Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-04-28
VIRGINIA.
APRIL IS.

CARR ScHURz.-Carl Schurz is going to
Europe next week, and last night his friends
rave him a dinner 10 New York. After the
repast, MIR. Evarts called the assemblage TO or
der, 10 a brief speech complimentary to the
guest of the evening, wishing him a safe voy-
age and happy return, and thanking hun Tor
bis great public services.
Mr.. Schurz 10 reply said To earn a good
name among citizens is a thing to be desired.
I may claim one thing, and that Is that | nave
at least tried to do my duty, aud l cordially
thank you. Certain dl~sagreements OF seoti-
ment occurred between nue. aud my party pc
fore | left the Senate. / started early 10 life
An earnest and devoted man, aud attached my
:, self to the Republican party. l served 1t iaith,
fnlly until after the civil war, and Its Logical
results were PERFECTLY safe after the war. IL
then. seemed to me that the time had come for
taking the other great problems 10 hand Tor
solution. 1t was necessary to secure Tor the
new order of things that favorable public opln-
ion which is indispensable, by a wise course OF
Cancellation and policy. 1t was necessary to
strike down the spirit OF rapaclty which arose
during the war aud threatened to destroy the
grand old institutions OF our Government. IL
was necessary to restore once more to the couo-
try a sound currency and to lighted aud regu-
late the burdens swaylng over tue people from
revenue and taxation. That these evils existed
no one denied, and no one denles to-day. l
fondly hoped that the party to which belong,
ed would take these problems in hand and deal
with them, but you, as well as |, know that
these problems were still unsolved, and, To-
deed. retrograde movements we're made 10
some respects. We stood before the American
people with the same principles and program
me of policy, aud these had the good wishes OF
some of the Republican party. An attempt,
said the speaker, was made 10 1872 to take a
middle course, but it failed. This should not
cause disbursement, because the best lessons
were to be learned from failure.
We had two political parties to-day, but
neither of them satisfied the people. l shall
admit that in both parties there are good men,
and in this and that State some good thing has
been done by either the one or the other party,
but it was like a man coming to two roads and
askiug which be shall take, and a person says
to him, stranger, you may take either; but II
you do so you will wish you had taken the
other" The independent voters we're 10 the
main good citizens, who wished to serve their
parties BY the best methods, and not bargain
ers. am convinced that the mass of indie
pendent votets is strong enough to give victory
to either deserving it. The independent party
was too great to fritter its power away, but 1t
was the duty of the men who composed 1t to
use their power for the common good. 1t was
too early to advise it with regard to the next
Presidential election, but in it steps should be
taken by the men composing it to briog Its
power to a focus. Let it be by the orgaoiza-
tiop of committees or otherwise, so that when
the time arrived they could tell the parties
what the independent men wanted. | believe
that great good can be brought about 10 this
way, aud what a great blessing it would be to
have a full.grown statesman 10 the Presidential
chair. Next year we would celebrate the one
hundredth anniversary of our independence.
Might it only be knowu as a year of not only
proud memories, bur of strong and indepeDd-
ent action. In concluding, the speaker returned
thanks for the kind reception given him.