Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-13
Not Willing TO Risk his Reputa-
tiOn with BlantOn--What he
Thinks Of the Baltimore
Cincinnati Work.
His Ideals of Glory and RenOWn
Exempliied in the Siege Of
Troy and the Grecian
Pass.
SelfRespect and Honesty at Stake
in the Matter Of Accepting
the Louisville NOm-
inatiOn.

NEW York, September l2.-The announce
ment to-day by the Express that Charles
O'COnOr had accepted the Louisville nomlna-
tion, was an error. In reply to Major Moreau. $
speech urging him 70 accept, Mr.. 'NOnor pre-
sented long address. in which ne says;
THE ADDRESS.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLE1IES-My
views as to the duty OF resisting the Baltimore
nomination coincide with those which YOU
have expressed Ever since the snap Judg-
u1ent against popular sentiment was obtained
BY the deed OF Baltimore, arguments very in
applicable or very unsound have been used TO
prevent resistance. There is said to be no fit
choice presented, and Of the two admitted
evils it is wisdom 70 choose the least. II this
be true II should not result IN favor OF tile
Baltimore nominee. OF transcendant abinuy
and energy uncQualled, there is no room Tor
comparison between
HIMSELF AND HIS RIVAL.
Justice and common sens forbid the compli-
ment, acceptable as il seems, Jhat he Is little
in anything. The Outcry " too late lis not
iust-when men travel by steam and commune
by electricity. II to-day popular sentiment
exists, il can be stimulated 10 action in an
hour. Had we only appliances Of antiquity,
national impulse could light its fires upon
a thousand hills and arouse all the people with
our superior modes OF communion. Let II not
be said that fifty days do not afford
adequate space for an awakening. IN
promoting the object Of your convention, there
was no commitment to become its nominee
and until the body adjourned / could not
have imagined such result as q total omls-
candidate. II Is assumed thatits action casts
upon Mr.. Adams and myself some responsi-
bility Of bearing without power 70 express
itself antaEOnism- which We had done our
part 70 evoke and in which We earnestly par
ucipate. II is, therefore, asserted that, with
out my Intervention, all the Democrats VINO
dissent from the
BALTIMORE COALITION,
and many patriots who revolt at its origin
and dread its consequence viii be left with
out power 70 record their protest against it.
II such were the fact, II would present a case
in which citizen could have no moral nDer-
ty. The path Of duty would be plain and direct,
leaving him no choice; his cOuntrys defense
would require that he should assent 70 con
scription and take the place assigned him in
the national army, whether in the ranks or at
the head, and there strive for the right 70 the
utmost. For reasons quite different % those
likely 10 be imputed, I cannot 80 regard the
present eXigency.
Part OF tIie vile code advocated by the hire
lings Of misrule Is that direct and Immediate
81 secs is the first and paramount aim in
ave " human effort. On the contrary, my
mora ETY. inculcates honorable and manly
sfrr1g-9iss- for the right, however slight the
r,roSi5ect o. immediate advantage % the ac-
Tors or even - the cause. Every man Of ar
dent mind who - a1crded an access 70 ntefa-
ture. selects in early life, from history OF nc
ton the derni-gOds o. his ldOlatry, and with
more or less earuestness DesboWs upon Jhein
through life his constant rev srence. Nine were
not horses, whose victorious chariot wheels
stained with the blood OF Vanqulssaeu hllil4OiSr
conducted them TO power and renpNn. MY I
beneath her walls and LeOuldas IN tle GIt-
clan Pass. To spend in one allotted place q |
blameless life Of honest effort, and at lis enc
TO perish in the uObly-cOntesteu 1ncrniOpEltr I
Of an honest cause, has ever seemed 10 me the !
perfection Of a happy individual destiny:
Neither the personal motives suggested nor
apprehensions that your contemplated move
ment must fail to accomplish any useful re-
suits. influence me. 1 regard the Baltimore
nominations as exhibiting in their climax
the
y-rCES oE7 THE NOMINATING SYSTEM
with its pledges and platforms, shocking 20
honest pride and sound morals; It's career
Of bargaining which is now generally re-
quired to precede such nominations. The
platform is a thing gotten up for the eLner-
gency. On il the candidate IS made 70 SIT as
on a stool Of repentance, or as one placed IN
the stocks. by way Of holding him % the
pledges now forced upon him This pitiful .
attitude as the most conspicuous Ofhce-Oeg-
gar in the land, must be occupied by citizen
before he can receive vote Tor the highest
and most honorable Of offices Faith teaches
that the poor in spirit viii receive the richest
dressings of the future life. But il is TO part
os my political creed that poverty OF spirit in
worldly affairs should be a passport 70
the respect and confidence Of the great
people or quaiihcatlon Tor their chleI maSls-
trafe. " IaJeYeT might do IN respect 70 any
+har office. could neither accept the nOml-
nation or becotue candidate for successor 10
Washington, like many otners, when NV
taste and Judgment have cOucurred in the
adoption. l know that these ideas are un-
fashionable; every voice that has reached my
ears cOncurs tsS,erLllE ~ pei tlleAt
the Electors cannot vote for any one but the
nominee Of a convention, no has accepted
its nomination. 50 be IL. / do not presume
10 subvert established usages, but self-respect
and mOdesty unite in fOrbidd1ng me 10 play
in these days Of
POLITICAL DEGESERACN.
the part Of chief pOstulant in any such
drama. Some censurc viii no doubt attach
to this opinion itself and stll more 10 the ut
terance of 10. I have long witheldit, and II
possible l would now avoid expressing 20.
Many a man, the iatchet Of whose Shoe am
not worthy to unlOOse, has subscribed TO
platform and stood on II as a candidate. Per
haps. however, IL was in times less corrupt.
do not suggest or believe that any Of them dld
anything which in their day and under atten-
dant circum stances was unbecoming.
know also that you, fellOw-citizens, and your
highly respected convention, have prescribed
TO me no tests but in conformity WITH usages
not now 70 be departed from. You request me
TO accept q nomination and become cancl-
date. As I have said from the beginning,
must say / cannot.
THE COMMITTEES REPLY.
Moreau, in reply, declined 10 accept this de-
cision as ina. and inform 4 O'Conor that they
gtill regard him as their candidate, and would
support him at the polls.