The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-09
The Count---The Conspiracy.

said, Damn the supreme Court OF ooaCh
Carolina"
----------- -----~----- -
The Count---The Conspiracy.
General Tor Senator) GoRDoN's letter on
this subject is the best that has appeared.
It puts the whole matter in all its aspects as
briefly as it well could be stated. Wepub-
lished it yesterday. We are sure it was, or
will be. read by everybody who feels any
interest in the question which is soon to try
the vitality Of our system of government.
General GORDON makes the following
statement OF the point in the authority OF
Congress over the election upon which the
proceeding will hinge:
.sThe Constitution requires the two houses
joinHy to count, and not jointly to oc1ect.
The vote to be counted Is what the houses
must agree upon, and not the vote to be re-
jected."
No vote can be counted save by concur
renee OF the Senate and House; and this is
positive constitutional prohibition OF any
such thing as the counting OF the vote by
one body, much less the. president OF one
body, as contemplated by the conspiracy.
In every plot Of the conspiracy that has
been foreshadowed the central point is the
president of the Senate. He is always re-
lied upon, and it may be supposed that ne
has intimated his readiness to commit the
outrage expected of him. H was closeted
with GRANT for hours recently; and wash
ington correspondent Of the New York
Erenin0 Post gave his alleged views OF his
duty, and these VIC published yesterday.
We rather incline to the opinion that they
are authorized.
BY this revelation we are informed that
Mr.. FERRY will proceed on the second
Wednesday in February to count all the
votes for President and Vice-Presidcnt eX-
cepting Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina,
and Florida. The question Of counting
them will be submitted to the Senate and
House, and he will obey their decision.
But-and now comes the conSpiracy-if
they do not agree before the Sd Of March
he (Mr. FERRY, president Of the Scnate,)
"wi|l proceed to count the votes OF said
estates TOR HAYES of course) and to declare
"the result; and this is the outrage-the
utterly unauthorized action-gross as a
mountain-which GRANT will maintain by
force Of arms.
The people have seen enough to assure
them that the conspiracy is determined
upon-a conspiracy that is to be supported
by the whole power OF the Government.
The right and duty of the House Of Repre-
sentatives to elect President in the case OF
the failure of the Senate and House to
agree as to who is elected is so clear and in.
disputable that it should be amazing to al
that anybody should dispute it; and the
authority OF the House to decide when that
failure has become fact is equally unde.
niable. Yet, unless there is degree OF op'
position to the conspiracy in the .Republi
can ranks not yet developed, this will be
denied, and the denial will carry with il
the emphasis Of the point of the sword.
The scheme points to the delay by disa
greement and debate to the Sd Of March
when the president Of the Senate, Dlr
FERRY, will usurp the right to dictate {
President Of the United States. at thi;
point we quote Senator GORDON:
81 have faith that the power of truth anG
reverence for law will control such body
as the United States Senate. It is no secret
that there are Republicans in both houses
OF Congress who will never consent thai
the Vice-President of the United States
shall exercise the extraordinary and dan
gerous powers which the extremists seek tc
confer upon him; and l know of no other
method by which Mr.. Hayes can be counted
in. The very act CT appointing joint
committee to report plan would seem to
be an abandonment Of such scheme and /,
recognition of the constitutional power OF
the two houses of Congress over the entire
subject"
1t is well for the people to face the public
exigency squarely. They who have faith
in republicanism as large as grain of mus.
tard-sced are either better or worse off than
others, as time shall show.