The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-14
A Few Comments on The Nations View.

The Nation, n weekly journal, published
in this city, which, with limited circua-
| ton, has acquired considerable reputation,
Is opposed to the investigation of the al
legged frauds in the Presidential election.
We make the following somewhat long cx-
tract from recent number of the Nation,
in order that the reader may be put fully in
possession Of the doctrine 1t advocates:
Tho decision who has been elected President when
made by the proper authority, ought TO be anal and
ver.bc this because abstract Justice and right
not desirable things. but because human affairs
they are not always attainabe. and because the chief
end Of go'ornmcnt Is icace AMI quiet-a fact which the
law recognizes IN private affairs by making prescription
agoo title TO properly The cause OF all the trouble last
wear lay IN the tact that although the the Prcsi
dent taxes place on the same DAY In all the states
tain bodies called Returning Boards some ~ the
Southern States armed with judicial functions.
md empowered 10 revise and change the n.urs accord
| Ing t. their own views Vt fitness and 10 delay
the hna count until they had learned the result
IN other states thu, virtually giving them power 10 elect
President temptation OF this Kind to political al.
vonturcrs OF low character kc Wells and Wills AMI
ANpthsoN was. oi course. overwhelming The American
way u acting on discovery this Mud Is to change the
machinery before the n,Nt election. ~ that local tm
hl, VIII have such another chance. aud
mean time to follow our lawful calhngs The Mexican
way is 60 lay aside all business and begin fighting aud
squabling bleeding shouting and dying. In order to put
into the Presidential chair the man to whom think IL
WAS awarded b, ctcrnaljustce
To which we reply
l. The proper authority" as we contend,
has never yet decided who was elected Pres
idcnt at the last election. We maintain that
the Electoral Commission had no more au-
thority in the premises than Chinese Man
DARN.
H. Justice Is the chief end OF government.
and peace and quiet however desirable in
themselves, are readily and unhesitatingly
q q I...g..
sistent with justice. The fundamental doc
trinc, alike of law aud religion, is that there
can be no permanent peace and quiet found
eel on anything but justice and right All
efforts To establish peace and quiet on fraud
are necessarily vain, and all appearances
Of peace and quiet founded on fraud are illu
sivc. The law by making prescription n
good title to property does not recognize as
"A fact that the chief end Of government is
peace and quiet, but it prcsumes that no
sane man would he SO weak as to allow
another TO hold fraudulent possession of his
property for twenty years without at least
making an effort to disposscss him. The
law of prescription Is an argument in favor
Of prompt and efficient measures to Gust an
intruder, a usurper, and not against such
measures But the entire term Of the Presi-
drncy is not long enough togive prcscrip-
tive right. Our learned contemporary Is
rather lame in pleading prescription Of
single ycarl
Again Il Is a lamentable defect in the adj
miuistration of human justice whenever It
is found that there is no jurisdiction to right
an admitted wrong. 1t has been the doc
trnc Of the greatest equity lawyers that
have ever lved-mcn illustrious like HARD
wICKE-that the Court will be astutc in such
a case to invent II remedy The province Of
courts and of government Is TO do not to
deny. justice.
III. The Nation. in the remark that the
temptation "to political Adventures Of low
character like MCLIN. WELLS, and AMBER
son 30 to elect President "was Of course
overwhelming, seems to conccdc that
HAYES was fraudulently elected.
". We cannot see why any OF our ma
shlnery Of government should be changed
on account Of the thimblerigging Of Nc
Lin, WELLS and ANDERSON. We use the
word thimberigglng without knowing pre-
cisely what IL means, but on the SUPPOSE
tion. from its use by our contemporary, that
it is an apt, scholarly, and classical descrip-
tion of the conduct Of these three men. They
tbiuiillti d llhh'lf INC PURPOSE bl WHICH
may readily bc defeated by Joint rcsulu-
tion Of the two Houses Of Congress. or, at
most 10y the Impeachment and removal of
Mr.. HAYES. How would q historical memo
randum like this appended TO the provision
OF the Constitution for elccting a President
Of the United States, read to future gem
erations: " changed oa account Of he MipiJie-
rigGinO Of McLIN, WELLS. and ANDERSON =
You might as we'll propose TO blow up the
Capitol because three ants had burrowed
under one Of it, columns.
V. 1t is not proposed by any ono TO adopt
the Mexican method, but one precisely OPP
positc to that. It is not proposed TO squab-
bic bleed, shout or die. 1t is proposed 10
follow our lawful callngs. The first lawful
calling Of patriotic citizen OF the United
States is to see that the right Of the people
to choose their own Chief Magistrate be pre-
served in all its integrity and unmpaircd
This duty will not in anywise interfere with
the ordinary pursuits Of business if a search
ing investigation is made by the present
Congress. II it is not, then patriotic cti-
zcns Will feel bound to devote little more
time TO politics than usual to see that their
Representatives who have proved faithlcss
be not returned TO the next Congress, but
that true men be elected in their stead.
VI. The whole character Of the American
people will have to be changed before they
can be made TO sit down content for four
years under President they do not believe
was ever lawfully elected. The defenders Of
the usurpcr must find stronger arguments
than merely shouting back, You are like
McXicans If you do this, to thwart the pur-
pose of the people to install the man they
have chosen in the Office OF President.
| The Hayes Fraud and Business Men.
few individuals have opposed all efforts
| TO right the great wrong Of the last Presidcn-