New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-18

Horace Greeley's Remarks
We adopt the report of the New YORK
Tribune, received yesterday, OF the great
aneecb of Senator Carl Schurz at the meet
ing of Liberal Republicans at the Cooper
Institute meeting in New York last Friday
evening. ,-.
Senator Schurz was received with pro-
louped cheering, and spoke as follows:
This Is not the first time that l stand
upon this platform. l stood here in 1860,
when Abraham Lincoln was our Repub-
Iican candidate for the Presidency, and
when we breasted the onset Of the slave
power with the battle cry, free soil, tree
speech, free men, l stood here in 1862,
when the word emancipation was first
thrown by multitude Of patriotic citizens
into the confusing fluctuations of the civil
war. l stood here in 1864, when Abraham
Lincoln was again our standard bearer, and
when the integrity Of the republic and the
abolition of slavery were to be fixed as the
aim and result of the great conflict. l
stood here in 1868, when the product of the
civil war was to be summed up, when the
great settlement of the equality Of rights
was prepared, and when the words. LET
Us have peace" were taken by the people
as promise that from the bitterness Of
civil strife we were to return to policy
of good government, reconciliation ana
concord And recently l stood here, ad-
vOcating a thorough reform OF the' civil
service, the abOliti9h of tic cOrrupting and
demoralizing influences OF the patronage
and of partisan rule, and the purlhcatlon
of republican government.
A. 7 Inv
who has renowned any Of the great prin-
ciples aud policies he ever advocated, but
Is one who has resolved to continue their
advocacy and defense with as much fidelity
and energy as ever; as one who IN that al
vocacy who was wholly in earnest before.
lie wholly in earnest now, and Will continue
to be 80 without regard to the opposition he
viii have to encounter, whether 1t come
from friend or foe.
MANLY PROTEST.
And Just because I always was in earnest,
and am in earnest now; just because am
sincerely devoted to the cause fought for,
/ now stand here to raise my protest against
the perversiOn which the victories OF that
cause have suffered; my protest against the
partisan bigotry which subOrdinates the pub
Lie welfare to personal and party interests;
my protest against that slavish submission
to party dictatiOn and discipline which, for
party ends, strives to stitle the voice OF
truth, and to whitewash abuses and wrongs,
instead Of honestly exposing and correcting
them; my protest against the infatuated
wantOnness Of power recklessly overriding
the laws of the land for selfish ends; my
protest against the growth Of personal gov
eminent in the republic, which threatens to
convert the public powers into personal
property; to subjugate the conscience of the
people, and to convert the noble pride of
the republican citizen into the submissive
spirit Of the subject; my protest against the
receptions which are practiced upon con-
fiding people to make appear right what is
wrong, pure what is corrupt, noble and
patriotic what is mean and selfish. l raise
that protest in the name of the great cause
you and /, as Republicans, have so long
fought for; in the name of honest and con-
stitutiOnal government which is to protect
ourselves and our children in their rights
and best interests; in the name OF that pub
lie morality which must be cultivated as the
life element Of free institutions; in the name
of the great American republic which We
want to be the guiding star of mankind in
Its struggles for liberty and a higher civil
ZatiOn.
started out in political life with the Re-
publican party; l never belonged to any
other, and worked faithfully in its ranks
with honest zeal at least, if not with eff
cheney. never desired to leave it as long
as it remained true to the best principles it
prOfessed, and as long as its policy, its
measures and its conduct could be defend
ed in good faith. If l am proud Of any
thing, it is not Of the position l have
reached and of the honOrs have achieved,
but it is of the consciousness that, when
ever l endeavOred to exercise an influence
upon public opinion, have never said any
thing which ! did not honestly believe to
H. Av~l I I'D
flict with the official leaders of the Repub-
lican party it is because l car not abandon
that controlling rule of my public life with
out betraying my duty to the American
people. For this reason stand here to ap-
peal with you to an honest and enlightened
public opinion. We have emerged from a
great civil war. Seven years ago, this
month, after long and bloody struggles,
the flag Of the republic f1oated victOriously
over the last stronghold OF the rebellion.
Armed resistance to the national govern.
ment, in largely organized form, ceased. |
An important period in the development of |
our national life closed, and a new one |
commenced. |
THE PROBLEMS OF AMERICAN POLITICS.
Each period of our history has its own pc
culiar problem to solve, to which political |
parties must apply their energies to main
tain the moral basis of their existence and |
their usefulness. During the civil war the
supreme problem was to save the existence
and preserve the integrity of the republic
10 this all other interests and objects be-
came Tor the time being subordinate. That
problem was successfully solved.
When the rebellion was overcome. we en-
tered upon new field Of action. New
problems confronted u.s. In the first place,
we had to settle the logical and legitimate
results Of the war in such a manner as to
protect them against the danger Of reaction
airy attempts. That settlement was also
effected, partly by extraordi.
nary measures. 1t was embodied SO firmly
in the constitution of the country as to form
an insuperable barrier to subversive move
ments. All patriotic citizens agree that it
shall and must be maintained. hOnorably
and in good faith, as q settlement which |
was a necessity and is in harmony with the |
principles underlying free in
and with the enlightened and |
humane spirit Of the century. And all
sensible men agree that this settlement |
will stand, and that any attempt to over
throw it will inevitably result in disastrous
failure.
Thus the basis of new order of things
v as firmly and securely laid. 1t remained
to clear away the rubbish and to develop
that new order Of things in accordance with
the requirements of truly free institutions;
to obliterate the differences and animosities
Of the past; to revive healthy national
spirit, and the consciousness of belonging
together among all classes of our popula-
tion, SO as to reinstate free public opinion
instead of force as the controlling power in
our government; to restore the rule of
sound constitutional principles; to reani-
mate the popular respect for the law; to
crush corruption wherever it may appear;
to raise the standard of morality in our
political life; to secure genuine reform Of
our system of taxation, SO that its burdens
.bo1 ho adinefad IN nrincinles of iuctica |