The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-11-21
ADDRESSES OF HON. wM. NJ. EyARTS
AND SAMUEL j. TILDEN.

y
men that ought to be accepted by all par
ties who desire to see the country prosper !:
ADDRESS OF HON. WIN. NJ. EvARTs.
Mr.. PREsIDENT-Thi is a meeting of
congratulation, and rightly so. If it is per-
mitted to city to be joyful through all its
streets and all its homes when it has es-
capped pestilence, then we may be per-
mitted to be joyful in the city of New York,
since the last election. [Applause.l If it
is to be permitted to city to rejoice on its
deliverance from famine when that terror
has passed away, and it is again supplied
with wholesome food, we have right to be
Joyful since the last election. And if it is
permitted to a city to illuminate itself, and
I'LL its streets with shouts when war has
Welded to the proclamation of peace, then
we in this city of New York have right
to be joyful since the last election. We
have escaped a pestilence that was destroy
ing all the manhood of our people. We
are saved from the famine of good purposes
and good thoughts and hopes of good possi-
bilities for the future that would have made
this city uninhabitable throughout all time.
We are saved from that last resort,
which, sure as there is just God in heaven,
would have come-that would have given
us the victory which our honest and peace
full efforts have gained. Applause
When, therefore, Mr.. President, this As
ISOLATION asked me to come tonight to take
part in this congratulatory meeting of the
young men, felt pride and pleasure in
being present to present, as one of the citi-
zens of New York, my thanks to this As
ISOLATION for the manly, practical, valuable,
successful efforts that they made in Ameri-
can interest and for the freedom of the city
of New York. [Applause.l But we are not,
after all, wholly met for congratulation,
unless we find in these congratulations an
inspiration to new energies and to new
efforts. Nor do we care much for the sue
cesses of the past, unless they have given
us an experience that is to give us a new
wisdom, new virtue for the future. And
such | understand to be the attitude of
these young men--combined, not to pro-
mote the success of any one party, not to
promote the success of any candidates now
or in the future, but to promote the success
of all politics, of all parties, and all candi-
dates worthy of the name. What are the
avowed objects of this Association? They
are to arouse the citizens of New York to
their responsibilities i'll public affairs and to
discharge thoroughly their civic duties.
They are to see that the suffrage is pure
and inviolable. They are to see that honest
and capable men are promoted to the pub
lie service. Well, it was high time that
somebody gave attention to these subjects.
| venture to say that your experience of
the course of politics in this city for the last
ten years has shown you that nobody cared
for any of these subjects. but all the activ-
ties in politics tended to strive against
them. To discourage, to dishearten, to in
timidate, to deter in the discharge Of their
duties all citizens, was the object as it was
the foundation of the success of the inf;lm-
GUS Ring government, which lately ruled
our city. [Applause.l To see to it. that
pure, and that it should be constantly vio-
. all the politics of this city for the
last ten years. 10 see to it that no
capable and no honest candidate of any
party was permitted in this city was the
object and the successful result Of the pol
itics conducted here. Now, it was neces-
sary to apply moral medicine to this morti-
flying disease. And this Young Mems, and
other organizations, have set themselves,
in fact, united their energies, applied new
intelligence to politics-not as affecting the
political interests of either party, but as de-
terrnining the question whether we were a
great free people worthy of the free insti-
tutions which we enjoy, and capable of
conducting them or not. 1t is now thirty
one years since first attained the right to
vote and exercised it then at the City of
New York, and at every election since.
No Encouragement, no fear that my vote
would not be recorded for the candidate
desired to see elected, induced me to abb
stain from voting. Hundreds of thousands
ofintellgent citizens have been driven from
the poll by the moral conviction that they
were overwhelmed by the tyrannical usur-
patton of the. ballot. Instead Of resisting,
instead of resolving measures to defeat
these calamitous in-roads upon our institu-
tons, every year new and larger bodies of
men abstained from participating in politics,
and at last these usurpers of our liberties
had become entirely secure in power, and
entirely contemptuous of this people over
whom they presided. They were secure in
the cohesion of plumber, and the thick
headed, negligent, poor-souled policy of
ours. The speaker narrated the fable of
the release of the captive pigeons, which lie
compared with the united effort of the
people for the complete overthrow of
the Tammany tyrants and robbers. Refer
ring to the duty of voting, he continued !:
The Athenians said that any citizen who
did not take an interest in public affairs, so
far from being properly described as man
who minded his own business, that he was
man unfit for any business at all. The
election day is the greatest day of the en-
tire year, and in its observance all other
duties and considerations should be laid
aside. Speaking of the corrupting power
of Tammany, he said: What is more inn
portant than the press I? 1t collects facts
for the people to form their opinions upon
and then to collect and indorse the public
opinions developed. Have you any idea Of
the list of payments made to the press by
Tammany Hall during the last ten years.
Millions have been distributed to the press,
and that is why there was so little energy
displayed by it, with single exception, in
the recent disclosure of fraud. Look at the
bar, and see how, by references and great
counsel fees, its power was enfeebled and
subdued. They were silenced by intimida-
ton or bought by favor. But now this Vi
cious power was broken; its leaders will
be punished Iapplausel, and within brieI
time, and with more severity than the prin-
cipals, the robbers and their subordinates,
expect. To retrieve their former prestige
IS impossible, for a people aroused to q