The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-26
HEWITT'S FAMOUS SPEECH.
KAssoN's CHARGES AGAINST
GOV. rILDEN ANSWERED
By ABRAM 9. HEWITT.
Full Report of the New York Repre-.
sentative's Vigorous Repulse of
Dastardly Assault.


from Iowa delivered this evening was a |
painful surprise and a melancholy ex |
perience. Ii had not heard it, / could |
not have believed that gentleman Of his |
intellectual endowments could 50 far
abdicate bis own self respect and forfeit
the good opinion of his fellow-members 10
this House as to have INDUCED in the
partisan and, am sorry to add, the mali
cious statements which he has made in re.
gard to Governor Tilden. | confess that
do not intend to make any elaborate re
ply to what he has said in this House.
approach the subject as would take hold
OF Shiny snake, with desire to get rid
OF it at the earliest possible moment. But
charges we're made against one whom |
have known for so many years aud with
such intimacy that it seems to me have
no other course to take than to brand the
charges as utterly false before this House
and before the country.
Mr.. Page-Which charges does the
gentleman from New York mean2
Mr.. Hewitt will state the charges; |
was going to state them, The first charge
was that Governor Tilden had been a
secessionist, and there were quoted as au-
thority for that assertion statements and
passages from an open letter to the late
Judge Kent, dated in 1860. The gentle
man from lows possesses only extracts
from that letter. lie was good enough to
allow me TO look at those extracts.
Mr.. Eames-I rise to point of order.
If there is anything properly before the
House at this time, we ought not as Rep
resentatives of the American people TO con,
slider it with closed doors.
The Speaker pro tempore-The doors
have been ordered to be opened.
Mr.. Clymer-And everybody is asleep
and nobody wants TO come 10 here.
Mr.. Eames-Some of us want to go out.
Mr. Hewitt-Now, have only to say in
regard to that letter that neither the gen.
tleman from Iowa nor any other person
can understand the true purport and bear
ing Of it without having the entire letter
before him and without having some
reference to the circumstances under
which it was written. 1t is not saying too
much that since 1860 great many people
in this country have had their theories OF
government changed ana their ideas OF
political duties enlarged. 1t is possible
that in 1860, before the late strife, Gov
ernor Tilden may have entertained views
in common with Jefferson, Madison and
Jackson. and other great men who have
given construction to the Constitution and
Government of this country, which now
would be modified But all that can see
in the extract which he read relates rather
to that era of the Government when the
States we're bound together not by the
Constitution, but by the Articles of Con-
federation. The next charge that the
gentleman made against Governor Tilden
was in exactly these words That he
was dsunionist When the question
was pressed home to him he travelled
around the point a little, but still the
charge remained that he was a disunion.
list, do not know upon what he based
that charge. can only say that at the
outbreak of the rebellion was in daily
and almost hourly communication with
him, and l know that no more loyal oil
patriotic heart beat in the United State;
at that date; and when the gentleman
from Iowa challenges his friends 10 say
when and where he ever made any con
tribution to the Union cause or eyei
assisted soldier to the war, l answer hin
by saying that when the first call To-
troops came, Tammany Hall, which hat
not then fallen into the hands of the ring
raised q regiment, and the Grand Sacheu
Of Tammany Hall, William ID. Kennedy
was Colonel OF the regiment. 1t Wa
ofhcered mostly by members OF the Tan
many Society, and being myself membe
and from the state of my health unable t.
go to the war, although l rendered othe
services, l sent my nephew as one Of tn
officers Of that regiment
Mr.. Lapham-Will the gentleman ALLOW
me to ask him question?
Mr.. Hewitt-Yes, sir.
MIR. Lapham-Does not the gentleman
know that the call for the meet
ing at Cooper Institute immedlatel
after the fall Of Fort Sumter was pre-
scented to Mr.. Tilden for him to sign an,
he refused to sign it and refused to atten
the meeting?
Mr.. Hewitt will answer that questiO
that it is not true that he refused to sig
the call, and that it is true that he di
attend the neutrality-suspicious. land
defy the gentleman to bring any authorit
for the charge he has insinuated.
Mr.. Lapham-It is fact as well know
in the State Of New York as any othe
facts IN its history.
Mr.. Hewitt-It is not so. Mr.. Samut
Sloan, the president of the Delaware an
Lackawanna Railroad Company, then
member of the Union Safety Committee
New York, applied to Mr.. Tilden, at
time when he was engaged in the trial {
case before referee, to afhx his nam
to the call, and he said, II am very bus
just now: send me the resolutions after
am out Of this case, and if they are entirel
proper | will sign the call. When ii
meeting took place he attended it. Til
call was never sent to him, and he nevt
refused to sigu it, but like the prudent al
sagaclous man which he is, he desired
know the nature Of the resolutions. The
did receive his absolute and unqualiGe
approval Now say that Tammany Ha
raised "A regiment, and that Governor Ii
den was a contributor, and large col
tributor, to the fund required to fit out Il
regiment.
Mr.. ConRer-IIow much?
MIR. Hewitt am not going to quot
dollars and cents. Patriotism is abOl
dollars aud cents in some quarters. bu
enough was raised by the Democrats
the city to fit out regiment without asl
ing assistance from the government of Il
United States or from the city OF Ne
York (Applause.l Now, so much for Il
charge OF his being u disunionist.
Mr.. Conger-Will the gentleman allo
me TO ask him one question:
Mr.. Howitt-UertainIy. AIN here
answer questions.
Mr.. COnRer-It is denied in the publ
press that Mr. Tiiden ever contributed u
cent for any such purpose. Laughter ,
the Democratic side of the House. and
voice In the National Rpubticans")
Mr.. Hewitt-Now, what is the question
Mr.. Conger-lf the amiabe gentlemt
opposite will permit me / will ask it.
say It is denied in the public press tn