Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-08-02


which followed TIC pEssidantis c!ec.ioa CT 1876,
aud riior to tie passage Ct the electoral com
m!ssioo bill, anG the publication nj which The
republicans have demanded. We trust thcy
VII! proht 81 { calm peTusa!:
CARoNDELET PosToFFicE.
ct. LOUIS, Mo-, December, IS, 1875.
My DEAR GENERAL: Your favor OF the I'm
lastaut reached me IN New York Oh the 5th,
The day before left fer tho Wcst. intended
to reply to it before lcaVioc. bu. cares Incident
to departure interfered. Theo, aeaia. since ny
| arrival here have been SO occupied with per-
sonal affairs OF business uatute that have de.
tered writing from dag 10 day uo;ii this mo.
| meut, aud now fnd mysetia dcb. 10 you an.
other letter 10 Acknowledgement OF your favor
| Of tbs 18th received few days 5iccc.
have concluded to leave here % the Goth,
| Ito morrow, y. NJ. 81 that may he expected
| in New York on the 3lst instant. |. has been
| cold and dreary slnoo NY arrival mere. have
| worked "!lko Turk IL presume that means
hard WORK. 10 the country 10 making ierc,s, cut.
| ting down trees, repairing bulldogs. etc., e!c.,
and am at leas. able to sly that s.. Louis is the
coolest place ln the winter and it is Tic hottest
in the summer Of any that have ercountored
| ia temperate z,re. lave kuown s.. LOUIS
| IN December to have genisl weather throughout
| the month; this December has been frgid, aud
| tho river has been iftZ,n more sofa thar have
ever kn0Wu it.
When | heard the tumCr thsi was ordered
| to tho Paciti, Coast thought 1t probably true,
considering tho past discussion 90 that subject.
Tho possibilities seemed to NO 10 point that
way Had it b,en true. should Of curse
have presented 20 complaint: n0r made resist
auco OF aas kidd. would have gone quickly.
1t not prepared to 80 promptly | certainly
would have boon relieved IRON the responsible
| tca aGd arxlciits oonceruipg Presiioulial mat
! tcr5. which may fall to those near the throne Or
| 10 authority "ithia tho rex: f2ut myuths. cs
| we'll IS lion other incidents Or matters which
| could not cootrol, and the action concerning
which | might net approve. | was not exactly
prepared to 60 to the Pacific, however, and |
| therefore felt relieved when | received your
| notc informing mo tina. thcro YVES 20 truth 10
| tho rumors. Then | did not wish to appear to
DO escaping frcm rcspousibiiitics and possible
dangers wGioh may cluster around military oom
mandcrs il tho East, espt cial!y in the critical
period fast approaching. Ais vel that eGds
| we'll The whtl) matter oil the Presidency
| seems to mo to DO simple aud to admit of
peaceful solution. The machinery for such q
| contingency as threatens 10 present itself has
| been ali carefully prepared. 1t oLly rcqaires
| fabrication owing to d.suso. Tho army should
| have nothing TO do with the election and 10
| ausu7siou Ct Presidents. The people elect the
| President Tho Congress declare il Joint SIS
slon who he ls. We of the army havo only TO
obey his mandates, nad arc protected 10 So 10.
| ing Only SO tar as they may DO lawful. Oar
commissions express that. | like JetIcrsoa's
way Of inauguration; it suits our system. He
| rode doan 90 horseback to the Uapitol, Il fear
it was the Old Capitol, tied his horse to rail
| ieIce, enteroi and was duly swora, then rodo
| to the Executive Mansion and took posses iiu.
lie inaugurated himself simply by tlkiog the
| oath OF Office. There is no other legal iuou1u
| ration 10 our system. Tie people or politicians
| may Institute paradcs in honor OF tho event, and
public officials may add 10 tho pageant by as
| scmblias troops aud banners, but all that ooly
comes properly alter the inauguration, no. b.
| tore. and II Is not past OF 1t. Ouf system
dots not provide that ono President ahoult
ger 10 that, aad it was studi0uslg left out
Of the charter. But you are placid in 40 ex-
ceptlcnsly important position ia connection
| Vith oim'ng events. The Capital IS in my IT,
| lisd:c ion also, bat an a subordinate and not
on tho spot, and it | were so also would DC MY
superior ia authority. for thero il tho STATEN Of
| the Ge5rrRl 10 Chief. Ga tho p1il ciplo that
regularly elected Presidents term Of otfco tx
pires o. the 3rd Of March, | Of which | have no,
| the slightest dlubt. and which tho laws ar
log 30 the suttct uniformly rtcosriz!, aud 10
consideration OF the possibility that the lawfully
cI'c Cd President may not appear uDtll The 5 h
of March, q great deal oil responsibility may
necessarily fall upon y2u. You hold over; you
will have power and prestige to support you.
The Secretary OF War, oo,probabEv holds ever,
bu! il 60 President appears ho may 70: b. abb.
to exercise functions in the name oil Pitsi
dent, Tor his proper ac!s arc those OF korWu
supcilor-a Lawful Presi3out. You Ct on your
o"n responsb lIty AID ty virtue Of cmms-
sian only restricted by the Law. The S, cveary
CT War is tho mouthpioc, OF President. You
| arc not. 1t EciIhcr candidate has & coustitu-
llooa! mt 't'y ol the El:c oral College or the
Senate and House or the occasion OF tho count
do pot unite 10 i, caring some person legally
elected By the people there is a lawful III C lin
cry uIreaty provided to met that conting 9nry
aud decide tho question peacefully. 1t haa oct
been recently used no occasion preso ntirg it.
sell, but our l0rctathcrs provided it. L. has
been exercised aud has been recognized aod
submitted )ts lawful on every hand. That
machinery would probably elect MIR. Tilcn
President snd Mr. Wheeler Vic, President.
That would be right enough, for the law FRO
vidcs that 10 failure to elect duly By the p.o
plo the House shall! Immediately EXC; tho Pres
idcnt and tho Senate tho Vic, President, Some
tribunal must decide whether the reopIo havo
duly elected President. | presume, Of curse,
that it is in the joint affirmative Gc.ou of the
Senate and House, or Why are they present 10
witness the count if not TO sec that it is fair
and Just IT. failure to agree aris,s between
tho Two bodies there can bo 90 lawful atirna
tive decision that The people have elected a
President, aud tho Hous, must thou prlcotd
to act, not the Senate. The Senate elects Vice
Presidents. not Pres dents. Doubtless in CAS-,
OF failure by the House to elect President
BY the b OF March, the President of tho Sen
ate lit there be one would be the legitimate
p,rson to oXscss Presidential authority 70. the |
time being, or uati the appearance OF lawful
President. CT for the time laid down 10 the |
Constitution. Such courses would be peaceful,
and, | have firm belief, Lawful. | have 10 |
Iar 4 III MI