Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-12
WHAT CAN THE PRESIDENT DO?

Every one must see that Pesident Hayes is
at the crisis of his administration. It is clear
that all the worst elements of the most
wicked and corrupt political faction that
ever disgraced Gods earth are combining
and marshaling their forces to drive the adj
ministration into change of policy towards
the South. It is political faction not de-
serving the name of party. The Republican
party no longer exists. Instead a conspiracy
to hold the government, at any price, and by
any means, has arisen, and this conspiracy
is now making the State trials in Louisiana
the occasion to force the government to do
what?
What can the President do? What power
has he to order troops to single State, or
what power has he to interfere in the crimi
nal prosecutions in State? The occasion
would not be wanting, for there are men
ready to do anything, from the murder
of a poor negro to open riot,
to give excuse for the reign of bayonets.
The :'bloody Shirt business is ended.
Whenever another President.in violation of the
constitution attempts to govern this country
by arms, he may as well make up his mind.
as Cromwell did with the Long Parliament,
to march his troops into the Capitol and to
disperse Congress, for impeachment will fol-
low as certainly as that civil liberty sur
wives.
The question here arises: Why should
not Anderson. Wells and the other members
of the Louisiana Returning Board be pros
ecuted. They are, if guilty at all, the worst
criminals the country ever produced. Per
jury and forgery do not exhaust their crimes.
Treason becomes innocent and Benedict
Arnold patriot compared with a political
conspiracy to rob a whole people of their
most sacred rights. If the crime of the
Louisiana Returning Board should go un-
punished, it would be precedent for the
final destruction of the government. II
guilty, what are Anderson and Wells guilty
of? Guilty of Tobbing the people of the
United States of the right to vote; guilty OF
making free government a mockery: guilty
of stealing by perjury and forgery the Presi-
dency: guilty before the eyes of the civilized
world of tainting with fraud the government
of the United States. Should these things
be'smothered Is it political persecution to
expose them to the light Of day and to write
the truth on the records of the nation
What has the President to do witt
these prosecutions He owes his title
to the Electoral Commission. The Com
mission was a compromise in an exigen
cy. not provided for by the constitution, bu
foreseen by Hamilton, Madison, Story. Kent
Calhoun, and others. The compromise wa!
agreed to, and however the members of tn,
Electoral Commission may have disappoint
ed majority of the people. their decision
made Mr.. Hayes President. This can not b.
doubted. Now what has he to do with tn
Louisiana trials? These are unpleasant de
auctions, but Congress has the key to tn
treasury and without money the government
cannot be carried on day longer. Peopl
are already desperate, and the country is ful
of restitution and suffering. All the enc,
gies, all the patriotism and the powers Q
the government should be exerted to proven
and not create civil connections.