The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-04-10

Mr. Haues---General Grant.

-We are getting ready for another pres,';
dental election, and things are either l TAX
inv shane indicative or casting shadows OF
coming events, so that observant ana renec'-
ine men may In SOME respects begin 10 iofe-
see. or at least to conjecture, prooaDl'''
tieso in the political world.
The last presidential election was IN many
r.snects unprecedented. l. was ehecteo
Ena,,v In way altogether conclusive,
We. not satisfactory to thoughtioi anu
fai>uinded people. We cannot CONSIDER
.ho n,at,ers relative 10 the coming cleo
4,on without recurring to the events OF
The last, which were OF character 'oat
s.ou,a not fail to arouse the Apprehension
that the establishment CT the aroitrarS
power SO flagrantly asserted then was sa'
too near for national satisfaction.
Without going into details, what every
hosr remembers Is, that the elections were
90 close that they turned upon sln@,e 'o'e'
n,a ). GREAT excitement" prevailed. ft-was
s,s, st This point tina, President GEASf de-
fermined not to leave the election 70 De oe'
cided under the forms OF law according 10
custom. Under the aiTectation OF great
,nyic,y for fairness, he appointed certain
gentlemen OF fame to go down to the States
a, South Carolina, Florida. and Louisiana
to be D, esent at the opening OF the returns
bv the proper officers, ayowedly to see that
all was done right. No power was con-
fcrred upon the persons appointed to right
wroacs or stop proceedings. They were to
be present and to make note" OF what
banpcned. The Federal officers, backed
by the military, were to rule as they dic,
and the Presidents delegates were simply
TO observe and acquicscc.
That the proceeding was designed simply
TO affirm the anticipated raScaiity o. the re-
turning boards was infcrrible from the com
Dosition OF the committee, delegation, Oh
what not sent by General GRiM- They
were all Radicals, and bad at that. Mr..
Secretary SHERMAN was fair representa-
tive O; the committee. He was everywhere !:
the whole committee and Madame PINKsToN
besides.
In an article in this paper, written at the
time, it was said that the Emperor had in
yited certain Radical leaders to go down to
the South and See his ass eat oats. The up
shot was that the partisan delegates all con-
Cured in iustifying the fraudulent award
OF the States in dispute to the Republican
ticket for President. still there was appre-
bension. Oregon was still in dispute, and
there were strong proofs in Florida that the
returning board decision would be upset,
and even Louisiana was shaky.
But the President took steps to exclude
conclusions. He assembled ships and
military force ut Washington, and none
could doubt that il it should come TO asScr-
ton OF the right OF the temporary Prcsi-
dent OF the Senate to count the votes for
President and declare who was elected,
corporal Of the guard" reinforced by 4
military strength that none would disobey,
would wind up the proceeding.
We all know that the country looked for
exactly this thing TO happen. At once the
civilians, statesmen, and patriots OF the
land were Mortified, and put all their talents
and ingenuity to work in order to avoid the
terrible issue in the infancy of the republic
between imperialism and liberty. The re-
suit OF their deliberations-whch were the
most anxious and earnest ever held in the
nation-was the establishment OF the never
to-be-forgotten Electoral Commission, form
ed OF justices Of the Supreme Court and
members of Congress. That settled the whole
question, acd saved the nation from that
resort to force which had excited the most
terrible forebodlugs in the minds OF every
honest patriot in the land.
But President GRANT did not withdraw
the array OF force in and about the Federal
Capital until that danger was passed. 1t
was only the supposed accidental majority
OF eight to seven that secured to the nation
the peaceful settlement Of the question.
So that If 1t may be said that General
GRANT did not dictate his successor, it can
be with equal truth said that he was pre-
pared aid determined to do so, and would
have done so, had not the fortunate game
OF seven to eight saved him the necessity.
And here comes in the main point In this
article: President HAYES knows the his
tory OF his election as we'll as any other
man. We have felt that he loved his coun-
try and desired TO be fair. lie has done
some things for which we have expressed
both admiration and gratitude, and express
ed the opinion that such were the senti-
ments Of the great body OF the people to-
wards him.
Nevertheless, we have been q little trou-
bled mt some things he has done In the dis
frih Of h;ot>
the suspicion that in separating as it were
from Inc extreme policy OF the Republican
party lie did not purge himself entirely OF
the cancerous ligaments that attached him
to some Of tie most MISUNDERSTANDING OF
the men who committed the election frauds
in the South, and who engineered The vii.
famous methods by which the southern peo-
pie welc oppressed, and robbed publicly
and privately OF millions.
Mr.. HAYES seemed to show the truth Of
the old notion that man is perplexed by the
struggles OF good and bad genius that are
ever riyalIing each other in their exertions
to control him. At times the good spirit has
for time triumphed; but only after time
to give way to the rival. MIR. HAYES has
done great deal to be approved OF, and
not q little that should be censured. The
worst, however, is that what is to be GEN.
Sured eXc;tcs the fear that worse may be
done.
And now Is that especial time for appre-