Year: 1877




THE RETURNING BOARD INFAMY.-l
1t is a strange thing to hear the Radical
press of the country and a portion of the
people who claim to be law-abiding citi-
zens, making excuses for the infamous
Louisiana Returning Board but it is
even more strange and disgusting to hear
them avoYiDg that the prosecution ofthese
infamous villains for perjury is viola
ton of some understanding arrived at be-
tween the friends of the present occu-
pant of the Presidential office and the
friends of Gov. Nichols of Louisiana.
1t is monstrous to suppose the franchises
of the people of this country can be triled
with in this way. In no other country in
the world could the acknowledged rights
of the people be thus battered away.
Treason is no name for sucl acts as were
perpetrated upon the nation by the men
who controlled the last, in connection
with those who control the present, Ad- y
ministration.
1t seems impossible that any act of
Congress can make legal and binding
upon the people the audacious robbery
they have suffered at the instance of
Grant, the Shermans, Chandler and their
hackers. The case is as fair an analogy
to the highwayman who demands your
money or your life as anything that can
be portrayed, with the exception that the
highwayman runs the risk of his life for
violation of the law, and the men who
threatened to use the army to inaugurate
Hayes in violation of law did not run
such risk, pointing as they did to the in
ability of the unarmed Democrats to
force compliance with the laws governing
the election of President and Vice Pres
ident.


No one dares to claim the election of
Hayes by the popular vote thousands of
the strongest Republicans that voted for
him have openly declared that he was not
elected. And here in Delaware we could
name some of the most determined op-
ponents of the Democrats who voted for
Hayes who declare that they do not now
and never did believe that Hayes was
elected.


It. is now said that at the trial of Wells,
Anderson, Cassenave and Kenner, for per
jury in New Orleans, it will be shown
that two of the Hayes electors in Lcuisi-
ana voted blank and positively refused TO
sign the certificate, and that others pres
ent signed the names of the objecting
members. 1t is alleged that this fact is
well known to Packard, and that Kel-
lo5g's private secretary, II. Conquest
Clark, will testify to it under oath.


Whether this is true or not, or whether
Hayes had majority or not, some of the
learned men of the country say it now
makes no difference. He gets his title to
the Office from Congressional the Com
mission formed by Congress has compile
ted the job, ,and it is final;as the country &C
quiesces, the verdict rendered by the
eight to seven must stand. If it car
stand now, when the two palties are Sc
equally divided, and the army of thu
United States so small, and controlled
too, by men who are unable to whip
Few struggling bands of Indians, what i!
to hinder such tribunal being formed
and rendering a verdict against the ma
jority at any other time, especially i
both Houses of Congress favor the pro
Ject and from some pretext or other en-
large the army to please the Presiden
and thus keep the power in his hands
The Rubicon was crossed-the peopl
were subdued, and thereafter the lawyer
in Congress could as well have raised thei
salaries and extend the terms for whicl
they were elected ,as to have made it lega
to install President who was not elect
ed. Force was necessary to complet,
what they did, and only a little NOR,
force could have accomplished all tina
Grant could have proposed.


1t is true the country may have by thi
Commission escaped bloodshed, and beef
saved from civil war, which ought to b.
held as blessing; but it is to be feare,
that it only opened the way to the destruc
ton, at some future day, of the Iibertie
OF the people and the Capitalization q
the Government.


The President has broken up the Stat