The New York herald., 1877-02-13
The Electoral Commission.

sion and of Congress in counting the vote
and declaring the next President. We call
the attention Of those of our contemporaries,
and those people who so eagerly and per-
tinaciously opposed the Electoral bill, to
this fact. No American can consider with
out shudder what would to-day have been
the condition of the country had the oppo-
nents of the Electoral bill succeeded i'll de-
feating it. No other measure could have
been adopted, for there was not time, and
the two houses would have met tomorrow
without agreement. without the possibility
of agreement, and in the midst of n whiri-
wind of excitement, not only in Washington
but all over the country. 1t would have
been too late then for the counsels OF wise
and conservative men to make themselves
felt ON either side; and there is not the least
doubt that we should have been in state
of revolution.
Fortunately the good sense and patriot
ism of the best men of both parties in Con-
gress and elsewhere have averted so dire and
dsgraceful n catastrophe; but the people
will not forget that they do not owe this es-
cape this safety from the greatest of calami-
ties, to the partisans of either side, either
in Washington or elsewhere. The country
ought not to forget the men who, as men,
bers of the Joint Committee, sank their
party feelings and wishes and united upon
this wise and necessary measure. They and
all who voted for the bill deserve to be held
in honor. They guarded the nation from an
ignominious disgrace and n calamity which
might have been fatal to our institutions
and which would have inflicted incalculable
losses on tho country. Eat any rate,
whether Hayes or Tilden becomes President,
the country will have peace, the President
is reported to have said some days ago to
friend. He was right. and he, too, deserves
credit and honor for the support he gave to
the bill in all its stages
The commission has decided one of the
disputed cases and has taken up another.
The democrats, who have lost Florida, are
naturally disappointed; and here and there
we see signs of irritation and discomfort.
We advise them to remember that the repub-
licans would have suffered much more
grievous disappointment had the commits
sion decided against them. For if Florida
had been given to Mr.. Tilden, or if it had
only been thrown ont, the republicans
would have there and then lost the election.
Somebody is to be disappointed and we
are glad to hear that i'll Washington the
democrats take their defeat coolly, like men
and Americans, and do not give up their
hopes Of Louisiana or their intention to
acquiesce with such good nature as they
can command, but with absolute loyalty and
good faith. We are glad too. to hear that
the members of the commission are in good
temper and believe in each others upright
intentions. We do not doubt that the dis
cussions in the commission have been lively
and earnest, and we regret that they have
resulted in what seems partisan division;
but we do not believe that any member has
voted contrary to his honest belief, and we
still cherish the hope that in the cases still
to be considered we shall find at least the
judges of the Supreme Court uniting upon
conclusions, whatever they may be.
When this matter is settled and the next
President, be he Hayes or Tilden, is installed.
the American people will have a right to be
proud of themselves and proud of the states
men whose wisdom and moderation will
have carried the country safely through per-
haps the greatest peril which free nation
can encounter. Since the 7th of November
the people of this country have undergone
q test of their good sense and temper
which has attracted the admiration of the
world, and Justly SO. There is no doubt
that deep and dangerous irritation has been
felt all over the country. When the history
of the present crisis is searched out here
alter it will be found that the danger Of an
outbreak was greater than most quiet people
imagined. Happily all this is now past.
We are settling the trouble in the American
fashion, in the way in which people pro-
Tossing to be Christian ought to settle it; we
have been able to discover ways of peace
where other nations have fallen into civil
war. The present period will be accounted
the proudest in our history; for no achieve
ments Of war, no victories on land or sea, of
which we may boast, can ever equal, in their
beneficent effect-not only on our own for
tunes, but on the cause of liberty and civili-
zation all over the world-this peaceful
triumph over our own exasperated passions.
There are, we suppose, men in the country
wicked and base enough, even yet, to hope
that the great arbitration will in some way
fail, and, perhaps, even to attempt to make
it fail. We warn such partisans, to what
ever side they may belong. not to show their
heads or their hands too plainly. One side
or the other must suffer defeat in the end,
and that end must come in few days. Let
both parties keep their hotheads and knaves
well under subjection; for the country will
stand no nonsense. Whoever is defeated
must bear the loss with immediate and
absolute submission, and if the leaders of
. L l. l.. 1.