The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-08-04

The people elect presidents. Inc congress
declares in joint session who he is. We
of the army have only to obey his man
dates, and are protected in so doing only
so far as they may be lawful. Our COM
missions express.th | like Jefferson's
way Of Inauguration. 1t suits our system.
He rode alone on horseback to the capitol
q fear it was the "old capitol'), tied his
horse to q rail fence; entered and was duly
sworn; then rode to the executive mansion
and took possession. He
INAUGURAED HIMSELF,
simply by taking the oath Of office There
is no other legal Inauguration in our sys-
tenn The people or politicians may insti
tute parades in honor of the event, and pub.
lie officials may add to the pageant by as
sembling troops and banners; but all that
only comes properly after the inaugura-
ton, not before, and it is not part of it.
Our system does not provide that one presi-
dent should inaugurate another There
might be danger in that, and it was studi-
ously left out of the charter. But you
are placed in an exceptional important pos
ition in connection with coming events.
The capital is in my jurisdiction also, but
| am a subordinate and not on the spot.
and III were, so also would be my superior
in authority, for there is the station of the
general-in-chief. On the principle that
regular elected pesident's term of Office ex-
pires with the Sd of March (of which I
have not the slightest doubt, and which
the laws bearing on the subject uniformly
recognize, and in consideration of the pos
slbility that the lawfully elected president
may not appear until the 9TH of March, a
great deal of responsibility may necessari-
ly fall 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 appears he may
not be able to exercise functions in the
name of president, for his proper acts are
those Of known superior-a lawful presi-
dent. You act on your own responsibility,
and by virtue of commission only re-
stricted by the law. The secretary of war
is the mouthpiece of 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 lawful machinery already provided to
meet the contingency and decide the ques-
ton peacefully. 1t has not been recently
used, no occasion presenting itself; but our
torefathers provided it. 1t has been recog-
nized and submitted to as lawful on every
hand. That machinery would probably
elect
MR.. TILDEN PRESIDENT, AND MR.. WHEELER
vICE-PREsIDENT.
That would be right enough; for the law
provides that, in failure to elect duly by
the people, the president and the senate the
wee -president. Some tribunal must decide
whether the people have duly elected
president. presume, of course, that it is
in the joint Affirmative action of the senate
and house, or why are they present to wit
ness the count if not to see that it is tair
and JUST Is a failure TO arise between the
two bodies, there can be no lawful affima-
tive decision that the people have elected a
president, and the house must then proceed
W uIl, uUl VIC sVuhlt' luC SSuutC SINIlo
vice-president, not presidents. Doubtless
in case of failure by the house to elect
president by the 4th OF March, the presi-
dent Of the senate Gf there be one would
be the legitimate person to exercise presi-
dental authority for the time being, or I'M
the appearance of the lawful president, or
for the time laid down in the constitution.
Such courses would be peaceful, and, !
have q firm belief lawful. II have no doubt
Gov. Hayes would make an excellent pres
ident. ! have met him and know Of HIM.
For brief period he served under my
command. But, as the matter stands, /
cant see any likelihood OF his being duly
declared elected by the people unless the
senate and house come to be in accord as to
that fact, and the house would Of course
not otherwise elect him.
WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT