Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-02-10
The Electoral Bill Safe---A Resplen-
dent Triumph.

This wise and healing measure passed
the House of Representatives yester-
day by the splendid majority of 191
yeas to Sc nays-considerably more
than a two-thirds majority. It had
previously passed the Senate by AZ
yeas to II nays-also considera bly,
more than thirds majority. The
bill is therefore safe against even the
remote contingency of an Executive
veto-a contingency which was moral
ly impossible after President Grants
repeated declarations that he would
sign the bill if it passed both houses.
1t has passed by such majorities that
it is safe against veto; but we have
no doubt at all that it was the Presi-
dents sincere intention to approve it
if it had passed by ever so small ma
jority. This is the most magnificent
triumph of moderation and patriotism
of which the country can boast In all
its annals. Our wisest statesmen and
most venerated jurists have been pre-
dieting for the greater part of century
that the supreme trial of our institu-
tions would come whenever the Presi-
Dental election should turn on few
disputed votes. We have at length
reached that great trial and have gone
through it unharmed. "The wave has
passed under the ship" not only with
out wreck, but without a severe
strain of timbers. The vessel has out
lived the storm and floats in smooth
waters. The result of this extraordi-
nary Presidential election will be as
peacefully accepted and acquiesced in
as if there had been an undisputed
majority for one of the rival candi-
dates. We have new grounds of con-
fdence in the perpetuity of our free,
popular institutions. To have pre-
served them through the dangers of a
great civil war was an assuring tri-
umph, but to have averted the danger
of another civil war by the patriotism
and wisdom of Congress is croWning
proof that republican government is
equal to all the exigencies of national
life. The question who is to be our
Chief Magistrate the ensuing four
years sinks into insignifcance in pres
ence of this grand demonstration that
| the people and their representatives
are equal to all emergencies, and that
party feeling is so easily hushed when
a great peril confronts the Republic.
The passage of this bill by such over
whelming majorities is one of the sub
limest events in our history, SURPRISING
the wonderful uprising in 1861 by the
fact that fewer men then sacrificed
their partisan predictions and laid
their political passions on the altar of
their country.
Nobody can predict who will be our
next President; but everybody must
concede that whether it be Mr.. Hayes
or Mr.. Tilden both Houses of Con-
gress and the whole country will ac-
knowledge. him as the rightful incum-
bent of the Office. We are certain to
have peace, and there are the best
| reasons for supposing that we shall
have prosperity. Either candidate
will be compelled by the force of cir
cumstances and the logic of events to
treat the South with magnanimity, and
| both are unalterably committed to
sound views of the currency. Which
ever may be declared elected we are
sure of a moderate and conservative
| Chief Magistrate, who will feel that
we have passed out of the era Of Sec
tional strife and auimosities and have
outgrown the financial statutes passed
for carrying on the war. Local self
government in the South will not be
interfered with by either, and, all the
issues of the war being finally buried
out of sight, the government will be
devoted for the next four years to the
reha bilitation of commerce and indus
/ try and to questions connected with a
new epoch in national affairs.-Neat
| York Herald.