Year: 1876

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. a. 1876.


EDITOR CHIEF:


The special message of the Presi-
dent, sent to Congress one week to-
day with a mass of testimony taken
before the Louisiana Returning Board,
revealed the bloody tactics of the Til


den managers by which it was fraud
ulently attempted to wrest the control
of that State from the Republicans,
and every obstacle to printing it was
resorted to. No sense of shame or of
remorse for the bereavement suffered
by scores of families in the South at
the hands of the Democratic midnight
raiders and heartless ruffians appeared
to trouble the majority of Democrats
who discussed the matter in the
House; but it is gratifying to State
that Democratic Senators hesitated
and could only be brought to give a
half hearted endorsement of the san
culinary method adopted to enforce a
"Solid South" " for Tilden. In the
Senate the testimony and that pre-
sented by the Democrats was ordered
to be printed. Propositions for a
Constitutional amendment as to the
election of President and Vice Presi-
dent, have been considered in the Sen
ate, and on Monday, one introduced
by Senator Edmunds was supported
by an able speech by that gentleman,
remitting the counting of the electo-
raj votes and declaring the result, to
the Supreme Court. The speech COM
manded unusual attention., but failed
to convince any but small number
of hearers of the wisdom of the inuo-
yation. Mr.. Morton's remarks in op-
position seem to reflect the sentiments
of a large majority both in and out of
Congress. ltis understood that MEM
bers of the Supreme Court have ap-
pealed to numbers of Republican. .and
Democratic Senators to leave the mat
ter to be settled by Congress. A re-
ported conversation of Judge Miller
with newspaper man, in which that
able jnrist declared it his belief that
the Democratic party had determined
on war in case Tilden should be de-
MED recognition as President after the
4th of next March, has Occasioned u
profound sensation here, as it has and
will elsewhere. Officious denials have
been made but until the Judge shall
have declared himself misrepresented,
the public will accept the reported
statement as truthful. The nearly
unanimous support of the Senate ac-
corded President Ferry in his ruling
that the twenty second joint rule has
no longer an existence, is regarded as
very significant and as destroying
without remedy that portion of the
programme of Mr.. Randall and his
party in the House, who, failing to
secure the one vote necessary to Til
deu's election in Vermont, in Nebras-
ka, or through the infamy of Grover
III Oregon, has relied upon the opera
tion of that rule for final success.
At least much surprise was manifested
in Democratic circles that no. more
than four OF their associates could be
mustered in the Senate to countenance
the stupid expedient; and they did
not attempt to conceal their mortifi-
cation and disappointment. So far as
its existence has been discussed in the
House, the Democrats appear uuani-
NOUS i'll their purpose to resist the
Senate's decision. Mr.. McCrary's res
olution calling for the appointment
of q committee to meet one of a like
character on the part of the Senate to
devise some satisfactory plan for
counting the electoral vote, made in
the House a few days since and re-
ferred to the Judiciary Committee,
has not yet been reported; and it is
not believed the Democratic portion
Of that committee will consent to any
arrangement that does not tacitly re-
cognize Tilden as the rightfully
elected candidate. Nothing could
better illustrate the reckless disregard
of Mr.. Tilden's adhereuts to tie will
of the people in their choice of Presi-
dent, than the efforts made to secure
an elector by any means likely to be