New-York tribune., 1878-05-29

movement rs sure to he "a contemplate farce
or horrible tragedy
Mr.. POTTEH'S FATAL LETTER.
ITS viErVAL ADMISSION OF ALL WHICH HAS BEEN
IENIgD IXcUING ALARM.
10y TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.
W.sUIVGroN, MAY 2N.-The investigating COM
mittcc held no meeting to-day, but this fact has not
prevented the usual amount of gossip and discus
sion about its plans and purposes strong move
mcut now seems TO be on foot, esPeclaIIy
among those Democratic REPRESENTATIVES WI"
were instrumental in securing the So-caii'd
evidence on which the Investigation resolution
WAS founded not only 10 have the inquiIy,a secret
one but 10 have She fIst session of the cclnnhI''e
held elsewhere than IN Washington II the el"'oSii-
CATION begins here in Washington, 1t is adnilte" hy
all the Democrats that whatever testimony II may
obtain that is interesting OF sensational, VIII ma
itsway into the papers and its effect Will he dis
counted in advance. no matter whether the sessions
Of the committee are open or secret.
Mr. Pottcr's letter, published this morning. in
stead of allaying apprehension, seems rather to
have increased it. The admissions he makes III
that letter prove beyond question that 1t Is the IN
tcutIon even of some of the more Conservative
of the Democrats to attack the Presidents
title under the color OF legal proceedings Ii
tlere is any, one principle that has heretofore
been settled in the American system OF government
it is that when the President has once been declared
elected and uaugurated 10 question as to ms uti'
shall thereafter he raised. 1t may often happen
that the Congress which comes into being with The
Inauguration of a President may be OF opposite
poitics from the Executive; and if such
Congress can set foot legal proceedings to oust
the President it will come to pass that no EXccn-
tive will he secure in his title unless he can com
riaud majority in one OF both Houses Of Congress.
In other words, every Presidential election may Toe
followed by long agitation, resulting in legislation
and lawsuit, the object Of which Is 10 test the
So disastrous is the effect of the long period of IN
certainty which prcccdes and attends the PIcSidrl-
tial canvass winch occurs every ioGr years, thdl IL
has more than once been proposed To- extend ne
Presidential term. If the ideas contained IN MI.
POttcr'S letter prevail then the eighteen months Il
suspense which heretofore has ended IN the lndGTa-
ton of President may be followed by three OF lour
years more OF agitation IN regard 10 the iltlc "I IHe
Executive.
MR.. KEYS APPEAL TO THE SOUTH.
PRESIDENT HAYEs's TITLE PERFECTLY UNA>>AIf-
ABLE AND ALREADY RECOGNIZED BY The
sOCTH
GENERAL PRESS DIsPATCHl
WAsurxGrov. May 2s.-In lieu OF a personal an
swcr To many letters received from friends IN the
South disclaiming sympathy with any effort 10 uH-
seat President Hayes Po>tmaster-Gencral Key has
written an open letter TO the people oi the South
which Is given herewith.
WASHINGTON, May 2s, ISIS
The circumstances attending the passage OF
the Pot;erresoluon to investigate the alleged frauds
in the Presidential election OF l,5G in tie states OIL
Louisiana and Florida, together with the subsequent
declarations Of many influential Democratic politicians
and journalists evidence that II both Houses
Of the XLvIth Congress are Democratic tn'
majority intend 20 Oust President Hayes ana ln1EH-
Iate Nj. Tiden. The title # President Hayes wac
settled rrevocablv blythe XIVth Congress, in Tie act
IppfOr
ne wax legally declared elected and legally H.
aucurated The XLVth Congress has 10 more
right 10 dispute his election than be has to qu''-
ton the title Of any victorious contestant TO Ills seat III
fiat body The XLVIth Congress Will have 10 moro
night to ignore him and recognize his defeated contest
ant Mr. Tlden thau Mr. Hayes would have 70 send lie
Of soldier, TO the House Of Representatives 10 unHc
A Democrat whom he might consider TO nave perh
wrongful " seated fTauduleny elected The leaders
in TINS desperate attcmpt Mexicanze our institutions
rcIv confidently upon the solid south" 10 iufhsh 'he
huk Of the democratic majority the next iousc OF
Representatives, the Senate being already secured. I'
inembcrlug the encouragement which the N'iih-
crn Democrats in 1850 and ls6l, extended TO
the Southern states to sccede and the mann'r III
which their promises Of AID and comfort were fulfilled
can the Southern people afford to Join this revolutionary
movement with the certainty that when tho Inevitable
hour Of peril thcywjl again be left unassscd ana
alone TO meet the storm from the North once more
united by this attempt to revive an issue whose settle
Congress
In the dark days Of February, 81, when ciY. war
over thc DISPUTED election imminent and patriots
trcmbled for the safety OF republican institute N, the
soutbern members OF Congress ayerted the danger by
co,uueug the completion OF the electoral count under
The law which both parties in Congress had enacted
Bu now the Representatives from the Southern States
with very few exceptions, have joined movement 70
sbvert the results their former patriotic action ami
20 remand The country anarchy from which, less
than two years ago, II saved by their efforts
Grant that in permitting the autonomy Of all the
States and in appointing citizens 10 Office III The houI
instead Of strangers, President Hayes has but dir
Charged his constitutional duty Does that excuse inc
Southern Representatives for attempting to lnyaiIdic
his te which they established, will it Justify them
in bringing the country IN danger oi cyH war IN
the effort to uuscat HIN and Iuaugurae Mr. Tildcnf
The South must face the most monentons crsis ID
its history since 1861. 70 ndOrsc the recent CONQUER
Of their Representatives is TO admit the tuth OF 'He
charge that the people Of the South nothing for the
welfare OF Union, desire the downfall OF the KepuD
JIG and would Iejoice 10 it again involved In ciyl
war If their Representatives havenot reflected their
eeutments believe to he the then the people Of
the Southern should take that the XLVth
Cougrcs, they represented by who III defeat
the disturbcrs OF the public peace and prevent
t NexcapiZation OF institutions. To do this they
,o ne comrellcd 70 act Independent Of the Democratic
marty Recent events have demonstrated the inability
of democratic members OF Congress to resist the man
Jate OF the caucus ard the terror OF the party lash the
one welded and the other inspired by men who seem
willing 10 cndQnger the welfare OF iHe country dV ti.o
stability OF republican institutions LOT lhc sum "a ~
Xcge an nautical 0DpOucnts aud III the hope OF dNIdhg
the spOs OF victory" III the DelnOcfalIc IeI
tyes o the south could resist the caucus command
gH. Duffar