The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-19

The decision Of the Electoral Commits
sion. by which RUTHERroRD b. HAYES, OF
Ohio, is declared to be elected President,
and WILLIAM A. WHEELER, OF New York,
Is declared TO be elected Vice-Presidens'
and which decision Is binding upon Con-
yress, is the contamination OF the most
gigantic fraud that was ever perpetratea
under the forms Of law in ctViIizeo 'aIao'
Conceived in wicked purpose OF the 1'e-
publican party to prolong its rule bs com
ne,hnc the nation to submit to the Repaoh'
can succession to the presidency, II was car,
r,ed on from point to point by viIlainS anu
usurpation to its final result In placing 'n0
electoral returns Of the disputed States IN
rho hands OF the president Of the Senate.
rho frauds were near failing, but the
c,nn;nr Republican Administration So"
the danger in time to take steps 70 rean|e .
the declaration OF President GRANT O."
the very night of the ddy o. me
,res;6snf;c, ciection-that Hayes ,ods
srec,sd. II was seen that three States
,euis;ana, Florida, and South Carolina
were essential to elect HAYES, ana SO
zacYAR1Ag CHANDLER. Secretary OF the 1h-
terror and Cabinet officer Of the GRANT Ae-
,n;nistration. addressed leading Republic"
cans OF each State to the effect that HAYES
had q sufficient vote to elect him provided
the State in which each person addressed
lived voted for him deludinS the persons
addressed with the idea that only
each State so spoken OF was needed
when it required all three TO eject
HAYES. The language employed III
these messages plainly indicated that no
mcosurc necessary to carry the vote OF each
Stst, for RAVES must be neglected. Every
one addressed was urged to make sure OF
the State: there was to be no tlmldlty ana
no corscicntiousness in the matter. Fraud
and yiila1nv were the weapons, ana iorce
was 20 sustain them. The very relation
assumed By the Federal Administration TO-
wards the measures thus initiated to capture
the three States pledged the Administration
to sustain them with the military power OF
the nation. Thus unprincipled agents, VINO
know not shame, were cmboldened in their
frauds, which grew TO such stupendooS
naynituds that the very air that noatea
through the land was tainted with corron-
ton. ....
And the responsibility for these vi!alnles,
set on foot in Cabinet consultation and en-
rineered directly by the master corruption
is.. CHANDLER, was assumed by the Presl-
dent OF the United States, who, knowing
that the meditatcd crimes were likely 70
provoke the dangerous Indignation OF an
outraged public mind, dispatched to the
three States military officers and troops to
defend the villainous instruments OF the
monstrous party plot and give them I'M
munity and their acts such increased mag
nitudc as to ensure success. The boldness
as well as the impunity which characterized
the proceeding are illustrated in the fact
that many thousand votes were thrown
out or changed by the Louisiana ReturninS
Board-itsek an illegal body.
The conduct OF President GRANT with re-
gard to these proceedings in the southern
States was UNANIMOUSLY dishonest and hypo-
critical. Many good people were mis-
led by his affectation OF vlrtuous
horror of corruption, the very thing
he was melting and bolstering with
MS spies, judicial agencies, party tools, and
soldiers. When he called upon good men to
go and witness the count Of votes already
manipulated by the returning boards people
were kind enough to consider him sincere,
az if there was anything gained to the cause
OF honesty in witnessing the mere count OF
votes that had passed through the scoundrel
hands of the Returning Board! His love OF
"fairness" was manifested in sending to
witness the count number Of well-known
partisan Republicans and no Democrat.
We beg pardon for rehearsing these
points 30 fresh in the public memory, but
we think every man who has public posi-
ton may rightly feel that it is his duty to
fix az far as he can the stigma OF the foul
events OF the times upon the shoulders OF
those responsible for them. And we con-
slider the character Of General GRANT, how
ever enigmatical his conduct may have
been. as revealed in his acts relating to the
presidential election, ANYTHING but conf
mendable-one especially offensive to all
civilized and gentle people, for the mean
artifce employed by him in proceeding to
perpetrate great national outrage-an out
rage against public liberty and popular
right-under the flimsy disguise OF affected
virtue. Had be lived the life Of an angel
the closing scenes of his presidential career
would cover his fame with the gloom OF
dishonor.
But one step from this point to the Electo-
raj Commission, whose history has eyentu-
ated in the approval Of all the rillainies OF
the returning boards that were melted and
defended by the Federal Administration
and the Executive power confided to it, to-
gether with the Intervention Of judicial
partisans under its influence.
The three States being captured, and the
fraudulent returning boards having re-
mitted their electoral returns to the presi-
dent OF the Senate, the questions next pre-
sented was as to the count Of the vote by
Congress. There was no doubt entertained
By thinking men that the force which had
secured the three southern States fraudu.
lently would follow up its triumphs into
the very halls of Congress. The certain
disagreement of the two houses would be
made the occasion for gross usurpation by
the president OF the Senate, who (backed by
the Republicans, denying the right OF the
House Of Representatives to elect Presi-
dent upon a disagreement between the
bouses az to ho,o the people had voted