The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-08-12
CARoND LET PosToFFIcE

CARoND LET PosToFFICE.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Dec. %, 1851
MY DEAR GENERAL;-Your favor of the
4th inst. reached me in New York on
the 9Th, the day before l left for the
West. intended to reply to it before
leaving but cares incident to departure
interfered. Then again, since my arri'
val here I have been So occupied with
personal affairs of a business nature that
have deferred writing from day to day
until this morning and now | find my
self in debt to you another letter ! n ac'
acknowledgement Of your favor o. the
18th, received a few days since.
l have concluded to leave here on the
Doth Ito morrow p, m,) SO that l may be
expect d in New York on the 3lSt inst.
1t has been cold and dreary since my ar
arrival here. l have worked like a
Turk" Il presume thai means hard work
in the country in making fences, cutting
down trees, repairing bulldogs, etc. and
am at least able to say that 81. Louis is
the coolest place in the winter and is
the hottest in summer of any that l
have encountered in a temperate zone.
| have known ST. Louis in December to
have genial weather throughout the
month this December has been frigid
and the river has been frozen more solid
than | have ever seen it.
When l heard the rumor that l was
ordered to the Pacific coast | thought it
probably true, considering the past dis.
cussion on that subject. The possibili-
ties seemed to mt to point that way.
Had it been true l should, of course,
have presented no complaint nor made
resistance of any kind. l would have
gone quickly, if not prepared to go
promptly. l certainly would have been
relieved from responsibilities and ankle
ties concerning Presidential matters
which may fall to those near the throne
or ia authority within the next four
months, as well as from other incidents
or matters which | could not control and
action concerning which l might not ap-
prove, was not exactly prepared to 60
to the Pacific, however, and therefore
felt relieved when l received your note
informing me that there was no truth in
the rumors. Then | did not wish to
appear to be escaping from responsible.
ties and possible dangers which may
cluster around military commanders in
the East, especially in the critical period
fast approaching, ALPS well that ends
we'll"
The whole matter Of the Presidency
seems to me to be simple and 10 admit
of a peaceful solution. The machinery
for such a contingency as threatens to
present itself has been all carefully pre-
pared. 1t only requires fabrication
owing to disuse. The army should have
nothing to do with the election or in.
auguration of Presidents. The people
elect a P~resident-the Congress declares
in Joint session who he is. We of the
army have only to obey his mandates
and are protected in so doing only so far
as they may be lawful. Our commissions
express that. | like Jefferson's way of
inauguration, 1t suits our system. He
rode alone on horseback to the Capitol
I fear it was the "old Capitol'-tied his
horse TO a rail fence, entered and was
duly sworn, then rode 20 the Executive
Mansion and took possession. He in.
a|ugurated himself simply by taking the
oath of office. There is no other legal
Inauguration in our system. The people
or politicians may institute parades in
honor Of the event and Iublic officials
may add to the pageant by assembling
troops an! banners but all that only
comes properly after the inauguration,
not before, and it is not a part of it. Our
system does not provide that one Presi.
dent should inaugurate another. There
might be danger in that and it was
studiously left out of the charter.
But you are placed in an exceptionally
important position in connection with
coming events. The Capital is in my
jurisdiction also but | am a subordinate
and not on the spot and if | were so also
you would be my superior in authority,
for there is the station of the General in
Chief.
On the principle that a regularly
elected Presidents term of Office expires
on the Sd of MarCh-Of which / have not
the slightest doubt and which the laws
bearing on the subiect uniformly reCog.
nize-and in consideration of the posi-
bility that the lawfully elected President
may not appear until the 9Th of March
great deal of responsibility may neCes.
sarily fall upon you. You hold over.
You will have power and prestige to
support him. The Secretary of War,
too, probably holds over but if no Presi.
dent appears he may not be able to ex.
ercise the functions in the name of q
President, for his proper acts are those
of known superior, a lawful President.
You act on your " responsibility and
by virtue Of a commission only re-
striCted by the law. The Secretary of
War is the mouth. piece of a President.
You are NOT.
If neither candidate has a constitu.
tional majority of the electoral college or
the Senate and House on the occasion of
the count do not unite in declaring some
person legally elected by the people,
there is a lawful machinery already pro-
vided to meet that contingency and de-
eide the question peacefully. 1t has not
been recently used, no occasion pre-
senting itself, but our ~fOrefatuers pro.
vided it. 1t has been exercised and has
been recognized and submitted to as
lawful on every hand. That machinery
would probably elect Mr.. Tilden Presi-
dent and Mr.. Wheeler Vice President.
That would be right enough, for the law
provides that in a failure to elect duly
by the people the House shall
Immediately elect the President and
the Senate the Vice President.
Some tribunal must decide whether the
-00nl. - IL. uIanknl n Danntlazk 7