fully undertake to decide questions Of Law
and of fact between opposing claims; that
| hispowers were merely ministerial, which any
clerk could execute as we'll ss he could There
were also Democrats who did not approve
the doctrine that either House could veto
the counting Of the vote Of State, with
out the concurrence Of the other House, and,