Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-05-26
His Speech to his NeighbOrs and
Democratic Friends Of
Terre HautP.
His Account Of his Stewardship
He is Still Opposed to the
Greeley Ticket.
An Honest, Manly and Brave
AvOWal Of Political Faith
He will Stand by the
Democracy.

sons IN the Courthouse Square this
evening. The following is the substance
Of his speech:
/ thank a kind Providence that I am
once more in the midst Of neighbors,
and that, face to face with them, 1 am
permitted to speak for myself thank
you, too, for the warm affection with
which you have welcomed me home.
Now, as heretofore, you shelter me with
your unabated confidence from the
blows of my assailants. Here, at least,
is che spot of clear sky, and the quiet
stars of good omen are shining over our
heads. One of the highest duties Of a
representative is to render an account of
his official conduct to those whose agent
and servant he is. This obligation 1
have always met in the past, and am
here again to meet it tonight. believe
in the will and the power of the people,
and if l have betrayed or deceived
them let them condemn me with
out hesitation and without mercy. If,
on the other hand, have been faithful
10 the principles on which you have
elected me five times to Congress, /
know that I will not appeal to you in
vain TO stand by my side and uphold
the cause which is yours as well as
mine. do not speak as a candidate
again for your suffrages, either now or
hereafter, but rather as one who cher
ishes your respect and confidence as
above all price, and who will defend his
right to them under all circumstances,
and to the utmost extremity. For near
ly ten years have received the support
of noble, brave and intelligent con-
stituency. / have been sustained by
YOU in sunshine and in storm, because I
distinctly advocated and firmly adhered
to certain principles Of government
which thought TO be right, and opposed
Others which l thought TO be wrong.
THE DEMOCRACY OF THIS DISTRICT
agreed with me on these questions, or
they would not have voted for me. A
man in public life is tried by the princi-
pies he advocates, and TO which he has
devoted his life. If my constituents
have become personally attached to me,
1t is because Of the consistent record
have made in accordance with their own
solemn and conscientious convictions of
right and duty. This is the only true
and firm basis of concord and sympathy
between an intelligent and honest peO- /
pie and their representative. You and /
/ have been united in doctrine, and |
hence we have been united in thought /
and action. Democrats of Vigo county, !
Democrats of the Sixth district, with 1
whom | have so often struggled against 4
heavy odds and through weary toll to /
hard-won victories, have l. since We last |
met, by word or act, been false 10 the !
high trusts you have placed in my hands?
That is the question / am here to an
swer, and in making that answer Ihave
neither epithet nor abuse TO hurl
at my adyersaries. | have the
advantage of them in the truth /
of my position, and consequently
my temper is better than theirs. They
who are conscious of being in the wrong,
always feel angry first, and destitute
of argument, they at once resort to de-
nunciatiOn and slander. As to the i'm
putatiOns that have been cast upon my
motives in regard TO
NY RECENT SPEECH IN CONGRESS
against the nomination Of Mr.. Greeley,
by the Democratic party, they will re-
ceiye no reply from me. They need
none here, and if the whole tenor of my
life will not silence such aspersions, no
words would. l have long since adopt
cd as a maxim that public man
cannot be killed except by his own
faults. Ifhe is in reality free from blame,
he will be vindicated. Calumnies may
for the time being be heaped upon him,
but he will survive them if his
NfAA1AANAAN@
less falsehoods, therefore, that have
been hurled at me in this
connection will soon rot and be forget
ten. Again, however, / ask the Democ-
Tacy and Conservatives of this district,
who have heretofore supported me upon
principle, whether l have Justly for
feited th ir confidence in the course 1
have taken in regard to a Presidential
nomination at Baltimore. Let us look
at the facts, and survey the political
field in a candid spirit-candid with
our own breasts and candid with each
other. When a considerable number of :
Republicans, dissatisfied with the
present administration, inaugurated an |
Independent movementand called
THE CINCINNATI CONVENTION, !
it was most natural that the Democratic l
party should watch with deep interest a \
proceeding so likely to divide and over {
throw the party in power. Many even s
hoped, as did most sincerely, that this
convention might have wisdom enough :
to present, as its candidate, some one
whose devotion to the liberty of citi- I
zens, whose knowledge of the powers S
Of the government, both State and 7
Federal, whose attachment TO revenue,
firm and equal taxation; whose Oppo-
sitiOn 70 the absolute political and I
social equality Of the white and black 1
races; whose support of the interests Of l
the labOring classes, and whose consis-
tent magnanimity toward the South |
should, in disOpprOval Of the present l
outrageous legislation which is running I
her, enable us also to nominate '
him in National Democratic Conven- C
ton, thereby combining all the ele- T
ments Of opposition TO one of the worst q
administrations ever known In
American history. This might have I
been done if the Cincinnati Convention b
had been differently composed. If, in
stead OF vain cOnceit, there had been n
more sound sense; II, instead of regard \
ing !
THE DEMOCRATIC MASSES !,
as disorganized mob, ready to fall in b
with and follow any little squad that C
came marching by. They had looked v
upon them, as they are the truest, brav. Il
est, purest, most conscientious voting D
population on earth, tried In fires seven I,
times heated; in the past, facing perse- %
cutiOn and death, not for Office, place. or a
favor, but for the faith that was within :,
them. Was there any such conception h.
of the character of Democrats shown at a
Cine nnati by the men who demand Ie
your votes? On the contrary, the bare n
presence of a Democrat I'm the city at
that time, was regarded by the mana
gers of the convention as an insult, and o.
he was warned away with boots and n
cries, as a spotted leper would have been p
of old from an assembly Of purified n
Jews. Every suggestion, however re- G
motely or respectfully made by the n
Democrats who hoped for a union for G
the overthrow Of the
At NY e.u-x- v
was recoiled from with aversion and dis y
gust as if it contained the contagion of d
smallpox. Who will deny a word Of 2,
this. Even one of the distinguished n
gentlemen who was himself before that n
as a candidate, put il In r,
writing that it was not essential TO nom a
mate in reference to them the Demo- v
cratic vote las il was secure, because it "
was helpless. Have three million Of =,
honest men sunk so low as to tamely a,
submit TO this treatment, to open scOrq Z
and studied insult, to the blows and a.
scOfis such as a spaniel receives. ii
For my part, ] will not. From my I
mothers breast drew in no such spirit b
Of degrading humility, but II the tone pl
Of temper of that convention were "a
hostile 10 the Democratic party, how ~
shall characterize the nomination it. M
self. was in my seat at my desk in h
he House when il was announced that "a
HORACE GREELEY