The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-08-07

people or politicians may institute parades
in honor Of the event, and public officials
may add to the pageant by assembling
troops and 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 President should in
augurate another. There might be danger
in that, and 1t was studiously left out of the
charter. But you are placed in an except
ionally 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 |
would be my superior in authority, for
there is the station of the Commander-in-
Chief.
THE DECIDING AUTHORITY.
On the principle that a regularly elected
Presidents term of Office expires with the
Sd Of March (of which have not the slight
est doubt), and which the laws bearing on
the subject uniformly recognize, and in con-
sideraton of the possibility that the lawfully
elected President may not appear until the
9th of March, great deal of responsibility
may necessarily fail upon you. You hold
over! YOU will have power and prestige to
support you. The Secretary of War, too,
probably holds over; but if no President ap
pears he may not be able to exercise func
tions in the name Of President, for his
proper acts are those of known superior-a
lawful President. You act on your own re-
sponsibility and by virtue of commission,
only restricted by the law. The Secretary of
War is the mouthpieee of a President You
are not. If neither candidate has const-
tutional 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 law
ful machinery already provided to meet that
contingency and decide the question peace
fully. 1t has not been recently used, no oc-
casion presenting itself, but our forefathers
provided it 1t has been exercised, and has
been recognized and submitted to as lawful
bably elect Mr.. Tllden President 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 aud
the Senate the Vice President. Some tri-
bunai must decide whether the people
have duly elected q President. I pre-
sumo, Of course, that il is the joint afflrma-
tive action Of the Senate and House, or why
are they preseat to witness the count If mol
to see that it is fair and just? If failure tc
agree arises between the two bodies there
can be no lawful affirmative decision thai
the people have elected President, and the
House must then proceed to act, not the
Senate. The Senate elects Vice Presidents
by the House to elect President by the 4tl
Of March, the President OF the Senate Ii
there be one) would be the legitimate person
to execute Presidential authority for tn
time being or until the appearance of
lawful President, or for the time laid dowi
in the Constitution. Such courses would b
peaceful, and, have a firm belief, lawful.
have no doubt Governor Hayes woul,
t make an excellent President have me
him and know him. For brief period h
served under my command, but as the mat
ter stands ! can't see any likelihood Of hi
being duly declared elected by the people,un
less the Senate and House come to be in aC
! cord as to that fact, and the House woulC
Of course, not otherwise elect him. Wha
the people want is a peaceful determinl
ton Of this matter, as fair a determinatio
as psssible, and a lawful one. No otht
| determination could stand the test Tn
J, country, # not plunged into revolution
u would become poorer day by day, businei
would languish, and our bonds would com
home tofnd a deprecated market.
: NOT IN FAVOR OF MILITARY ACTION.
was not in favor Of the military action
South Carolina recently, and if Gener,
J. Ruger had telegraphed to me, or asked f
adylce,l would have advised him not ,und
b, any circumstances, to allow himself or b
troops to determine who were the lawf
n members ofa State Legislature. could n
r. have given him better advise than to ref
e. him to the special message Of the Preside
re in the case of Louisiana some time before.
al But in South Carolina he had the que
al tion settled by decision Of the supren
E. Court Of tho siale-the highest tribun
is which had acted on the question .ss that /
to line of duty seemed even to be clearer thi
Vi the action in the Louisiana cBse. If 4
ys Federal Court had interlered and oyerrul
the decision Of the State Court, there mig
il have been doubt certa.aly but the Fede;