Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-10-10


o1O d t Per Order.
Governor Gardncr's Speech at the Amer
lean Convention
This is a remarkable and an important doc
ument. 1t develops the style of opposition to
the Republican movement from the Ameri-
can quarter. 1t is Governor Gardeners state
ment of his own position. 1t is exciting
much controversy, personal and POLITICAL
This speech is no less extraordinary in style
than i'll statement A chief magistrate Of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, never be-
fore INDUCED in such a style of political
speech, if, indeed, i'll political, partizan speech
at all. while in Office. 1t must certainly be
considered very undignifed. Some would
call it disgraceful. But let that pass. Digni-
ty, etiquette, even decency, are at a discount
in politics now.
Governor Gardner disavows ever giving
any encouragement to the Republican move
ment, and denies committing himself to it in
any respect. If this be so, then he and his
friends can have no reason to complain be.
cause itsConvention did not nominate him. He
and his friends had no business in that Con-
vention,-n more than Erasmus D. Beach
and his friends had. They have no right to
charge it with bad faith,-they have no bust
ness to talk about bad faith at ALL If what
Governor Gardner now says is true, the Con-
vention had no right to consider his name at
all. He had no right to let themconsider it.
1t was piece of dishonorable conduct in his
presenting himself before that Convention, at
all, or in his friends bringing him there. He
had nothing to do with it, and his nomination
by it would have been fraud upon it, and
upon the Republican movement.
On the contrary, if what Governor Gard
ner says is not true, then he is guilty Of dis
honorable conduct in accepting another NOM
inotion asair,ot tho Republican candidate. If
he was committed to the Republican move
ment, if he had given it his approval and ell
enlargement, if his friends had taken his
name to the Worcester Convention with his
knowledge and consent, if he had himself
encouraged the call for that Convention, urged
it, and advised his friends to participate in it,
if he had laborcd personally 10 secure its
nomination, and personally agreed to abide
its decision, then he is guilty of gross dshon-
or and bad faith, in standing where he now
does, in unhesitatingly, joyously, and
promptly accepting the nomination of anoth-
or Convention of an opposing party.
Either way, one cannot see why Governor
Gardner does not appear before the public in
most unenviable and dshonorable light
lie cannot escape this position. His own
spoken words, now published fro n his own
lips, justify and prove all the Republicans
said and urged during the week preceding the
Convention,- would have justified the Con-
vention in refusing to receive votes for him.
sustain every word of Mr. Danas speech in
that Convention, and would have obliged the
Republican party to repudiate his nomina-
ton. had it been forced upon them by the
power of numbers, just as they would have
repudiated the nomination of E. d. Beach,
had it been similarly forced upon them He
claims to have stood in no different light to-
wards the Convention from Mr.. Beach or Mr..
Valley. Therefore he and his friends cannot
complain because it did not nominate him. -
II is the Convention,-it is the Republican
party that can complain, that can charge bad
faith for this attempt to perpetrate gross
fraud upon them, and force them to nominate
candidate, who had no sympathy with their
movement, and was opposed to them and 1t.
Thus Governor Gardner presents himself
now. But paradoxical as it may seem, he is
entitled to both horns of the dilemma. He
is guilty of the double dishonor. He com
mitted bad faith in going into that Convention
with his friends for the nomlnation-he COM
mits bad faith now in going out of il and TAX
ing an opposing nomination. This is singular
language, but nevertheless it is true language,
and Gov. Gardner himself authorizes it. aud
proves its truth. He did both things-he
committed himself to that Convention, and
he refused to commit himself to it. He did
sympathize with the Republican movement
he urged it on, and agreed to sacrifice himself
for its success and now he opposes It, and
refuses to abide its decisions. There is album
dant proof Of all this. OF one side, his pre-.
sent speech and position are conclusive evil
dence. or the other the speeches of his
riends, Mossrs. Brewster and Clark, at the
worcester Conyention-the presence there of
hundreds of his partizans, and their votes for
him. are no unworthy testimony. But there
is more conclusive evidenee-an abundance of
1t, aud witnesses are spunging up on every
hand. They come from the ranks of bis nos
sonal aud political iriends-of his intimate 90
sociates. quoting his own words written and
spoken over and over again and having Mac
cd his own testimony on record in favor Of
one position, we shall follow It with their ey.
idcnce to the correctness Of the other position.
We have enough in our own personal possess
sion to satisfy ourselves Of the truth of what
we have said but we have no need to use
that. We shall prefer TO use the profIered and
published evidence Of his intimate, personal,