New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-26
NEW ORLEANS, FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1875.

LEANS, FRlDAY, MAXI
: our city. he was a member of Congress
Speaker of the House, Senator of the Unite.
date for President. He was bitterl
assailed with charges against his persona
} and official character while member of tn
. House of Representatives, in matters cor
nected with the younger President Adaml
and for many years the bitterest calum
MES followed him. He was not as
sailed by nameless, skulking scribbler
ashamed and afraid to make an open fight
Virginia, John Randolph Of Roanoke. H,
shrank not from the contest, but as tn,
hunted stag brought to bay turns and
rends the pursuing hounds, SO he faced and
fought his enemies, retaining not only the
confidence of his constituents, but winning
higher Honorable became the foremost mar
Of his day.
have also met opposition through the
public journals of the country on the score
that had reached my present representa-
nve position, not under the favoring au
spices of wealth and social influence, but
from the humble post of friendless and
working lad upon the steamers that form.
eriy Piled upon our great river.
One OF the excellencies of our republican
institutions is that honorable position is not
inherited, but won; the race being open
blest entitled to wear the laurels that NAV
be won by earnest and fair endeavor.
This reference to the small beginnings,
out OF which my present influence has been
developed never humiliates me, but is q
source OF just pride to me; and should be q
source OF encouragement to all our race,
ana the humble OF all races; and it is
neither uncharitable nor immodest if I
! should declare relative to nay small minded
| detractors, that if they had stood upon nv
| original platform, weighted with the EN-.
| barrassments that surrounded me, in COM
mon with my people, judging them by their
| own estimates ofmerit and by the uses made
OF their better opportunities, their ignoble
beginnings would have been followed by no
improvement in their endings. In fact, it
would be safe to say of them that they
would have still remained the dependents
aud dwarts in which tie youth of life fonnd
them.
And so, gentlemen, l throw down the
gauntlet to my secret and public foes. am
prepared to admit that possess the average
lnnrmltles of man, and that as q political
leader, In morbid semirevolutionary com.
munity, in common with men of either
party assuming leadership in the recon
structed States, l may have committed
political mistakes, or sometimes done what
may have seemed exceptional or irregular
things; but no man can truthfuly saw that
have ever intentionally wronged him, or
that l have betrayed . friend or proven
false to an official trust. l have not in
herited greatness, nor had it thrust upon
me, but by fidelity to principle and patient,
and what trust has been courageous en-
deavor, have achieved an honorable sue
cess.
From this attitude there is no retreat.
Here l propose to stand. Neither the
threats OF enemies nor the intrigues and
attempted bribes of pretHnded friends shall
move me. say to my traducers that each
step in advance has COSTUME battle before
it was taken, and that ] won my present
position in honorable coRfict.
In the present junctdre / surrender no
rights, abate no demands made for myself
or my people, and in the language Of the
immortal Webster, propose to take no step
backward: According % the forms of law
elected Senator Of the United States, and
really representing majority OF the people |
OF this State, loyal to The interest of the |
whole commonwealth snd true to the trust
OF my constituents, propose for myself and |
for the State to continue to press this con.
test to q successful ioone, and no matter !
what change of tactics and consequent |
change of front may be made BY nv oppo.
nents shall be prepased to meet the issue !
and to "deliver battle" and if necessary
will fight it out in the spirit that won the |
victory. for the Union upon this line, if it |
takes the remaining fear summers Of the |
term for which was e1ected.
My people have gives me their confidence |
because they thought NE worthy, and feel |
assured of its continuance, because know
deserve it.
In closing the oonsidsration of the per-
n0I IvNh nf
the band of noble men ed by Messrs. Nor.
ton, Logan, Howe AID West, for their
manly fidelity both % you and to me
throughout this long struggle; and while
lot prepared to appreciate or admit the
consistency Of the oou1se pursued by the
dissenting Republican, Senators, led by
dessrs. Edmunds and Ferry of Connecti-
'ut, Iduly recognize the personal consider.
he Louisiana question; and simply rem.
Ter justice to the Democratic Senators who
opposed my admission, when state that
properly value the personal courtesy uni
ormly exhibited, even amidst the bitter
pposition waged by them against my
lain.
The result of the Senate's action, while
either entirely satisfactory to me or to {
ou, was as little offensive as could be ex- :
ected in view of the line of policy adopted ,
y the Democratic members and dissenting
epublicans relative to the political COM !
LEGATIONS of Louisiana and considering the :
itference among Republicans on many :
rave questions, l feel neither discouraged !
or dissatisfied with the progress have =
lade. =
One thing more is manifest and above =
uestlon, namely, that the misstatements 8
my enemies ascribing delayed settlement !
the Louisiana case to personal objections q
me IN the minds of Senators are ground a
SO and false. 1t abundantly appears from =
le debates in the Senate that the difficult =
es OF adjustment grew out of grave doubts y
ltertalned not only by the Democratic !,
1T also by some Republican Senators rels- !,
We to the legal character of the present z
ate government, and but for the faint of r
legality supposed by Senators to attach to y
Id government l should have long since n
zen admitted to my scat in the Senate.
l felt 1t due to you to say this much with | h
terence to myself as response to tho | m
!ttering interest which you have ALWAYS n,
ken in me, and of which this demonstra- q,
IN ls an exponent. But the seriousness of II
Q times admonishes me that there are f.
her duties of the hour to which should M
dress myself on an occasion 90 important r.
this; and first of all, desire to say that ~
passage of the civil rights bills by Con- h
ess, and its prompt approval by the Presi- n,
mt, sustain the title of the Republican Fl
rty as the great party of progress and II,
I'll liberty, and prove that its vigor still fa
mains and its usefulness still continues. n,
While we may justly regret that the edu- +,
tional clause Of the original bill was n,
icken out, that which is accomplished is "
Il of encouragement and hope. Much of n.
, benefits to be derived from this and ccs
Ter beneficent statutes of our country will III
pend upon the modest, discreet and manly b.