The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-16

fee the eauctity of the laws and the constitution
to party advantage, then, / say. 1t Is high lime
that these who do care should rise up with
patriotic determination to defend the laws and
the constitution, not only against arbitrary
assumption. but also against equally danger.
Gus Indifference. The time has come when
this effort must be made, and I confidently
trust there are still men enough in the Repub-
lican ranks whom a slavlsh terror Of the par
ty-Whip will not deter from doing what they
conceive to be q great duty. It is time, I cay,
for another term of such arrogant assumption
of power, and such wanton acquiescence may
furnish. the funkles of power with such a
store Of precedents for argument as to bewil-
der the common understanding until people
cease to look for ordinary means of relief.
THE SUPREME QUESTION.
He then spoke OF the growth of the UHlted
States, of the consequent growth of the ma
chinery and appliances OF the government,
and of the. tendencies to corruption. It be.
cam the supreme duty OF those In power to
check this dangerous tendency with vigor and
determination. To accomplish this great end
three things were necessary: That those In
the world, should set an example Of scrupu-
lous purity and lofty unseldshness; that the
ruling party should, In Its criticism, and In
the handling Of Its power, be ,severer even
against the shortcomings and trespasses Of Its
own members than against those Of Its oppo-
nents; and lastly, that our present system of
civil service, which has become the hot-house
of so many alarming abuses, should be 80
reformed as to make honesty, capacity,
and fidelity to the public Interest the criterion
OF qualification, instead OF partisan service,
and thus to destroy the corrnpttng and tyran-
meal influence of the government patronage.
He who runs may read the daily failures OF the
4. To-, kkooo .o,tfo,,1o No thu nnnnf-
ism alone exceeding anything ever before re.
corded In the annals of the republic. Com
pairing the administration Of Grant and Bu-
chanau In respect to the use of public patronage
for party purposes, he said that If James 3D.
chanan had lived to-day he would have to
admit that In that line of business he was but
| a puslllsnimous bungler. In the days of Abra-
ham Lincoln criticism. aud the sharper the
better, was sought for, but now criticism was
| a political sin. The charges made against the
administration are answered by Idle or abu-
| sive remarks, and the public morality sinks
lower and lower. Civil service reform is os-
tensibly favored By the President, but every
one who opposes 1t ls an administration man.
The Cincinnati movement ls the logical
outcome of this condition of affairs, Honest
men are going to meet there and see what
they can do about It," Referring to the famll-
lar charge against the supporters OF that
| movement, that they were disappointed men,
he said; 'sYes, we are disappointed men-not,
indeed, disappointed 10 the sense n which
| unscrupulous slanderers call us 80, as IL we
had not received all the patronage we wanted;
| can fall to know that favor would not have
| been wanting to us had we consented to wear
| the livery OF the White House-but we are
| disappointed men In q higher sense; dlsap.
| pointed 10 that whole-souled confidence with
which We chung to the party and rallied around
/ - l-.tnt,frofta sphtNh nninrnH of1nh ,rrnor
| opportunities. Honest and Intelligent men of
| all parties are breaking loose from the bonds
of party, aud q grand effort Is to be made for q
better order OF things. To all honest Repub-
licsns he said:
It, by your pleading for party integrity, you
could succeed In stopping the movement we
are engaged In; If you could seduee us back
lease of power to the influences which at
present rule you, do you know what the con-
SEQUENCES would be An insurrectlon at q
future time; and then-who knows-much
| more uncomfortable for good; for the greater
| and more provoking the evils to be remedled,
| the more reckless the means for their correc-
| ten. Will you repeat your dangerous expe-
| dent of acQulescence
THE MOVEMENT MUST GO ON.
But you cannot stop the movement In which
we are engaged. [Applanse.1 The men who
4 uGfC " ~
| tation. They have ceased to measure their
| convictions Of duty by the rules laid down in Q
caucus. The great objects they alm at stand
TO them above mere party considerations.
\ Those who are now In goud earnest working
for constitutional government and reform will
not be led by their noses by those who lead In
the opposite direction. This movement will
go on; By your joining II you can make 1t
Greater aud more beneficial In Its influences.
! You might as well attempt to stGp the Mlssis-
| sippi in its flow. Nor do I think you can
prevent Its success. Neither you can,
nor partlsans Of any stripe. But q few
weeks ago the Cincinnati Convention
temptuous smile; to-day that smile has already
turned sour on their lips. Listen to the
tidlpgs coming from all parts Of the country.
The people have opened their eyes. They see
through the receptions with which they were
surrounded. Their best impulses have re-
gained their sa strength ana an they de@an az a ssat
hopes has come. And yet you see now only the
beginning. Before long, the politicians who
bur Yesterday scofed at us Will turn pale. NO,
you cannot stop this movement, nor do |
think you can successfully resist 1t. l am not
quite inexperienced In Judging the growth of
public opinion, and | soberly predict that be-
| al Government and Reform which we bear
will be planted VIGOROUSLY upon the Capitol
| OF the Republic.
Loud cheers r~esounded through the hall as
the last telling words dropped from Mr..
Schurz's lips.
Horace Greeley's Speech.
When the applause which followed schurz's
address began TO die out, Mr.. Greeley said:
The surveyor of the port Of New York has
given us notice through his organ. this morn
Ing, inviting US to attend q convention to be
held at Elmira on the 18th of May. l now give
him notice that we do not propose to attend
that convention.
At the two last stated conventions some of
our delegates were bought and some driven
out. Those two conventions were simple In
suits to the Republicans of New York who had
built up and sustained the Republican party In
this State.
We are going our own way. and I give him
notice now that he can send out as soon as he
pleases hts %nelghbors, his inspectors and ware
housemen to the country districts OF this Stale,
to hunt up delegates that will misrepresenJ
the people of those districts. He can elect his
men without q conflict. We are going another
way than his-to be represented at Cincinnati,
and atterward In such conventions as those IN
true sympathy with honest government shall
see fit 10 call. [%Applause.l
/ did not attend either OF the TWO last STATE
conventions, because I did not care about be-
ing kicked out of them by Roscoe Conkling or
/ Tom Mummy. but to satisfy my friends, not