Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-06-05
The Political Campaign.

sympathy with any effort to unseat
President Hayes AS the views OF Gen.
Key on this subject may be deemed as
in some measure in accord with those
of the administration, his letter possess
.es a peculiar interest at this time. 1t
is follows:
WASHINGTON, May 2S.-The cir
cumstances attending the passage OF the
Potter resolution to investigate the
alleged frauds in the presidential cleo
ton of 1876 in the States Of louisiana
and Florida, together with the subse.
quent declarations Of many influential
democratic politicians and journalists,
evidence that if both houses OF the
Forty. Congress are democratic
the majority intend to GUST President
HAYES and inaugurate Mr.. Tilden. The
title Of President Hayes was settled
irrevocably by the Forty-fourth Con-
gress in the act creating the electoral
commission, under which he was legally
declared elected and legally lnaugurated.
The Forty-ifth Congress has no more
right 10 dispute his election than he has
to question the title of any victorious
contestant to his seat in that body. The
Forty-sixth Congress will have no more
right to ignore him and to recognize his
defeated contestant, Mr.. Tilden, then
Mr.. HAYES would have to send a file OF
soldiers to the House Of Representatives
to un.eat democrat whom lie might
consider to have been wrongfully seated
or fraudulently elected.
The leaders in this desperate at
tempt to Mexicanlze our institutions
rely confidently upon the solid South
to furnish the bulk Of the democratic
majority in the next House Of Repre-
sentatives, the Senate being already
secured. Remembering the encourage
mcnt which the Northern democrats in
1860 and 1861 extended to the Southern
States to secede, and the manner in
which their promises Of aid and COM
fort were fulfilled, can the Southern
people afford TO Join this revolutionary
movement with the certainty that when
the inevitable hour Of peril comes they
will again be left unassisted and alone
to meet the storm from the North, once
more united by this attsmpt to revive
an issue, whose settlement was forced
by public opinion upon an unwlll NJ
Congress?
In the dark days of February, 1871.
when civil war was over, the disputed
election was imminent and patriots
trembed for the safety OF republican
institutions, the Southern members OF
Congress averted the danger by COM
pellng the completion OF the electoral
count under the law which both parties
in Congress had enacted. But now the
Representatives from the Southern
members of Congress aver!cd the dam
ger by compelling the completion Of the
electoral count under the law which both
parties in Congress had acted. But now
the Representatives from the Southern
States, with a very few exceptions.
have joined a movement to submit the
results of their former patriotic action,
and to remand the country to that
anarchy from which less than two years
ago it was saved by their efforts.
Grant that. in permitting the
autonomy of all States and in appoint
inc citizens to office in the South instead
of strangers. President Hayes has but
discharged his constitutional duty, does
that excuse the Southern Represen-
tatives for attempting to irvalidatc his
title which they established, or will it
Justify them in bringing the country
asain in danger Of civil war IN the effort
to unseat him and inaugurate hr.
Tilden?
The South aust now face the most
momentous crises IN Its history since
1861. To iudorse the recent conduct OF
their Representatives is 10 admit the
truth of the charge that the people OF
the South care nothing FOR thu welfare
of the Union, desire the downfall OF the
republic, and would rcjoise to sec 1t
again involved in civil war. If their
Representatives have not reflected their
sentiments. as I believe 10 be the case,
then the people of the Southern States
should take care that, ia the Forty
sixth Congress, they arc represented by
men who will defeat the disturbers OF
the public peaco and prevent the
Mexicsnization Of our Institutions.
To do this they may be compelled to
act independent Of the democratic par
~. Recent events have demonstrated
the inability of democratic members OF
Congress to resist the mandates OF the
caucus and the tsrrors Ofthe party lash,
the one welded and the other inspired
by men who seem willing to endanger
the welfare OF the country and the sta
bili.y Of republican institutions for the
sake Of revenge on political opponents
and in the hope Of dividing the 'spoils
of victory If the democratic Repre-
sentatives Of the South could not resist
the caucus command TO pass the Potter
resolution, unamended and without de-
bate, how will they be able in the For
tv-sixth Congress to resist a similar
command to ignore Mr.. Hayes as
President and to recognize Mr.. Tllden
'Itis therefore the duty of the South
ern people to afford GROWING evidence
of their ed devotion to the Union
ia which they now enjoy every right Of
citizenship, and are subjected to nc
restrictions to the Forty-siXth Congress
pledged 10 resist at all hazards the reyo-
Iiutionary schemes Of the mschiet-mak-
ers, who seem to have gained contro
of the House Of Representatives OF the
lFerty-fifth Congress. To this end the
people in every district should meet
publicly, organize and resolve to sup
port no person for Congress who has
given aid to this movement, and who
will not pledge himself to sustain the
title to President Hayes during the term
for which he was elected against all at
tempts at its overthrow.
only in this way can a grave danger
to the republic be averted, and conyinc'
Ing proof be given that the confidence
was not misplaced which President
HAYES manifested in the South when hi
Withdrew the troops from the State
Houses of South Carolina and Loulsla'
ma. l have spoken plainly and earnest
ly. for feel that should be unworthy