The daily gazette., 1880-02-14
csATURDAY. FEBRUARY IL. 1850
GnAsr TO CouNr HIMSELF Tx

q cans and their efforts to get Grant
81 nominated for third term, is that in
case he should be defeated he will
: Calm that his opponent is not fairly
elected by Congress, and backed by
his followers, claim that he was elect
ed and thereupon proceed'to count the
avote himself.
~ This is forced construction, and
one that we think is wholly delusive.
siiWeidosnot believe that the Republican
party, or any part of it is yet ready for
such revolution. Gen Grant might
esclaim the election but if he were not
iisGounted in by Congress he would not
he allowed to reach the Presidency :;
nor would he be able to sustain him
self if in the position, without the
sanction and cooperation of Congress.
We have no doubt that General Grant
wants to be President again. But this
want is encouraged in him by the fat
terry and fawning of thousands of
satellites who hope to continue in Office
and feed at the public crib. A Demo
cratic Congress will make fair and
e honest count of the Electoral vote, and
when this is done neither General
Grant nor any one else will dare to
oppose the Inauguration of the Presi-
dent elect. The greas fraud cannot be
repeated
Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof, and it is hardly worth while
to conjure up imaginary gorgons to
make hideous the pathway of the Re
public to its future and greatest pros
.perity and fame. Hitherto it has been
guided by the better genii and we
shall not despair of its future while
There is no greater difficulties than
such as have been overcome since its
foundation by the Fathers. Neverthe
less the Nation is journal with great
influence and its reasons are not with
out weight. We therefore, give place
TO portion of its article while we
condemn and utterly despise its tone
and give no faith to it whatever:
Indeed, considering the nature of
the role which his chief supporters
have marked out for him, there would
be something mawkish in allowing his
boom" to be checked by the fact that
large minority of any State conven-
tion were unwilling TO pledge them
selves to him in advance. This role
was described by Colonel Quay, one Of
Mr.. ,Cameron's henchmen, before the
convention met, in terms with which
we have been made very familiar dur
ing the last year:-''If he knew he was
elected by the people he would take the
Office in spite of Democratic counting
out scheme"
We doubt, however, whether many
persons, even among General Grants
warmest supporters, have taken the
trouble to picture to themselves in de-
tail what this role is to be. They keen
saying they wish to elect him in order
to maintain order at the South. but
they refrain from describing the mode
in which he is to do SO without violat-
ing the law. They do not tell us how
he is to pusl crime in any State with
out the intervention of the Courts or
the aid Of acts of Congress, without
exposing himself to impeachmcnt.-
When he was in Office, however, he
did so many arbitrary things at the
South, and the relations of the South
to the rest of the Union have long been
80 abnormal and disturbed. that it is
easy to see how good many we'll
meaning men, in whose minds the
memories Of the war are still fresh and
whose notions about the conditions of
constitutional government are vague,
should not form to themselves any
clear idea Of what they mean when
they propose To make htm President
again in order TO protect life and pro-
perty il that region. But this expla-
nation will not cover the use to which
1t is proposed TO put him when it is
said that he must be nominated and
voted for by the Republican party be-
cause he is the only candidate who
has the nerve and ability to see that
he is not counted out by the Demo-
Gratis.
We think it safe to assert that of the
thousands who use this language not
one dozen have thought out the idea it
COuldAil6-tlidb iSs pICIuIeQ 10 them
selves in detail the way in which it
would work in practice and the results
it would have. Tie counting Of the
electoral vote after the Presidential
election is now LOGGED by law and pre-
cedent in the two houses Of Congress.
through procedure framed by them
selves. Next year Congress will per-
form this duty as usual. There is un-
der the Constitution no appeal from its
decisions in any particular case. 1t
may exclude votes which some NAV
think ought not to have been excluded.
and count votes which many think
ought TO have been excluded, but no
mode is provided for altering the re-
suit thus reached. If Congress gross
ly and plainly abuses it's power it ex-
poses itself to punishment at the polls
at the next election, but to no other
punishment. The theory on which the
American Government rests is that
this punishment will be, on the whole,
found sufficient, even where members
of Congress are en- Inasse grossly
wanting in conscientious patriotism,
but that at all events it must in all
cases be. tried thoroughly before any
other measures are resorted to.
- Now, what General Grants support
ers propose is in, fact, that in case he
-One of the candidates-shouldn not be