New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-12
We copy the following report from the
Memphis Appeal of Wednesday:

I
Fellow-Citizens, Friends and Neighbors-
! MANY thanks to you for this kind greeting
| and congratulatiOn, which l know to be
! sincere and not merely formal, because of
the multiplied evidences of your good will
| in the past. That the result of the Cincin-
natl convention has not been exactly such
! as your partiality would have dictated, l
| am we'll aware, and yet we must frankly
/ admit that so far as Missouri Is concerned
the compliment TO our State, first, IN the
selection of Senator Schurz to preside over
the largest and ablest political convention
! that ever assembled in America; and sec
ond, of according nomination by SO nat
tering a ananimity for the second of1ce IN
the government to one of your citizens III
| my own humble person, leaves no excuse
TOR caYlling or discomfort on that score.
The first object TO be obtained is success,
| IN order to rescue the administration OF ma
tiOnal affairs from utter wreck-an object
to which many minor considerations and
| partialities must be sacrificed In that
! light my deliberate judgment is that the
| selection made for the head of our ticket is
the strongest that could have been fallen
| upon. You must not expect from me any
extended speech this evening, or that
should enter at large upon that argument
which will be set forth during the coming
canvass, to convince the people that such
is the fact not only in the interest of sue
cess, but equally in that of honesty and
honor This | understand is designed
rather as a personal compliment. Such
being the case, let me hope that you will
not take it emiss if | refer very briefly to
some personal matters before going into
action.
1t is usual to clear away the underground
in front of the position; leave no cover for
concealed enemies. 1t is not very heroic
work, and vet it may not be the less oppor-
tune as well as needful. For nearlya quar-
ter of a century l have been citizen OF
this State, constantly and acrimOniOusly in
vOlved in all those political contests by
which some strange destiny has ever given
shape and character to the advent OF the
national politics controlling the government.
That during the fierce heats of partisan
bitterness should be assailed in all ways
and by all means, in purpose, in method, IN
reputation, was not to be wondered at.
With the frankness of our Western life,
when the contests were ended, the calum
MES were also buried. Thus it has fallen
out that with so many tokens of unchanged
confidence and regard, l recognize, even in
this hour, that l have a character which
prize above any preferment, and honor
which has been unstalned by any blot, and
a place in the affections of this people that
could not have come to me had any of
those vile ISLANDERS been true, and now as 1t
will devOlve upon me again to go forth IN
bitterness in a still wider and perhaps
more envenomed conflict than any of the
past, l have only TO say, that you, my
friends and neigl bors. who know so well
the conduct of my daily life, and can tes-
tify whether it be that of purity, of virtue
and self-respect, and to the people of Mis-
souri,, who have so highly hOnOred me and
so often, | shall leave the defense of my
good name against any vituperation that
shall assail it.
Now to another point. / see that already
the press of the opposition are Selling upon
some of the incidents of the late cOnven-
ton, distOrting their significance, and seek
ing 20 SOW the seeds of jealousy and mis-
trust between those who have been leaders
thus far in the cause of Liberalism. The
attempt is made TO place the most distin-
guished champion of our cause, Senator
Schurz, in an attitude of humiliation and
defense, and to imply that between him and
myself there has been some bad faith or re-
elimination. know this is delicate ground
to travel over, and vet l feel it due to him
that justice should be done, and by no one
can that be done with more knowledge than
myself. 1 have, therefore, to state to you
all, who are our mutual friends, that such
reports are utterly without foundation.
As to the politics and platforms there has
been perfect accord. And holding the con-
spicuOus position which his genius and en-
ergy assigned him, earnest, first Of all, for
the success of the convention, he did not
feel at liberty to make himself the advocate
of any candidate, and least of all, one from
his own State. appreciated and cOncurred
in the elevation of sentiment which dictated
this course, and have to say, in all his bear
ing, so far as know, it was manly and sin |
cere. What he contributed to the inaugu-
ration of that magnificent assemblage,
the independent thought of the Repub- |
lican party, the world knows, and if
the honor of such an achievement can |
be defeat, then know not the meaning of |
the term, and to those of the opposition |
who may be comforting their hearts with |
thought that he entertains such feeling |
those who know so we'll that |
when he enters the arena of popular appeal |
that zone blast from off his bugle horn were |
worth a thousand men'--to those who fear |
the effect Of his eloquent pleading-I am
glad to give his assurance that from now |
till November he will be found in the front |
of the fight, uptOlding the nation and the |
choice of the convention.
Although not intending to enter upon |
general discussion, yet there is one matter |
of sufficient interest to US here at home to |
demand a moments reference 1t was
thought by many that the question of rev.
enue reform would be shaped into some
practical form as part of the platform, and |
surprise has been felt at its omission, but | |
am sure all doubt on this point will vanish |
when it is considered that the action of the |
convention in referring this industrial topic |
to the people in congressional districts, |
pledglng the executive to respect that will, |
was the necessary and logical consequence |
of an opposition to the Centralizing tenden- !
cies of the of the general government
1t is thus that such matters should be de- |
cided, unbiased and unawed by federal |
and it is thus and thus only, that |
the people can understand the reforms they |
desire and are entitled to have been carried |
Out. National parties are in large measure |
types OF federal authority. To subordinate |
this, an expression on tariffs or any of those |
politics is sure to be at the |
expense of all truth of utterance. A deter
thus imposed in advance upon the |
people, would be adapted to party exigen-
cles, and would not come fairly forth as the
well eanvassed sentiment of the nation. 1t
was deemed wise, therefore, to get rid of such
Capitalization influences and make a refer
ence of these matters and all others of like
import to localities for expressions: and with
such course those surely, of all others,
VINO believe most sincerely in the necessity |
OF revenue reform, and its ability to com
mend itself to the confidence of our citi-
zens will have least reason to find fault
Its local choice we demand as to all matters
OF local concern, and local expression as to
all matters Of national concern. influenced
and uncontrolled utterly by the federal
authority CT its organized partisan type
that we must first contend for and achieve.
Friends and fellow citizens, 1 can not con-
3lude without urging you again, as have
)lten done IN the past, to be up ana DONG
I you value your liberties. Ihey are
threatened more seriously than many OF
you realize by military ascendency, laying