Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-28
The Political situation.


luton, in which he says be agrees with him IN
wishing Congress would adjourn; that the world
is governed too much, aud that he should De
glad to see the power Of Congress over Alters
Of private and special legislation entirely cut
off that since much of the public legislation
proposed disturbs business and uosettlcs indus
trv he had proposed an amendment to the Coo
stitution fur biennial sessions OF Congress- OUT
il had no, met With any favor Othor sections
of the country want currency, OF subsidy, or
other legislation.
He denies the correctness of the report that
Mr.. Stephens was 'howled down. as stated
in some newspapers, and explains that to inter
rupt the pending order of business by m'lloo
or statement requires unanimous consent, aod
every member has the absolute right to OH c
Thus sometimes one person will preVeut Lie
sometimes the desire to prevent
it is general. 1t so happened that there WAS
very genera uuWillingness to hear MIR. S;eph
cos. He had suggested the adoption CT the
Hale amendment. 1t was reported that ne
had given the republicans twenty two names
who would follow him in aoy motion OF bis 70
prevent investigation. About this be was
grossly mistaken. When he (Mr. Potter rose
to make proposition to Mr. Hale the repuo
lican outcry prevented his being heard. This
was announced by tho press as an ''lntertup
tiop." MIR, Stephens was head. lined as The
venerable statesman boWled down by Potter S
mob.
MIR. Potter goes on to say that tho reason
Why Nh. Hae's amendment was not attached
to the original resolution was because it was not
permane. An iGquiry into accom- plshed frauds
which changed The electoral vote is proper to
prevent their repetition, but an inquiry into
mere attempts at fraud, which Resulted ID
nothing, is not. 1t was understood also that
the amendmen: contained recitals which would
have forced the democrats to vote against their
own resolution. MIR. Hale was offered every
opportunity to have his amendment adopted
az a separate resolution. Again, the lDoorpo'
ration of the amendment might have had the
effect of preventing any report upon the resolu
ton, As it is the committee will probably
have but one opportunity to report III this
Congress.
In regard to the suggestion that to raise a
question about the Presidential election Will
bring on disturbances and revolution. Mr. rot
ter says: possess yourself 10 peace; there ls
not the slightest chance OF revolution or dis
turbance." He then refers to the time when
the whole country was at fever heat and Wbeu
way was found to establish tribunal TO
pass upon the election, and every one submit
ted to that determination. MIR. Potter COD
tinues 70
THE Presidents title rests upon that. 1t,
now, it should appear that there was fraud,
which palpably affected the electoral vote, and
which the commission did not notes. and II
legal remedy exists for correcting the error, you
LIZ ,L,So ,~h l,nr nd hV,
law could lead to disturbance. Ii there b"
no such legal remedy existing, and Congress
should hereafter, by the approval OF the Presl
dent, or by TWO thirds of both houses without
that approval, provide one, why should the le.
cal determination thereafter had any more pro-
duce disturbance than the decision of the cleo
torsl commission dd2 1t is exactly because
this is not Mexico, and because the people pre-
fer determining questions by legal methods,
and if the legal methods have not been provl
ded, to invent legal methods of determining
them, and to submit to the determination thus
arrived at, that this country cannot be Mexl-
canized ?"
Mr. Potter then refers to the duties and pow
ers of Congress to show that when the two
houses could not agree upon return-oue
preferrine one and the other the other-no
choice could be had, and the vote of that State
would be lost. 1t seemed to bin 10 1876 that
this Vas so clear. and that the leading republl-
can Senators had 80 generally committed them
selves to this view in previous discussions, that
the democrats ought to stand on that ground
to declare that they would abide the action OF
Congress, would accept Whomever the Congress
found to be elected. and if the two houses
should fail to agree as to any return,an and DO ecc
ton by electors should result, they would then
abide the choice of the House of Representa-.
tives, the body authoriz ID by the constitution
to elect President wh,re there is 90 election
by the electoral college. Instead of doing this
they drifted along until at last the republicans,
be wing all the while to the llOe, bad got the
democrats where they were ready to accept the
electoral commission. Having accepted 1t, OF
course they we're bound to submit to its results,
but they ought at least to be allowed to show, II
such was the fact, that the returns upon which
the commission passed were procured by fraud.
MIR, Potter says: II admit that the presi'
dency is not worth civil war, but have not
believed there was any danger OF such war.
The generation who charged up the heights
Petersburg will not 90 lightly into another civil
struggle. We must get years further on be-
fore that will happen. [ remem Der, after the
election, remarkiug to Gen. Mcdowell, that a
great mine might be exploded by spark, to
which be answered. Yes, if the train be 10
aammable, but this tinu the powder is wet. "
He was right. There never Was danger OF a
civil war.
The whole thing was, as l think, a gigantic
game, 10 which We held the cards. and the re
publicans buffed u.s. Years hence, when it is
remembered that We needed only one electoral
vote and that yOur side could not get on with.
out every one of the remaining II; that we had
300, 900 popular majority; that our majorites
re around the capital yours 10 New England,
The Northwest and the Pacific coast; that the
moral sense of the country was that our man
was elected and yours not; that you had moth
ing Oh your side but the control of an army Of
which ten thousand mes could not be got to-
gether, the privates mostly 10 sympathy with
us and commanded by officers educated to un-
derstand the supremacy of the civil over the
military authority, officers, who, excepting the
leaders, Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, could,
I believe, never have been generally used to