Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-02-02
THE PREa1DrNr,s MESSAGE.
Upon Transmitting tho Electoral Bill
to Congress- with his Approval.


Upon Transmitting tho Electoral Bill
to CONGRESS with his Approval.
To the Senate Of the United States:
l follow the example heretofore
occasionally presented of commune
eating in this mode my approval Of
the act to provide for and regulate
the counting of the votes for Presi-
dent and Vice President, and the de-
cision of question arising thereon, be-
cause Of my appreciation of the i'm
minent peril to the Constitution of
the country, from which, in my judy
ment, the act affords wise and consti-
tutional means of escape. For the
first time in the history of our coun-
try, under the Constitution as 1t now
is, dispute exists with regard to the
result Of the election of Chief Magis-
trate of the nation. II is understood
that upon the disposition of the dis
putes touching the electoral votes
cast at the late election by one or
more Of the States depends the ques-
ton whether one or the other Of the
candidates tor the Presidency is the
lawful Chief Magistrate. The i'm
portance of having clearly ascertain
ed by procedure regulated by law
which of the two citizens has been
elected, and of having the right to
this high Office recognized and cheer
fully agreed in by all the people of
the republic, cannot be overestimat-
ed, and leads me to express to Con-
gress and to the nation my great sat
isfactlon at the adoption of a meas
ure that affords orderly means of de-
cision of the gravely exciting ques-
tons. While the history of our
country in its earlier periods shows
that the President of the Senate has
counted the votes and declared their
standing, our whole history shows
that in no instance of doubt or dis
pute has he exercised the power of
deciding, and that the two Houses Of
Congress have disposed of all such
doubts and disputes, although in no
instance hitherto have they been
such that their decision could essen
TALLY have affected the result. For
the first time, then, the Government
of the United States is now brought
to meet the question as one vital to
the result, and this under conditions
not best calculated to produce agree
ment or to induce calm feeling in
the several branches of the govern
ment, or among the people of the
country. In a case where, as now,
the result is involved, it is the high
est duty of the law making power to
provide in advance a constitutional,
orderly and Just method OF executing
the Constitution in this most interes-
ting and critical clause of its provis-
ions. The doing so, far from beng
a compromise OF right, is an enforce
ment of right, and and an execution
of the powers conferred by the Con-
stitution in Congress. l think that
this orderly method has been secur-
ed by the bill, which, appealing to
the Constitution and the law as a
guide in ascertaining the rights, pro-
vides means of deciding the ques-
tions of single returns through direct
action of Congress, and in respect to
double returns by the tribunal Of in
quiry, whose decisions stand unless
both Houses of Congress shall con-
cur in determining otherwise, thus
securing definite disposition of all
questions of dispute, in whatever as
pect they may arise. With or with
out this law, as all of the States have
voted, and as a tie vote is impossible,
it must be that one of the two candi-
dates has been elected, and it would
be deplorable to witness an irregular
controversy as to which of the two
should receive or which should con-
tinue to hold Office. In all periods
of history controversies have arisen
as to the succession or choice of
chiefs of States, and no party or clti-
zen loving his country and its tree
institutions can sacrifice too much of
mere feeling, in preserving, through
the upright course of law, his coun.
try from the smallest danger to its
peace on such an occasion, and it
cannot be impressed too firmly in the
hearts of the people that true liberty
and real progress can exist only by
cheerful adherence to constitutional
law. The bill purports to provide
only for the settlement Of questions
arising from the recent elections.
The fact that such questions can
arise demonstrates necessity, which
cannot doubt will before long be
of permanent general legis-
lation to meet cases which have not
been contemplated in the Constltu-
ton or laws of the country. The
bill may not be perfect and its pro-
visions may not be such as would be
best applicable to all future occa-
sions, but it is calculated to meet the
present conditions Of the questions
and of the country. The country is
agltated. 1t needs and it desires
peace and quiet and harmony be-
tween all parties and sections. Its
industries are arrested; labor unem-
ployed; capital idle, and enterprise
paralyzed by reason of the doubt
and anxiety attending the uncertain
ty of a double claim to the Chief
Magistracy of the nation. 1t wants
to be assured that the result of the
will be accepted without re-
sistance from the supporters of the
disappointed candidate, and that Its
highest officer shall not hold his
place with a questioned title of right.
Believing that the bill will secure
,hese ends, l give it my signature.
us. GRANT.
Executive Mansion Jan. 20, 1877.