Year: 1876

| Presidential muddle were left entirely to
| President Grant and the extreme republi-
cans who have captured and are using him
! on the one hand or to faction of democratic
hotheads on the other. they would pres
emily settle it, Donnybrook Fair fashion,
with clubs. Each Of these factions is getting
wilder and hotter day by day. When we
read the Presidents extra official, and as We
venture to hope after-dinner utternnces to the
reporters, we see clearly that he, who ought
proudly to regard himself as the President
of the whole people, has got himself into a
humor of narrow and purblind partisanship
| which is nothing less than disgraceful in n
citizen holding his exalted position, and it
| is even more shameful to see that men like
Secretaries Cameron and Chandler, Senator
Logan and others having access to
His Exceliency. 80 far from feeling hu-
inflated at his attitude, boastfully mako
| the reports both of his partisan language
and the unruly temper which produces it.
These men appear to have lost all sense Of
decency and propriety. They conduct their
side of most grave and dangerous contro-
| versy as though it was pothouse brawl, in
which they must triumph by force of below
| ing out epithe.s and threats.


| On the other, the democratic side. thero
is also faction which goes about utter
ing silly and unpatriotic threats, and
we regret to SEQ that some Of the
more respectable. democratic organs are
taking an offensive tone, and indulging
in "charges" and counter charges" and
nonscnsical threats and forebodings of what
will happen in certain contingencies. These
organs are becoming the mouthpieces of
men whose folly makes itself more distinctly
heard in private, where one may hear dis
cussed schemes of taking possession of the
ports Of New York, Boston, Baltimore
and Philadelphia of raising regiments
and grabbing custom houses in case
Mr.. Tilden is not inaugurated Such
nonsense as this is gravely discussed
among few democrats not without infu-
ence; and while we resent it we cease to
wonder mt it when we SEQ to what depths of
partisan folly tho President of the United
States condescends. Each side urges the
other on, and, as we said before, these peo-
plo. if they had the settlement Of the ques-
ton, would decide it with clubs.


Cannot the President Of the United States
SEQ that he is degrading himself when he
talks such stuff as was reported Of him in
Mondays papers? Cannot the democratic
factionists see that they put themselves
fatally in the wrong with the country when
they talk of the seizure of custom houses
and ports, and take for granted in their
organs that they are to be cheated" out of
the election? Committees of both houses Of
Congress have gone down into the disputed
States to investigate the elections. Sup
pose these committees, which are composed
of honorable and responsible men of both
parties, should report on their return, for in
stance, that the count in Louisiana was not
fair or honest; that the Returning Board did
throw out parishes on evidence which was
incompetent according to the law which de-
fined its duties. Would not President
Grant feel very much humiliated and cha
grined OF the miserable exhibition of parti-
san feeling which he is making in
these days? Yet such report is
by no means improbable. There is good
reason to believe that the Returning Board
did accept evidence which the very law by
which it exists forbids it to accept or con-
slider. Or, take the other side, suppose the
different committees should return from
Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina, and
declare that those States did really and
fairly cast their votes for Mr.. Hayes,
would not those democrats who are
now vaporing in SO silly and un-
American a way become objects of contempt
and public odium, and justly so? What is
the use or tho sense of this hectoring on
both sides? The whole matter in dispute is
in process of settlement (; it is in the hands
of Senate and House committees, carefully
chosen, composed for the most part Of hon.
sans and having membership of both par
ties, in which respect, by the way, they are
conspicuously unlike the Presidents parti-
san visiting statesmen" These commit
tees are at their work. Now, then, let the
whole small army of partisans and political
camp followers of both sides hold their
tongues until the committees report.


That is what the American people require.
and that is what they will presently. if this
nonsense goes on demand in thunder tones.
This Presidential squabble is going to be
settled peaceaby, honorably and satisfac-
torily to the country. The American peo-
pie arc going to see to that. Tho sensi-
BILE and patriotic men on both sides
in Congress will take care of it. The





ing in reckless and foolish Dragging
and We grieve to sec that the Presi-
dent of the United States has no more
sense of propriety and decency than to make
himself one of these factionists. Blu. when