The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-23
Speech Of Senator schurz.
pelI1ered 1n.t ErenInr a, 81. Lnnl,

ST. LoUr, July 22.-At the Libera
Republican meeting at the Temple 10
night, called for the purpose OF elect
Ing County Executive COMMITTEES
Senator schurz delivered q very lengthy
and elaborate address, OF which the foI,
lowing Is mere outline. The Senator
started out by saying:
Standing before my constituents deem
itmy duty 10 give an account Of my pub.
lie conduct and the motives which have
governed and the ends It Is intended "a
subserve. lean do this In no better way
than by expressing fully and frankly my
views on the events which have, produced
the present extraordinary situation OF
our public national affairs, events in
which took q small part; and also TO
state what consider It my duty as pat.
riotic citizen to do in order to promote the
best interests Of the Republic. It has
been my misfortune to displease many
with whom I co-operated in the political
field for many years and from whom I
now, with great regret, find myself sep.
Grated. To the attacks with which some Of
them endeaVor to overwhelm me have
but one answer. He then reiterated what
he had previously said about never consi.
dering his party thesupreme arbiter Of his
sense Of duty: He then said: when l was
honored with seat in the Senate oil the
United State, expected to support the
administration which then came into
power. The tasks which It was called
TO perform were OF unusual importance;
the civil war was over, its logical results,
the abolition Of slavery and the organiza.
tion of free labor society in the South,
were Just being reduced to political
form and imbedded in the Consti.
tuition Of the Republic. The first
great object Of our policy should have
been 70 renationallze the South; 10 revive
among the Southern people feeling cal.
culated to attach their hearts again to the
fortunes Of this Union, For: let US not
indulge In the 'delusion that the holding
together BY force of It's component parts
Is q basis upon which q republic can safe.
ly rest or long endure Il requires that
bond which binds together the hearts Of
the people, and not their beliefs only, and
to create that bond Is for Us the highest
object of statesmsnship.
he then referred In detail 10 the different
acts of the administration party, going
over the ground travefsed by himself and
others in the Senate. In regard TO San
Domingo matters he made the following
statement: When the Santo Domingo
scheme was pending, two gentlemen In
intimate relations with theN White
House came to me, each one sep
arately, soliciting my support Of the
project. They assured me II I would give
that support or abstain from opposition,
all the patronage I desired would be at
my disposal, making me in that respect
one Of the most influential men in the
land. One OF these gentlemen subsequent.
ly admitted to me in writing that the
offer was made 10 me with the consent of
the President himself. BE said he had
withheld this statement a long time in
spite OF many proyocations, and made 1t
now only because, as the papers have re.
Gently stated, the President himself put
forth an assertion in published interview,
that he (Schurz) has opposed him because
he had not received as much patronage
as he wanted. He then dwelt upon the
abuses Of patronage, and evils OF civil
service, stating there never was q time
when the latter was more like thorough.
ly drilled disciplined organization Of
political agents, or when the public inter.
est was more shamelessly overruled
by political exigency. Referring to Presl.
dent Grant, he said: / should prefer
not to speak Of him, did he not stand as
the. embodiment and personitication of q
pernicious system, which derives from
his individuality its peculiar character.
Gratitude for his military services and re.
spect for his office have long restrained,
many from expressing their real opinions
concerning him. 1shall be the last man
10 forget or to carp at the great services
he has rendered in the field Of war. The
honors he has won, and the laurels he has
gathered shall not be touched, but now he
Is civil officer and he asks us to continue
him at the head OF the civil government
of this Republic. With this question his
laurels have nothing to do. When he
assembled the Presidential chair 1t may be
said that the whole people surrounded
him with q cordial offer Of their conf
dence and willing aid in all he might do
to give the country good government
There was not a statesman in the Repub-
lie who would not have been ready, nay
proud, TO serve him at his call. He
might even have reinforced his supporters
from tlieranks of the opposition Acct
dental mistakes would have been readily
forgiven. Evidence Of pure motives and
honest efforts would have easily silenced
the factious clamor, but his career as
President warrants the conclusion that
he had never been able fully tosppreciate
the difference between Q military COM
mand and the complex duties and
responsibilities Of civil administra-
ton. l doubt whether it has
ever become quite clear to his mind
what the Presidency means in our sys.
TEN of government. When that high
Office was presented to him he took 1t as
sort Of national reward, an accommoda.
ton, place In which TO fly his military
exploits. He might make himself
comfortable. His mind seems to
have been. but little disturbed by
the great duties and perplexing problems
he was TO take in hand. It was soon dis
covered that for his future success he
needed organized partisan support, which
was easily had, and the required alliances
formed themselves bY natural prAvitatinn