Year: 1877

We understand that Congress has as
sumed to confer upon the Electoral Com
mission the power to ascertain the elect
ors appointed by the several States. Its
action seems thus far to have been limited
to ascertaining what are the votes, in or
der that they may be counted. The COM
mission inquiries who have been appointed
by the States electors. 1t does not ask
how or why they have been appointed.
Under this apparent limitation of duty,
ment of the Republican electors by the
State of Louisiana will be found in con-
formity with the law of the State. and
that this vote will be reported to be
counted as it has been cast. Anchored
fast on this principle to execute the
constitutional will of the States, we
can not conceive that the commission will
drift from its position under any possible
tempest which party violence may excite
against it. The judges of the Supreme
Court of the United States have been in
trusted with the highest values-landed
principalities, mines of incalculable
wealth, stock transactions which involve
millions, questions of character which
fix the reputation of the most distin-
guished men or establish the rights of
the humber millions. These men are
neither moved by the values concerned
nor the Indignation excited. They have
passed in ordeal where the gifts of
single corporation would have
surpassed the miserable scrapings
of the campaign money barrel,
and they can survey from the high and
solid eminences of their Office the empty
and ephemeral rewards of the profess
sional place-hunter. The constitution
says: ''The judges both of the Supreme
and inferior courts shall hold their offices
during good behavior" With compen-
sation of $40, 500 per annum to the Chief
Justice, and of $1O,O to the other MEM
bers of the court, which can not be "di-
minished during their continuance in
office" even by Democratic vengeance,
we can not imagine any political induce
ment which could swerve any one of these
men from the performance of sworn
duty. Let them lock down from the
bench upon some of the attorneys who
strive to influence their opinion. Mr..
Campbell, who once held position on
the United States court, abandoned
his position. and is now a So
licitor for the decisions of his former
brethren. Mr.. Carpenter, former SEN
ator, compelled by sense of duty or a
spirit of gain, now pleads for the defeat
of party and its principles, to which
he has been indebted for the highest legis-
Iative honors it has been within its power
to bestow.


It would seem to US that these judges
are above and beyond the reward or the
terror of the political parties now solicit
ing their award. We find another encour-
aging indication. 1t is the violence Of the
Democracy-their denuncistion of judges
who can not be bought or intimidated. II
is the intimated purpose to waste by all
the tactics of revolutionary debate the in
terval before the expiration of the execu'
tive term, so as to reopen and enlarge the
excitement of presidential contest for an
indefinite period.


These indications Of intended violence
and fraud induce the belief that the De
moeracy despair of legal success and
would precipitate another revolution. II
this appeal from their own appellate tri
bunal, we can not fear the American peo
pie will sustain them. The Democracy
will have had the opportunity to cleo
their President by popular vote. They have
attempted to browbeat and intimidate thu
people. They have threatened to assemble
at Washington to resist or counteFact th'
Inauguration of the peoples choice. The!
have insisted on a novel and, in our opin
ion, an unconstitutional mode of deciding
the will of the people. Now, if this deci
sion shall be against them, and the De
mocracy shall appeal from the award o
their own umpire, we do not believe tn
people Of the Union, or even the soli'
South, will follow these desperate leaders
Such are, however, the indications at thi
moment. Judicial integrity and Demo
cratic desperation seem in favor of tn
Republican cause. A few days, or evel
hours, will determine whether these in
dications are fallible. For ourselves W
deem them of sufficient validity to believ
that all Republicans may await the resul
with composure, if not with confidence