The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-06
THE ERRING BROTHER.
A Lick-srittre Letter from Judge Key

WASHINGTON, May %.
The circumstances attending the pass
age Of the Potter resolution to investigate
the alleged frauds in the Presidential
election of 1876 in the States of Louisi-
ana and Florida, together with the SUBJ
sequent declarations of many influential
Democratic politicians and journalists,
gives evidence that if both Houses of the
Forty-si1th Congress are Democratic,
the majority intend to oust President
Hayes and inaugurate Mr.. Tilden. The
title of President Hayes was settled ire
vocably by the Forty-fourth Congress
in the act creating the Electoral COM
mission, under which he was legally de-
clared and legally inaugurated. The
Forty-fifth Congress has no more right
to dispute his election than he has to
question the title of any victorious con-
testant 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, than
Mr.. Hayes would have to send file of
soldiers to the House of Representatives
to unseat Democrat whom he might
consider to have been wrongfully seated
or fraudulently elected. The leaders in
this desperate attempt to Mexicanize our
institutions rely confidently upon the
"solid South" to furnish the bulk of the
Democratic majority in the next House
of Representatives, the Senate being al
ready secured. Remembering the en-
couragement which Northern Democrats
in 1860 and 1861 extended to the South
ern States to secede, and the manner in
which their promises of aid and comfort
were fulfilled, can the Southern people
afford to join this revolutionary move
ment 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 attempt TO revive an
issue whose settlement was forced by
public opinion upon an unwilling Con-
gress in the dark days of February, 1877,
when civil war over the disputed election
was imminent, and patriots trembled for
the safety of republican institutions, and
the Southern members of Congress
averted the danger by compelling the
completion of the electoral count under
a law which both parties in Congress
had elected but now the representatives
from the Southern States, with a very
few exceptions, have Joined movement
to subvert the results of their former pa
triotic action and to remand the country
to that anarchy from which, less than
two years ago, it was saved by their eff.
forts. Grant that in permitting autono-
my of all States and in appointing citi-
zens to Office in the South instead of
strangers, President Hayes has but dis
charged his constitutional duty. Does
that excuse Southern representatives for
attempting to invalidate his title, which
they established? or will it justify them
in bringing the country again in danger
of civil war. in an effort to unseat him
and inaugurate Mr.. Tilden? The South
must now face the most momentous
crisis in its history since 1861. To en-
dorse the recent conduct of their repre-.
sentatives is to admit the truth of the
charges that the people of the South care
nothing for the welfare of the Union, de-
sire the downfall of the Republic and
would rejoice. to see it again involved in
civil war. If their representatives have
not reflected their sentiments, as I be-
lieve to be the case, then the people of
the Southern States should take care that
in the Forty sixth Congress they are rep.
resented by men who will defeat the dis
turbers of the public peace and prevent
the Mexicanization of our institutions.
To do this, they may be compelled to act
independent of the Democratic party.
Recent events have demonstrated the in
ability of tho Democratic members Of
Congress to resist the mandates of the
caucus and the terrors of the party lash
the one welded and the other inspired
by men who seem willing to endanger
the welfare of the country and the stabil-
ity of republican institutions for the sake
of revenge OIL political opponents and in
the hope of dividing the spoils of victory.
If the Democratic representatives of the
South could not resist the caucus COM
mand to pass the Potter resolution una
mended and without debate, how will
they be able in the Forty-sixth Congress
to resist similar command to ignore Mr..
Hayes as President and to recognize Mr..
Tilden Z? 1t is, therefore, the duty of the
Southern people to afford crowning evil
dence of their renewed devotion to the
Union in which they now enjoy every
right of citizenship, and are subject only
to restrictions laid upon every citizen, by
sending representatives to the Forty-sixth
Congress pledged to resist at all hazards
revolutionary schemes of mischief max.
ers who seem to have gained control of
the House of Representatives of the
Forty-ffth Congress. To this end the
people of every District should meet
publicly, organize and resolve to support
no person for Congress who has given aid
TO this movement, and who will not
pledge himself to sustain the title of
President Hayes during the term for
which he was elected against all attempts
at itsoverthrow. Only in this way can
q grave danger to the Republic be avert.
I'd and convincing proof be given that
Iu6 COuuutlCc WhS uOI ulSpluCeu WHICH,
President Hayes manifested in the South
when he withdrew the troops from the
State Houses of South Carolina and Lou
isiana. I have spoken plainly and
for 1 feel that l should be un-
worthy to represent the South in the Ad-
were I to remain silent now.
Invited to the Cabinet as Southern
man, to see that justice was done to the
South, I was required neither to apollo
yize, for my record nor to disown my po-
.itical principles. 1t is my duty now to
warn the people of the South of the dam
ger which threatens the country. No
nan need hope that the schemes of the
men who have engineered the movement
% unseat President Hayes can be carried
,ut without q bloody civil war. To
avert this danger I confidently rely upon
he patriotism and honor of the people
If my native section.
D. NJ. KEY.
GRANGE Column,