The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-06-06

. -
t incOmpleteness OF those who prsctic
q IL. Happy are they who discover th
]. lOvliness OF virtue so early in life
that they are never, even for a mo
Q ment, deceived by the Illusion o
vice Vice is an illusiOn.-JdBle
Q Parton, IN annual Of PhreRolOgy 70
: 1878.
: LEfTER OF POSTMASTER GENERA
KEY 10 TAX PEOPLE or
, THE SOUTH.
WASHINGTON, May 2S.-In lieu o.
personal answer to many letters re-
ceived from friends in the South dis
claiming sympathy with any effort to
unseat President Hayes, Postmaster
General Key has written the follow
ing open letter to the people Of the
South
WASHINGTON, May 2S.-The cir.
eumstaBces attending the passage OF
the Potter resolution to investigate
alleged frauds in the Presidential elec-
tion of 1876 in the States of Louisiana
and Florida, together with the subse-
guent declarations Of many infiuen-
tial Democratic politicians and journ-
slists, evidence that IL both Houses of
the FOrty-sixth Congress are Demo-
cratic the majority intend to GUST
President Hayes and inaugurate Mr..
Tilden. The title OF President Hayes
was settled irrevOcably by the Forty
fourth Congress In the act creating
the Electoral Commission, under
which he was legally declared elected
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
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, than Mr.. Hayes would have
10 send a file of soldiers to the House
of Representatives to unseAt Demo-
crat whom he might consider to have
been wrOngfully seated or fraudulent
ly elected. The leaders in this des-
perate attempt to MeXicanize our in-
stitGtions rely confidently upon the
''SOlid Southn TO furnish the bulk of
the Dem ocratic majority in the next
| House of Representatives, the Senate
being already secured. Remem oering
the encouragement which Northern
Democrats in 1860 an '6l extended to
the Southsrn Ststss SI s e secsdel and stRa
aid and comfort were fulfilled, can the
Southern people afford to join this
revolutionary movement with the
certainty that when the inevitable
i l. s NhnNr NuflI onafn
be left unassisted and alone to meet
the storm from the North, once more
united by the attempt to revive an is
sue whose settlement was forced by
public opinion upon an unwilling
Congress In the dark days OF Feb
ruary, 1877, when civil war over the
disputed election was Imminent and
patriots trembled for the safety Of re-
publican institutions, the Southern
members of Congress averted the
danger by compelling the compile
ton OF the electoral court under
a law which both parties In Con-
gress had enacted but now the
Representatives from the Southern
States, with q very few exceptions,
have Joined q movement to subvert
the resolutions of their former patriot
Ic action and 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 the States, and ap-
pointing citizens to Office in the South
instead OF strangers, Pesident Hayes
has but discharged his constitutional
duty, does that excuse the Southern
Representatives for attempting to in
validate his title which they establish
ed, or will il justify them in bringing
the country again in danger Of civil
war in an effort II unseat him and
inaugurate Mr.. Tllden ? The South
must face the most mOmentous crisis
/ In its history since 1861. To endorse
the recent conduct as their Represen-
| tRtives is to admit the truth OF the
charges that the people OF the South
care nothing for the welfare OF the
Union, desire the downfall OF the re-
public, and would rejoice to see 1t
again involved In civil war. II their
| Representatives have not reflected
their sentiments, IS 1 believe to be
the case, then the people OF The South
| eru States should take care that in the
Forty-sixth Congress they are repre-
sented by men who will de-
feat the disturbers Of public peace
and prevent the MexicAniZstion OF
our institutions. To do this they
must be compelled to act Independent
Of the Democratic party. Recent
| events have demonstrated the inabtli-
ty Of the Democratic members Of
Congress to resist the mandates Of q
caucus and the terrors OF the. party
lash, the one welded aud the other
inspired by men who seem willing
to endanger the welfare of the country
and the stability OF Republican institu-
tions for the sake of revenge on
political opponents, and In the hope
Of dividing the "spoils OF victory"
II the Democratic Representatives Of
the South could not resist q caucus
command to pass the Potter resolution
unsmended and without debate, how
will they he able in the Forty
sixth Congress to resist q similar
command to ignore MIR. Hayes
ss President and to recognize Mr..
TIlden ? 1t is therefore the duty of
the Southern people to afford crown
ing evidence Of their renewed devo-
ton to the Union in which they now
enjoy every right Of citizenship, and
laid upon every citizen, by sending
Representatives to the Forty-sixth
Congress pledged to resist at all hRz-
ards the revolutionary schemes OF
the mischief makers who seem to
have gained control OF the House OF
/. Representatives Of the FOrty-fifth
Congress. To this end the people In
every district should meet, publicly
| 10 1Trwrnrf
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 sill
attempts at its overthrow. Only Ia
this way can q grave danger to the
Republic be averted, and convincing
pTOof can be given that the confidence
was not misplaced which President
Hayes manifested in the South when
he withdrew the troops from the
State houses Of South Carolina and
Louisiana. / have spoken plainly
and earnestly, for feel that should
be unworthy to represent the
South in the Administration were /
to remain silent now. Ny being In
yItsd to the Cabinet as Southern
man to see that justice wss done the
South required me neither to apollo.
J gize for my record nor to disown my
political principles. 1t is my duty
now to warn the people OF the South
, Of the danger which threatens the
country. No man need hope that the
I schemes of the men who have engi-
I neered the movement to unseat the
President can be carried out without
a bloody civil war. To avert this
| danger I confidently rely upon the
; patriotism and honor Of the people OF
my native section.
Signed ID. NJ KEY