Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-08-06
PUBLISHED DAILY AND TRI-WEEkLY BY
EDGAR SNOWDEN.
TUESDAY EVENING. AUGUST 6. 1878.
Presidential Count.

Presidential Count.
10 reference to Mr. Manton Marbles review
of the Electoral count and Mr.. Tilden's action
10 its regard, the Washington correspondent OF
the Baltimore Sun Writes:-
The contribution of Dir. Manton Marble to
the secret history of the Presidential count will
excite surprise in many quarters, and may pos
sibly lead to angry controversy. 1t is we'll
known that Mr. Tildeu invited some Of the
leading democrats to visit New \ ork 10 No.
vember, 1876. On the eve Of the meeting Of
Congress. They went there, expecting 10 fud
some plan of action either matured or prepared
for consideration. To their astooishment Mr.
TIden had no definite or indefoite proposition
to offer, and no plan of any kind appeared to
be formed in bis mind.
He bad q vague hope that Mr.. CoDkliDg,
Gen. Butler, MIR. Drexel, the banker, and 9th
ers, who from their position iu the republican
Grant, would be able to exert such an influence
at Washington as to prevent the consummation
of the conspiracy 10 Congress. At that time he
certainly did not suggest any mode OF unifylng
democratic action OF Of confronting the republl-
can leaders With settled and positive pro.
eramme of policy Which would draw the lice
distinctly between the two parties. and enable
public sentiment to cy6talizs on one or the other.
Congress met on the Alb of December, 1916,
and from that time forward, until the Joint
Committee reported the electoral bill 10 the mid
die Of January, it was found to be wholly i'm.
practicable to get any clear understanding of
Mr. Tilden's views and wishes. Members Of
the Senate and of the House Of Representatives
visited New York to confer with him on this
subject, in order to assure perfect cooperation
between the party in Congress and the Presi.
dent elect. Some of them went as Informal
committees and remained days il conference
without reaching any conclusion whatever.
They returned to Washington no wiser than
they went away, uniformly reporting that they
found Mr.. Tilden unsettled in Judgment as to
any measure Of bis Own, and equally uncertain
between various modes alternatlVey suggested
by bis visitors. If, therefore, as Mr.. Marble
states, vt is no secret now that upon this issue
Ito resist the count OF the electoral vote by the
many Of bis friends in the leadership of the
House who visited him 10 New York during
the Christmas holidays, not ony to stand but to
force the debate. first in the House, then 10 the
Senate" he concealed that counsel from several
leading members, who arc still living ADD can
speak for themselves.
There was no division of opinion among the
democrats in regard to the preposterous preten-
sion of the President Of the Senate to count the
fought to the bitter end it would not have pro-
fitted Mr.. Tilden in the loast with hostile
Senate ready in the last resort to prolong dis.
cussion to the 4.h Of March, and 3 hostile Pre;i-
dent willing to use and to abuse executive
power and put Mr. Hayes in the White House
IF no at n
existed troops were gathered at tho
capital from the distant frontiers and put on q
war footing. Other preparations were made in
dicating revolutionary design to hold posses.
sion.of the government by any means, fair or
foul: The danger Of coup d'etat was far moro
imminent than the county beloved at the time.
Things drifted along to crisis, like ship
tossed by the pillows without rudder or com.
pass, and no sun to take an obzevaton, and
breakers were seen ahead. There was no pilot !
Tilden, the chosen leader of the party, gave |
no sign. Had he lifted his finger, Or in any |
way positively indicated u purpose he would |
have been followed to any extremity. he had
his own chosen agents in Washington speaking |
with every changing scene. C"l. Peton, his
nephew. and strange following. were estsb.
lished at the Arlington from the beginning Of
the session. and managed matters so rs not to win
any special applause.
The electoral bill was the offspring, legitimate
or otherwise, OF this hesitancv and doubt. The
responsibility for il is easily fixed. The demo- !
Gratis who consented to it knew, of course. that
they ran risks and had to take chances in the
integrity OF the mon who composed the commits. |
sion. They had reason to believe that the mer |
its Of the disputed elections would be fairly con-
sidered, and were not prepared for the opinion
ofjudges Of the Supreme Court that testimony |
OK posing frauds and forgeries in the certificates
from Florida and Louisiana wss to be excluded |
as sliunde.
The true and full history of the electoral BILL |
and the causes which led to its acceptance by |
The democrats, has yet to be written. No men |
over acted more periodically or disnterestedly |
thsd they did, They may be said to have saved |
the country from O civil war, which would have |
plunged il into anarchy, and have brought dos |
olation to millions of 1resides-not q war of Sec
tons, but Of neighborhoods and families. The
paper now put forth by Mr.. Marble is interest.
ing and vol written, and furnishes some details |
not heretofore made public, but all the efforts OF
he personal friends of Mr.. Tilden cannot weak
On the indsputable fact that to his own ndecis.
on was greatly due his loss of the Presidency. !
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Governor Hendricks opened the campaign 10
Indiana, last night, in speech at indianapolis,
q which he said: on are to be told that the
success Of the democratic party means payment
or slaves and Southern claims, even to the
bankruptcy of the Treasury. Can it be noes.