Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-10-04

! y
Is Tho offences which you are now en-,
s gagged in committing upon the public
}. treasury are the natural sequence OF
|. your crimes against popular liberty.
d Universal expcrienceproves that power
@ usurped will always be dishonesty
) used Seeing that the Abolitlonists
|. were led by men whom no oath could
/ hold to the Constitution, and whom
J. no pledge could bind to an observance
of It's principles we had no right to ex-
!. pect decent regard for justice in their
! administration Of the national finances
0 | do not mean that the masses of your
. party were, or are now, destitute of
. common integrity. But that was over
, ruled by the political doctrines of their
leaders. Having once set aside the
J established law Of the land they had
no standard by which they could meas
ure the moral conduct Of Themselves Oh
others, and they became incapable of
, seeing the difference between right and
wrong in public affairs. The 6hlgher
, law" threw the reins loose on the
neck Of all evil passions. IL not only
abrogated the Constitution but the
deoalogue as we'll and the eighth COM
mandment was nullified with the rest
You have consequently made ours
the corruptest Government on this side
of Constantinople. Perhaps you will
say this is mere general assertion.
But am ready TO maintain the truth
of il against ali opposers. You NAV
take the rottcnest monarchy in Europe.
20 over its history for hundred wears,
and produce the worst act Won can find
of fraudulent spoilation upon its people:
and il do not show something worse
committed here under the auspices of
the marty now in mower | will rive mn
the case
am speaking of the government
OF the officials Who rule us for their
pleasure. and plunder us for their per-
sonal profit-and IL ia no answer TO
quote Mr.. Lords speech before the
Senate on the trial of Belknap. His
euology was on the virtue and intelli.
gence Of tho people, and be argued from
that the duty Of their servants TO be-
have with integrity. He certainly did
not mean 10 whitewasb the admins.
tration. II he had meant to do 90 be
could not have succeeded. for there was
not wash enough in his bucket TO 90
over the twenty.tbousandtb part of
the lob.
While Won were hunting for certif.
Gates Of character among The sneecbes
of the impeachment managers. why
did Won overlook that of Mr. Hoar?
He said in effect (for | cite him from
memory that the one production in
which our country excels all Others in
the world il the corruption of its GOV.
ernment. There was the testimony
of a candid witness belonging TO YOUR
own party. who knew whereof he
affirmed and smoke directly TO the
point.
But il is useless to cite the evidence
of individuals upon great public facts
that are felt and seen and known of
all men. Nothing ever was more no.
torous than the general disregard of
all sound principle by this administra.
ton. No people on earth are now
suffering so much from extravagant
taxation, and nowhere docs so small
portion of the taxes go to the legiti-
mate public purposes, or SO much to
the rulers themselves and the RINGS
they choose to favor. Industry is
crushed as it never was before. Labor
no longer works for itself since all and
more than all of its surplus profits are
exacted and consumed by the hangers
on ofthc Government. Now altboupb
VIC call ourselves freedmen. we are to
all intents and purposes slaves. so long
as Won continue 10 make ma hand over
to YOU the earnings of our labor for
the essence of slavery consist in com.
pelline one man. or class of men. TO
work for another without equivalent
We are determined to relieve ourselves
from this intolcrable bondage as far as
we can legally and peaceably. and II
Won do not helm ms Won mnst nj least
cease to mock rs by pretending 10 be
an anti-slayery man npon the princi.
pie.
You tell us that that the Republican
party awill punish its own rascals.u
The newspaper report of your speech
SAYS that this was greeted with laugh.
ter from the Republican side of the
House. Certainly it sounds like the
broadest of Jokes. If you meant il in
earnest, please to say what you found