The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-02-03
The Presidents Approval.
WASHINGTON, january 20.

follow the example heretofore
occasionally presented of comnluni
eating in this mode my approval OF
the "act to provide for and regulate
the counting of the votes for Presi~
dent and Vice-President, and the
decision Of questions arising thereon
for the torn commencing March,
A. D., 1877" because of my appre-
citation of tho imminent peril to the
institutions of the country, from
which in my judgment, the act
affords q wise and constitutional
means of escape. For the first time
in the history of onr country under
the constitution rs it now is o dis
puto exists with regard to the result
Of the election of the Chief NIagis
trate Of the nation. 1t is understood
that upon tho disposition of disputes
touching the electoral votes cast at
the late election by one or more of
the States depends the question
whether one or other of the candi
dates for the Presidency is the law
full Chief Magistrate. The impor-
tance of having clearly ascertained
by a procedure regulated by law
which Of the two citizens has bee I
elected, Of having the. right to this
high office recognized and choorfully
agreed in by all tho people of the
republic, cannot be ovcrestimatcd,
q I'd leads mo to express to Congress
and to the nation my great satisfac-
ton at the adoption Of q measure
that affords an orderly means Of
decision of u gravely exciting ques
ton. While the history of our coun-
try in it's earlier periods shows that
the President of the Senate has
counted the votes and declared
them standing, our whole history
shows that in no instance of doubt
or dispute has he exercised the
power Of deciding, and that the two
houses of Congress have disposed
of all such doubts and disputes,
although in no instance hitherto
have they been such that their dccis-
ion could sentially have affected
tho result. Fot the first time, then.
the government Of the United States
is now brought to meot the question
as one vital to the result, and this
under conditions not the best calcu-
lated to produce an agreement or to
induce calm feeling in the several
branches of the government or
among the people of the country in
a case where rs now the result is
in volvcd. + 1T is the highest duty of
the law-making power to provide in
advance a constitutional, orderly
and just method of executing the
constitution in this most interesting
and critical Of it's provisions The
doing SO, far from being compro-
mise of right, is an enforcement of
right and an execution of power con
ferred by the constitution on Com
gress. [ think that this orderly
method has been secured by the
bill, which appeals to the constitu~
ton rs tho guide in asccrtaining the
right means of deciding questions of
single returns through the direct
act of Congress-, and, in respect to
double returns, by tribunal of in
quiry, whose decisions stand, unless
both houses of Congress shall con-
cur in determining otherwise, thus
securing q definite disposition of all
questions Of dispute in whatever as
pect they may arise. With or with
out this law, as all of the States
have voted, and as tie vote is i'm
possible, it must be that one of the
two candidates has been elected, and
it would be deplorable to witness an
irregular controversy as to which of
the two should receive or continue
to hold the office In all periods of
history controversies have arisen as
to the succession or choice of the
chiefs Of States, and no party or citi-
zen loving their country and it's free
institutions can sacrifice too much of
mere feeling in preserving through
the upright course of law their
country from the smallest danger to
its peace on such an occasion, and it
cannot bo impressed too firmly in
the hearts Of all the people that true
libel ty and real progress can exist
only through a cheerful adherence to
constitutional law. The bill pur
ports to provide only for the settle