Year: 1878

Movement.


WASHINGTON. May 29-In lieu OF personal
answers to the many letters received from
friends in the South, diSclaiming sympathy
with any effort to unseat President Hayes,
Postmaster General Key has written the fol-
lowing open letter to the people OF the South


WASHINGTON, May 28, 1878


The circumstances attending the passage Of
the Potter resolution, to investigate the al
legged frauds In the presidential election Of
1876 in the States OF Louisiana and Florida,
together with the subsequent declarations of
many influential Democratic politicians and
journalists, is evidence that IL both houses of
the Forty-sixth Congress are Democratic the
majority intend to oust President Hayes and
inaugurate Mr.. Tilden,


The title of President Hayes was settled ir-
revocably by the Forty fourth Congress in
the, act creating the Electoral Commission,
under which he was legally declared elected
and legally inaugurated, The Forty-fifth
Congress has no more right to dispute his
election than he has to question the title Of
any victorious contestant to his seat in that
body. The Forty sixth Congress will have no
more right to ignore him and to recognize his
defeated contestant, Mr., Tilden, than Mr.
Hayes would have to send file of soldiers to
the House Of Representatives to unSeat a
Democrat whom he might consider to have
been wrongfully seated or frau lulently elect
ed.


The leaders in this desperate attempt to
Mexicanze our institutions rely confidently
upon the solid South to furnish the bulk of
the Democratic majority in the next House
of Representatives.. the Senate being already
secured. Remembering the encouragement
which Northern Democrats in 1860 and 1861
extended to the Southern States to secede
and the manner in which their promises and
comfort were fulfilled, can the Southern peO-
ole afford to Join q revolutionary movement
with the certainty that when the inevitable
hour of peril comes they will again be left
unaSsisted and alone, to meet the storm from
the North once moro united by this attempt
to revive an issue whose settlement was forced
by public opinion upon an unwilling Con
gress in the dark days of February, 1877.
when civil war over the disputed election
was imminent and patriots trembled for the
safety of Republican institutions, the South
ern members of Congress averted the danger
by forcing the completion of the electoral count
under the law which both parties in Congress
enacted but now the Representatives from
the Southern States, with very few exceptions.
have joined movement to subvert the re-
suits of their former patriotic action and to
remand the country to that anarchy from
which less than two years ago it was saved
by their efforts.


Grant that in permitting the autonomy of
all the States, and in appointing citizens to
office in the South instead OF strangers, Pres
ident Hayes has but discharged his constitu-
tional duty does that excuse Southern Repre-
Sentatiyes for attempting to nvaiidate his
title which they established. or will it Justify
them in bringing the country again into dan
ger of civil war in the effort to unseat him
and inaugurate Mr.. Tilden?


The South must now face the most mo-
mentous crisis in its history since 1861. To
indorse the recent conduct of their Repre-
Scntatives is to admit the truth of the charge
that the people of the South care nothing for
the welfare of the Union, desire the downfall
of the republic, and would rejoice to see it
again involved in civil war If their Repre-
sentatives have not reflected their sentiments.
as believe to be the ease, then the people
of the Southern States should take care that
in the Forty-sixth Congress they are repre-
sented by men who wi defeat the disturbers
of the public peace and prevent the Mexican
ization of our public institutions.


To do this they may be compelled to act
Independent of the Democratic party, Recent
events demonstrate the inability of Demo-
cratic members of Congress to resist the
mandates Of the caucus and the terrOrs Of the
party lash. One welded and the other in
spired by men who seem willing to endanger
the welfare of the country and the stability
of republican institutions for the sake Of re-
veDge on their political opponents, and in the
hope of dividing the spoile Ct victory = thie
Democratic Representatives Of the South
could not resist the caucus command to pass
THE Potter resolution unanended and with
our debate. how will they be able in the For
ty-sixth Congress to resist a similar com
nand to ignore Mr. Hayes as President and
recognize Mr.. Tilden.


1t Is, therefore, the duty OF the Southern
people to afford a crowning evidence to their
renewed devotion to the Union, in which they
now enjoy every right of citizenship and are
subject to no restrictions. by sending Repre-
sentatives to the Forty-sixth Congress
pledged to resist at all hazard the revolutions
ary schemes OF the mschief-makers. who seem
to have gained control of the House of Repre-
sentatives of the Forty fifth Congress. To
this end the people in every district
should meet publicly, organize and resolve
to support no person for Congress who
has given aid to this movement and who will
not pledge himself to sustain the title OF Pres


dent Hayes during the term for which he was
elected against all attempts at its overthrow


Only in this way can grave danger to the
public be averted and convincing proof be
given that the confidence was not misplaced
which President Hayes manifested in the
South, when he withdrew the troops from
the State Ii ouseS in South Carolina and Lou
isiana.


| have spoken plainly, earnestly, for
the South in the administration were | to re-
main silent now. Invited to the Cabinet as 8
Southern man, to see that justice was done tc
the South, [ am required neither to apollo
giZe for my record nor to disown my politica
principles. 1t is my duty now to warn the
people of the South of the danger which
threatens the country. No man need hope
that the schemes of the men who have en-
gineered the movement to unSeat President
Hayes can be carried out without bloody
civil war To avert this danger confidently
rely on the patriotism and honor OF the peo
pie of my native section. ID. NJ. KEY.


ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.
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