The daily gazette., 1878-05-28
SECOND EDITION
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

A'Ns h1 S<hA bAiNo INN
TIoN REsoLUTIoN-How THE DEMO
Gratis HAVE BEEN BLUFFED--THE
ARMY-CAPITAL AND CoMMUNI>M, SC.
Hon. Clarkson n. Potter has written
| letter from Washington to friend in re-
gard to inquiries as to the effect of the
| Investigation resolution, in which he
says he agrees with him i'll wishing Con-
gress would adjourn; that the world is
governed too much, and that he should
| be glad to see the power of Congress
over matters of private and special l. gis-
| lation entirely cut of; that since much
of the public Legislation proposed dis
| turbs business and unsettles industry he
had proposed an amendment to the con-
stitution for biennial sessions of Con-
gress, but it had not met with any favor
Other sections of the country want cur
rency, or subsidy, or other legislation.
DUTIES AND POWERS OF CONGRESS-.
Mr.. Potter then refers to the duties
| and powers of Congress to show that
when the two houses could not agree
upon return-one preferring one and
the other the other no choice could be
had, and the vote of that State would be
| lost. 1t seemed to him in 1876 that this
was SO clear, and that the leading repub-
ncan Senators had so generally commit
| ted themselves 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 whomsver the Congress
found to be elected and if the two houses
where there is no election by the elector-
should fail to agree AS to any return, and
no election by electors should result, they
would then abide the choice of the House
OF Representatives, the body authorize
by the constitution to elect President
where there is no election by the cleo
toral college. Instead Of doing this they
drifted along until at last the republi-
cans, hewing all the while to the line,
had got the democrats where they were
ready to accept the electoral commission.
Having accepted it, of course they were
bound to submit to its results, but they
ought at least to be allowed to show, il
such was the fact, that the returns upon
which the eomnissio on passed were pro-
cured by fraud.
NOT WORTH A CIVIL WAR.
Mr.. Potter says:
81 admit that the presidency is not
worth civil war, but have not believ-
ed there was any danger of such war
The generation who charged up the
heights Of Fredericksburg and defended
the works at Petersburg will not go
lightly into another civil struggle. We
must get years further on before that
will happen. l remember, after the cleo
ton, remarking to Gen. Mcdowell that
a great mine might be exploded by
spark, to which he answered, Yes, if
the train be intiammable, but this time
the powder is wet He was right, There
never was danger of civil war.
A GIGANTIC GAME OF BLUFF.
"The whole thing was, as L think,
gigantic game, in which we held the
cards, and the republicans blutfed us.
Years hence, when it is remembered that
we needed only one electoral vote, and
that your side could not get on without
every one of the remaining II; that we
had 800, 900 popular majority; that our
majorities We're around the capital,
yours in 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
nothing on your side but the control of
an army of which ten thousand men
could not be got together, the privates
mostly in sympathy with us and COM
manded by officers educated to under
stand the supremacy of the civil power
over the military authority, officers,
who, excepting the leaders, Grant, Sher-
man and Sheridan, could, L believe,
never have been generally used to resist
the declaration of the House of Repre-
sentatives, Il am told that this will ap-
pear certainly whenever the secret cor
respondence Of the War Department is
revealed,) and that You were laden down
with the care Of the national credit, the
first shock to which would have arrayed
against you all the moneyed institutions
i'll the country that, under such condi-
tions, | say, your leaders oontrived and
were able to carry through the capture
of all these seventeen votes will be re-
garded as one of the greatest political
performances of history.
Is THERE d ANGER FROM CONGRESS?
"I admit the success OF the rer2SSican |
leaders. Having lain down when the |
law was on our side and when we ought !
to have stood up, it is not for us now to |
stand up as long as the laws remains |
against us. But you will ask whether,
if there be no danger to public order |
from action by Congress No; no
more than from the action of the courts. |
Congress represents the people of the |
country, but does not march before them |
1t expresses, but does not anticipate |
their will. Should fraud connected with |
the electoral count appear so gross and |
palpable that you and all honorable men
should unite in denouncing it, Congress
might then take action. Butifso Congress
might do, being the result of the action |
of men of all parties of the great body of |
the people, not of party, would I
be effected quietly, ainly |
and without violence or disturb |
ance. In saying this 1 do not |
mean that | expect the investigation to |
be followed by either legal or congress |
sional action. What, if anything, |
should be done because of the inquiry, |
must depend upon the results of the |
inquiry. But l do not mean that what
ever action, if any, should follow the in
vestigation, such action can neither dis
turb the order nor the prosperity of the
country.
AN OLD RADICAL DEVICE.
"1'his cry of wolf, when there is no
wolf; this effort to make It appear that
there is danger to peace or order from
this investigation is a republican pre-
tense, like the "bioody shirt" justitica-
tion of Durelps infamous order, and the
of the returning board by |
bayonets; like tho cry set up after the
election to prevent agitation and to Sc
cure submission. We must haye a very
sorry sort of popular government if Con-
yress cannot even inquire into frauds in
The choice of the executive without en-
tangering the peace and prosperity of
,hs country.
PURPOSE OF THE INVESTIGATION.
GO w nat then, you ask, is the purpose
= - o gA.sa ava-. i