Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-29
Responses TO Hr. rOfter's Letter.

"Ihe circumstances attending the passage
O! the Potter resolution to Investigate the al.
legged frauds 10 the Presidential election OF
1876 10 the States OF louisiana and FLORIDA,
tcgcthtn with the subsequent declarations OF
napy Influential Democratic politicians and
journalists, evidence tba. if both houses OF the
Forty sixth Congress are Democrats the ma
iorily Intend to Dust President Hayes and lnau.
gurato Mr.. TlldeD.
"Ihc title Of President Hays was settled ir
revocnb!y by the Forty -fourih Congress 10 the
act cecalirg the Electoral Commission, under
which he was legally declared elected and le-
gally ioaugurated. The Forty 6fth Congress
has no mere right to dispute his election than
| he has TO question the title OF any victorious
| contestant 10 his seat IN that body. The Forty
SIKH Congress- will have DO more right to lg'
more him and to recognize his defeated con.
tcstaut, Mr.. TiIdeD, than MIR. Hayes would
have to send li'e OF soldiers to the House OF
| Representatives to unscat Democrat whom
| he might consider to have to.n Wr0Dgtuy
STATED or fraudulently elected
The leaders in this desperate attempt to
| hlexican;z, cur institutions rely confidently
upon tho solid South to furnish the bulk Of
the Democratic majority in the next House OF
Representatives, the Senate being already
secured.
! Remembering the cncouragemt ut which the
Northcrn Democrats in 1860 aid 1861 extended
| TO the Southern States 10 sfCede, a0d the
manner in which their promises of aid and
corctort were fulfilled, can the Southern people
afyrd to Join this revolutionary movement,
| with tic certainly that when the Inevitable
| hour of peril comes they will again be left IN
assisted aud alone 10 meet The storm from tie
North once more united by this attempt to re-
v!ye 40 Issue whose settlement was forced by
! rubfic opiui0n upon an unwilling Congress?
Ia The dark days of february, 1877, when
civil Var over the disputed election was mml'
oeDt, att. patriots tremoled Tor the safety ct
repub!icao institutions, the Southern members
of Uonsrcss averted the danger By compelling
the completion Of the electoral count under the
law which both parties in Cjnsre5s had CO.
ac;ed.
but now the Repri s,ntati7es from the South
ern States, with very few exceptions, nave
ioipcd movement to subver; 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 il permitting the autonomy OF
al! lha States aod 10 appointing cl!lz ms to Of
fee in the South Instead OF strangers, Presl.
dent Hayes has but discharged his constitutional
duly, GOES that excuse the Southern Repre-
senlatiyes for attempting to invalldate bis
li5ic, which they established, OF will 1t Justify
them 10 bringing the c9uatry again 10 dagger
OF civil war in the eftor: to -uN9eas him and IN
auyuratc Mr.. Iilden?
'iho South must now face lilo most momcn!
Gus crisis in tl history slGoa 1861.
IA i1ttuTsr, The receut conduct OF Their Rep
rescnla;ivs1is to admi: Tie truth cG the charge
that The peor!a OF the South car3 nothing tor
the Ea!i.re of the Ualoo, dcairc the downtaIl
OF the r public, aad would r'jo;oe to $50 It
agaln involved 10 civil war
"lt their Repre- sentatlyes haV5 not reflected
their sentiments, Sc | belieVe to be the case.
thee the people or the S0uhcrn States should
take caro- that in the Fe:Iy sixth Congress,
the; ere represented By men Who vii! defeat
the d:sturbsrs Of the pu2llo peace and prevent
the hlcxicauiz ltIcn of our Institutions.
so do this they may be compelled to act 10
dependent of The Democratic party. Recent
events have demonstrated the inability OF
Democratic membera OF Congress to resist the
! mandates of tue Caucus End the tcrrOrs OF the
parry lash, tho one welded and the other To-
sprcd by men who seem TI!llng TO eudaager
the welfare G.! the country and the stability OF
republican institutions for tho sake Of revenge
dividing he "spols Of victory
IF the Democratic Representatives ct the
s3ou;h c5ud not resist the caucus command to
bass the Potter resolution, unamended and
without debate, how will they be able 10 the
Forty sixth Congress to resist similar demand
to ignore hlr. Hayes as President aud to re-
cogn;zs Mr.. Tden?
ut is therefore the duty OF the Southern
rcp;,le 10 afford croWnlng evidence or their re-
lcwcI devotion 10 the Union, in which they
now havo every right Of citizenship aud are
suti,c;cd 10 30 restrictions not laid upon every
citizen, By sending Representatives 10 the
For:y.sixth Congress pledged TO resist at all hsz
ards the revolutionary, schemes Of the mischief
makers who seem to have gained control OF the
House Of Representatives of the Forty htth
CONGRESS.
ITO this end thcpaople in every district should
meet publicly, organize, and resolve to support
no person tor Congress who has given aid TO
this movement and who will not pledge him
self to sustain the title OF President Hsyc:
during the term for which nc was elected against
all attempts at lis overthrow. Only in this way
can grave danger to the Republic be averted
and conviccug proof be given that the conf
dencc was not misplaced which President Hayes
manifested in the South when he withdrew the
troops from the State houses Of South Carolina
and Louisiana.
1 have spoken plainly and earnestly, for |
feel that should be unworthy to represent the
South in the Administration we're to remain
Silent DOW. Invited to the Cabinet as South
ern man to see that justice was done to the
South, required neither to apologize for 10y re
cord nor to disown my political principles, it is
my duty now to warn the people Of the South
Of the danger which threatens the country. Nc
man need hope that the schemes Of the men
who have engineered the movement to unseat
President Hayes can be carried out without a
bloody civil War. TO avert this danger con.
identIy rely upon The patriotism aud honor of
the ueortc Of my native section.
Mr. Alex. II. StepheDs, in reply to Mr.. Potter s
letter upoa the subject of the investigation OF
the electoral frauds, denies tho truthfuness of
the report referred to by Mr.. Potter of his
having combined with the republicans with a
view to defeat any investigation as a reason
why MIR. Stephens WAS not a. lowed to speak on
the day he asked to be heard for only three