, 1877-03-12

dccurons dignity ont Of It. Here Ia = conseat be-
tween two halves Of great nation. pretty equally
divided, for no less prize thnn supreme power,
rash half firmly convinced that It has law and Jus.
tlee on tts ae-a contest quito ~ grave and din.
cnt Of scttlemcnt TINT for suectfrion 10 the dis
pntcd htatfhh1o of aynasty, and which In my
Other rArt of tho world must havs been settled In
the Hsnai timo- -honored but barharous way, hr an
appeal to force, might doing duty for right Far
son,u tloto It seemed ~ II thfs contest could admit
Of no other settlement hero. Suddenly tho best
tscn in tho nation put ttslt beads together, a
peaceful compromise Ia hit upon. and. when a
stranger newly arrived II Washington goes to
watch tho struggle which threatened cavai war. ho
finds himself, not among Generals With swords ut
their at'lcs and diplomats armed with still moro
fosmsdhbae aAasrasun,s. but In = law court. whcse
fcw civilians in plain clothes arc determining
what the next Government shall bc az calmly and
sobcty anil With a. close attention to tho strictly
Legal aspects Of every qncson raised ~ II no moro
wcEu at stake than disputed lesaey between jomx
Dok and RICHARD RoE.
The result Of tho national arbitration goes
further tian mere matter Of cougratu1ation
for tho American people. II Is eninently
satisfactory, Of course, TINT tho country hna
emerged from tho Electoral middle without
prejudice or harm, and that the ho-headeti
fools ard otsice-sceking demagogues hare
been thwarted in their efforts to enabroil the
two PARTIES In war, and that they have earned
tho contempt Of tho whole people. Bat be-
yontl this, and perhaps evea moro valuable
still, is the example which this country has
net to Fnnco and othor countries, that
Revolution IL not tho on1y rbitar in aettling
great national questions. Wo have, shown
them that We can settle Aesce md bitter
quarrel, not only for tho Presidency, but for
tho absolute control Of tho Govern
,nent, where neither tho Constitution
nor Tho laws provide method.
Wo have shown them TINT, in the
very midat Of dnnger, with roiitlcni
passions ut fever heat, wo ean stop aud do
viso o tnothod that works out pesceab1e re-
sults aud that inaugurates tho Chief Mngie-
trato without the striking Of blow or spill
Ing Of drop Of blood. We have shown
tlcm thnt all this may bo accomplished at no
grontor expense than hard words, which nro
not unnatural In country Of absolute free
speech. So far rs words nro concerned,
there in no ordnance forbiddin8 their nso,
aud partisan patriots aro ut liberty to rake
tho very sewers and ccsspoo1s oi
slang and Billingagato in their search fol
epithots, as lid tho Chicngo Times.
Like tho editor Of that paper, thoy may run
nnnuck, throwing their fltthy mud upon
overy ono they meet. Thero Is no law
nEninst It. ThiB great struggle Of forty
millions of people for power bns passed. by,
and leaves only tho remembrance of tho
froth and fnry Of worly, windy partisans,- -
harmless In Its insanity, however disgnsting
1t may DO. This example OF respect for law
and devotion to tho best interests OF the
conntry is not only suggestive to other
countries, but it forever sets at rest the
taunting prophecios that have boon made by
tho enemies OF tho republican form oi
government, that Republics havo nc
aafoty-valvea for Just such exigonoiea as
that through which wo l,avo Just bccn pass.
ing. Tho taunt n1ay apply to the Latin anti
Spanish Republics Of South America, whose
people 1lAvo nover learned to govern u,on,.
selves any moro than tho people OF France and
Spain. but 1t can no longer apply to the
Anglo-saxon Republic Of tho United ssatea.
Wo have passed through tho most momentous
danger that Gun oyer occur to government
tho very danger TINT Inns produced all tht
European rcvolnttons,-ande emerged from Il
without the spilling Of drop OF blood. W.
lnva shown to the world that might doca mol
,nako right, as in spnin, that tho revolution
Ia not nationnl fdea, ~ in Franco.