The Van Buren press., 1876-04-18
The Prophecy and its Fu,fillment.

The Prophecy and its FuIfllment.
Senator Hammond, of South Carolins
closed speech in the Senate of the Uni.
ted States, March 4, 1858. with these
words:
"You complain Of the rule Of the
South; that has been another cause that
preserved you. We have kept the Gov.
ernment conservative to the great purpo.
ses of the constitution. We have placed
it, aud kept it, upon the constitution
and that has been the cause of your
peace and prosperity. The Senator from
New York says that is about to be at the
end; that you intend to take the govern.
ment from us that 1t will pass from oul
hands into yours. Perhaps what he says
is true; it may be, but do not forget-it
never can be forgotten-it is written or
the brightest page Of human history
that we the Shareholders of the South
took our country in her infancy, and, af
ter ruling her for sixty out Of the seven,
ty years Of her existence, we surrender.
ed her to you without stain upon hel
honor, boundless in prosperity, incalcu
liable in her strength, the wonde" and the
admiration of the world Time will
show what You will make of her, hut nc
time can diminish our glory or your re-
sponsibility."
And now, what has time shown? Lee
the New York Tribune answer:
Republicans cannot afford to under
rate the significance of this event. Some
individual in any administration may
yield to temptation, but public opinion
has been making that excuse very long
and patiently for this administration
When it was known that somebody abou,
the White House held scandalous rela
ton with Corbin, that was passed as an
exception. Somebody disgraccd the
party in the Leet and Stocking affair in
the selection of Case and Murphy, in the
sale of arms to the French, in the Santo
Domingo affair, in the transaction OF
Boutwell,, Richardson and Akerman in
the Secor business, and in the Chorpen-
ing claim; but these patient public call.
ed exceptions. Attorney General Will
Jams rode in laudalet but that was an
exception. Secretary Robeson was accu.
sed, but men thought that partisan ha.
tired might have prompted the accusation
and that if he was guilty that was an ex-
ccption. The District of Columbia was
outrageously robbed, but when Shepherd
was appointed commissioner and Safe
Burglary Harrington met the President as
a welcome guest, men called these excep.
tons. Minister Schenck drags the flag
Of the United States through the cutters
of London, in order to escape from n
British court, but that was an exception.
Mcdonald went to Jail, a deceased, but
most trusted friend of tue President, was
named as party in plundering eonspi
racy, and the President S private secreta
nv was indicted. and was saved from the
penitentiary only by the evidence of the
President, aud most extraordinary or
der from the Attorney General, prevent
ing evidence for the government ;but these
it was charitahly said were exceptions.
Then the private secretary, thus acquit
ted. visits the convict Mcdonald in his
cell, and returns to the Senate of the
United States q message from the Pres
ident.' and even while these words. from
lips so long silent in the prisoners dock,
were yet echoing through the Senate
chamber. and Senators were crowding TO
congratulate him upon his escape from
State prison, in another room of the
Capitol, a witness was presenting, under
oath, and with unanswerable documenta-
ry evidence, the proof that the Secretary
of War had for years been selling offices
in his department"