Year: 1876

Court of the State, consisting of three
judges, all republicans, to decide the proper
functions, under the constitution. Of the
Returning Board. That Board consists OF
five republicans, all State officers and three
candidates for reelection and therefore
sitting MS judges on their own cases
The Supreme Court heard argument
and issued q temporary injunction,
pending further argument, by which the
Returning Board was ordered to count and
report to the Court the actual votes cast,
according to the returns of the county COM
missioners, and to await the final decision
Of the Court on the further question whether
the Board had, under the constitution, such
judicial functions as would authorize 1T to
hear objections or decide generally upon the
validity Of the votes. On Monday the Board
accordingly reported to the Court that the
returns showed the Senate to consist OF
eighteen republicans and fifteen democrats;
the House, of sixty republicans and sixty
four democrats-one majority for the demo-
Gratis on joint ballot. Thereupon the Court
proceeded to hear further argument on the



going on, and while the counsel of the Re-
turning Board wero actually in Court and
taking part in the proceedings, the Board
met privately, flung out two democratic
counties, on, as one dissenting member
declares in o written protest, merely er pdrte
evidence; hastily made out certificates
Of election to republican members of
the Legislature and to the Hayes cleo
tors and adjourned sine die. The members
claim that ten days was the legal limit Of
their existence as Board but if they be-
lieve this, and if their counsel, one of them
curiously enough the United States District
Attorney, SO advised them, why should they
not have notified the Court? Why did their
counsel attend on court ut the very time of
this action, and thus help to deceive the
Supreme Judgesp Why should the Board
do by trick what they assert to be right?
This is what the country asked yesterday
when the news was read.


Under these grave and exasperating cir
cumstances General Wade Hampton issues
an address to the people of South Carolina
urging the utmost order, absolute peace and
patience. The advice is sound and patri-
otic, and the North, without respect to party
lines, thanks him for it. The recent atti-
tude of tho democrats in South Carolina has
been model of self-command and loyal
submission of their interests and rights to
the proper arbitrament of the courts. The
country has watched them with anxiety, but
with increasing satisfaction. We hope they
will observe strictly the admonition of their
leader and candidate for Governor. We are
free and law-abiding people, and this mat
ter will be settled according to law. Irri-
tating, justly irritating as such unworthy
trickery is, the North, too, must command its
temper and have patience. The snarl we
are in can be untangled only with patience
and by orderly and lawful methods. Any
one who to-day or at this time counsels or
even fails to condemn violence, any one who
adds by incendiary advice or suggestion
to the prevailing and just irritation and ex-
citement, does an unpatriotic act and de-
serves the severest condemnation of the pub
lie. We are glad to find in the most infu-
entail democratic journals here the soundest
advice on this subject. The journal Of Com
merce, which represents very ably the senti-
ments of our democratic merchants, said on
Saturday =


ANY OF those who assume to lead tho republican
party really desire 10 IerpetrAto fragrant wrong In
thwartng the VIII OF tho people lawfully expressed
tho polls, they could not be moro ably assisted In
such nefarous enterprise than by the exhibition
q belliycrent temper and spirit In tho ranks
OF tho opposition. Loud denunciations, invcc-
Al Il
. fierce and rebellious temper will only render


the proposed violation OF popular rights the easier Tor
tho projectors OF such scheme can fire the hearts Of
all who have heretofore acted with tho dominant
party that they will band together again to carry
out whatever their leaders suggest no outrage will to
great that IL can be peacefully resisted Let but tho
opposition begin TO breathe out throatcnings aud
slaughter and the real safeguard Of popular liberty and
justice will NO longer stand In tho way OF she wrong
doers.


The Sun, one of the most vigorous and
powerful supporters of the democratic
cause, said on Tuesday, Better submit
to wrong for the time, however gross, than
appeal to any but legal, constitutional and
peaceful methods" General Hampton
urges the same course upon the people of
South Carolina. In New Orleans promi-
nent men who have just been there say the
attitude of the democrats is absolutely quiet
and orderly they await in confidence the
Justice of the North.


Let them have patience and confidence.
The North. the Northern republican party,
is fast awakening to comprehension Of the
situation. This is not matter in which the
democrats can usefully act. The initiative
does not belong to them; their part is to
wait in patience, in absolute order and quiet.
The chief duty of the crisis falls upon the
republican masses. They are honest and
sensible, and they will not tolerate wrong or
trickery, or even the appearance of wrong, in
this matter. 1t is for them to demand, and
we believe they will demand, in public meet