Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1880-08-18

presume, of course, that II is the
Joint Affirmative action of the Sem
ate and House, or why are they
present 10 witness the count IL not
To see that it is fair and Just! Ii
a failure 10 agree arises between
the two bodies, there can be no
lawful Affirmative decision that the
people have elected a President,
and the House must then proceed
10 act, not the Senate. The SEN
ate elects the Nice-President, not
the President
Doubtless in ease of the failure
of the House 20 elect Il President
by the tth of March, the Presi-
dent of the Senate dc there be
one) would be the legitimate per-
son 10 receive Presidential author
ity for the time being, or until the
appearance Of a lawful President,
or for the time laid down in the
Constitution. Such n course would
be peaceful. and, / have a firm be-
lief, lawful
have no doubt Gov. Hayes
would make an excellent President.
| have met him and know of him.
For a brief period he served un-
der my command. But as the mat
ter stands. do not see any likeli-
hood Of bis being duly declared
elected by the people, unless the
Senate and House come to be in
accord as 10 that fact, and the
House would. Of course, not other
wise elect him
What the people want is peace
ful determination of this matter,
as fair a determination as possible.
and a lawful one. No other deter
mination could stand the test.
The country. if not plunged into
revolution, would become poorer,
day by day Business would Ian
guish and our bonds would come
home to fluid a deprecated market.
was not III favor of the military
action in South Carolina recently,
and if Gen. Ruger had telegraph
ed to me or asked for advice, |
would have advised him not under
any circumstances to allow HIM
self or his troops 10 determine
who were The lawful members Of
State Legislature. could not
have given him better advice than
to refer to the special message Of
the President in the case Of Louis
lana some time before. But in
South Carolina, he had the ques-
ton settled by decision of the
Supreme Court of the State, the
highest tribunal which had acted
on the question, 50 that his line Of
duty seemed even To be clearer
than in the action of the Louisiana
case. If the Federal Court had
interfered aud ovcr-ruled the de-
cision of the State court there
might have been doubt, certain
ly. But the Federal Court only
interfered to complicate, not de-
eide or over-rule. Anyhow, it is
no business of the army to enter
upon such questions, and even if
it might be so, i'll any event, if the
civil authority, supreme as the
Constitution declares it to be, the
South Carolina case was one in
which the army had plain duty.
Had Gen. Ruger asked me for adj
vice, and | had given it, should
of course have notified you of my
action Immediately, so that it
could have been promptly over
ruled if it should have been Deem
ed advisable 10y you or others supe-
rior in authority. Gen. Kruger did
not ask for my advice, and ] in
ferred from that and other facts
that he did not desire it, or that
being in direct communication
with my military superiors at the
seat of government, who were near
er to him in time and distance than
was, he deemed it unnecessary.
AS Gen. Kruger had the ultimate
responsibility of action and had
really the greater danger to con-
( front in the final action III the mat
( ter, | did not venture TO embarrass
him 10y suggestions. He was a
department commander and the
lawful head of the military admin
istration within the limits Of the
department. Besides ] know he
had been called to Washington for
consultation before taking COM
mand, and was probably aware OF
the views Of the administration as
to the civil affairs in his command
/ knew that hc was III direct com,
munication with my superiors in
authority i'll reference to the deli
cate subjects presented for his con.
sideration, or had ideas Of his owl
which he believed to be sufficiently
in accord with the views Of ouI
common supervisors to enable hin
to act intelligently according IL
his judgment and without sug.
gestions from those not OH the
spot, aud not as fully acquainted
with the facts as himself. He de
served, too, to be free to act, as hC
had the eventual greater RESPONSE
bility, and so the matter was gov
erned as between him and myself.
AS have been writing thus free
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