The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-05-29
The Florida Observation-Disclosures Rep
resentatiye Potter Thinks of the
Matter.

WASHINGTON, May q - Clarkson y.
Potter, in a long letter To New York friend,
explains the result of his resolution. lie
says among other things:
You suggest that to raise the question about
the late presidential election will bring on dis
turbance and revolution. Not at all; about
that possess yourself in peace. There is not
or disturbance when the whole
country was at fever heat on the subject OF the
election. A way was as found TO establish , trl-
submitted TO that determination. The preSi-
dents title rests upon that. III now II
palpabIy affected the electoral vote, and which
the commission did not notice, and ii legal
remedy exists for correcting the error you can
not believe that such proceeding under the
law would lead TO a disturbance. II there
be no such legal remedy existing, and
congress should hereafter. by the approval of
the president, or by two-thirds of botn houses,
without that approval provide one. Why
should the legal determination thereafter had
decision of the electoral commission
did? II is exactly because this is
not Mexico and because the people
DDS, and If legal methods have not been pro
vided, to invent legal methods of determining
them, and TO submit to the determination
can not be Mexicanizeti. HAVING
accepted the electoral commission, OF course,
we were bound to submit to its results, but we
ought at least to be allowed TO show, If such
the fact, that the returns upon which the
commission passed were procured by fraud.
/ admit that the presidency is not worth civil
war, but have not believed there was any
danger of such a war. The generation who
charged up the heights of Frederick, and de-
Tended the works AT Petersburg, will not 90
lightly into another civil struggle. We must
get years further on before that win
republican leaders. Having lain down
when the law was on our side and when we
ought TO have stood mp. 1t IS not for us
against us; but you will ask whether, If
there be no danger to public order from
P BE- from action by congressq Mono more
than from the action of the courts. The con-
gress represents the.people OF the country, but
does not anticipate their Will. Should fraud
connected with the electoral count appear, so
gross and pail able that you and AL hon.
II. congress might then take action but if so,
what congress might do, being the result OF
the action or men of all parties of the great
body of people, not of a party, would be
effected, quietly, certainly, and without dis
turbances. In saying this, do not mean
that expect the investigation to be followed
by either legal or congressional, action. That
If anything should be done, because of in
inquiry, but do mean that whatever action,
if any, should follow the Investigation,
such action can neither disturb the order
nor prosperity of the country. This cry
of wolf, when there is no wolf, this effort TO
make il appear that there is danger to peace
or order from this his. investigation is rePu6Ii-
cation of the carpet-bag government
like the public danger excuse,
advanced for the enforcement of Durel's infsl-
nous order and the protection of the return
ing board by bayOnetS, like the cry set up after
the election TO prevent any agitation To secure
submission What. then, YOU ask, is the pur-
pose of the Investigation. 1 answer, to
ascertain facts, so that if frauds be
established, a repetition of such frauds may be
prevented, and If not to clear up the general
belief throughout the country that there were
such frauds. The feeling among many repub-
licanS after the election was that while we
had been cheated in the returns, we had bull
doZed the negroes so badly that accounts
of wrong were equal. This belief in the bull
doing Of the negro was based mainly upon
the fact that in certain districts i'm the south,
which nOminally gave republican ma
jOrities, there was not retained that
year single republican vote. Now, the
people of the north have never understood
that this condition of Things was fraudulently
prepared by the republicans. They ought to
understand that and beyond that they ought
TO understand that there never was anything
so dangerous to free government as return
Ing board, ana 10 throw out the
votes OF one side and keep in
the votes of the other, without
10 PeSteMs hog s9G G w6ongs 70
tured objections as color for their action, to
permit figures to be altered and returns to be
means by which the win of the people
may be frustrated and the popular
voice stifted. 1t then becomes possible and
there may be thus condition of things alb
solu ely destructive OF free government. We
believe that il was by such proceedings we
were cheated out OF the election.
Unless the proceedings be exposed
the outrage will be repeated.
Whatever may result from the proposed IN
vestigaton, you may be sure that nothing
can result that will disturb either your fiocks
your balances. The trouble to capital,
property and freedom will not come perhaps
in your time nor in mine, but come at last
from refusing to inquire into frauds. To con-
front the evil, If you may not
right IL, is to prevent its
repetition. To shut your eyes TO 10 suplnely is
TO jeopardize, and not to preserve the future