The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-05-17
Address TO the People Of the
United States, from the New
York Political Conference. =

bLulHSa
The President announced that the
Committee on Address appointed yester
day was ready 10 report, and Immediate
ly Carl Schurz arose and read the follow
ing address:
TO The American People:
FELLow CIrrzESs:-A conference ol
citizens assembled In New York, sincere.
ly desiring to serve the best interests o.
the American People, beg leave to submit
to your candid consideration the follow
ing appeal:
A national election is approaching un'
der circumstances OF peculiar signiti
cance. Never before in our history has
the public mind been so profoundly agi'
tated by apprehensions Of the dangers
arising from The prevalence OF corrupt ten.
denotes and practices in our political life,
and never has there been greater reason
for it. We will not display here In de-
tail the distressing catalogue Of disclos-
ures, which for several years have fol.
lowed one another in rapid succession and
which seem to have left scarcely a
single sphere Of our political life
untouched, The records Of the courts,
Of the State Legislatures, and Of the Ma
tional Congress speak with terrible plain
ness, and still they are adding to the
scandalous exhibition. While such a
state Of things would under any circum.
stances appear most: deplorable, il is pc
culiarly 80 at the present time. We are
about 10 celebrate the one hundredth
Of our national existence. We
have invited the nations Of the earth on
this great anniversary to visit our land
and TO witness the evidences Of our mate
rial progress, as well as the workings and
effects Of that Republican government
which century ago our fathers founded.
Memories Of our past history arc rising
up before us in the new glow Of lie,
forcing upon us comparison OF what
this republic was once, what IL was
intended to be, and what II now is, and
upon this we have challenged the judge
ment Of civilized mankind conjolntly
with our own. There is mnch of which
every American citizen has just reason to
an energy and thrift, power
Of thought and action, progressive
spirit, which in magnifcence of result,
have outstripped all precedent and anti
cipation, a history abounding in illus
trations Of heroic patriotism, fortitude
and wisdom, greater freedom from for
eign wars and revolutionary changes Of
government than most other nations can
boast OF. The republic, but a century
old and Just issued from the
only great civil conflict it has
had to deplore, ia so strong in re-
sources and organization that it stands in
the foremost ranks Of the great powers Of
the earth, and yet, with these splendid
results on record, it cannot be denied that
at no period durings the century behind
us the American people have been less sat.
istied with themselves. The centennial
OF the Declaration OF Inde-
pendence in most respects is to all Amer
leans day OF sincerest pride and rejoic.
ing, but is felt to be'in other respects not
without seli.reproach and humiliation,
and Of this tue corruption revealed in our
political life ls the cause. To the honor
Of the American people be il said that
every patriotic citizen feels the burning
shame Of the spectacle presented in this
Centennial year, when the mementoes aud
OF the virtues OF the past and
the evidences OF the decentralization and
corruption Of the present-the glowing
eulogies pronounced on the wirdOm aud
purity ot.,he fathers, and the verdicts OF
the courts and the records Of the legisla-
tive bodies, are in mocking contrast illus
trating the political morals OF the day;
and this before all mankind, sOlemnly
as witnesses to the exhibit-as
guests to the feast. Never was there a
cause for keener modification, and keen
ly does it strike every patriotic heart,
How can we arrest such danger, and
wipe of such shame? By proving that
the government machinery has
become corrupt, the great body Of the
people are sound and strong at
The core, and that they are honestly
to reform the abuses OF our
political life, and to overthrow at any
cost the agencies OF evil that stand in the
way. Only such :an effort well directed
and sternly persevered in until success is
assured will save the good name OF the
nation, prevent the prevailing disease
from becoming fatal, and restore to its
old strength the faith OF our own people
in their institutions. AT the impending
National election various questions Of
great importance will be submitted to
our judgment. The settlement Of the
civil war ns constitntionally fixed must
be conscientiously maintained, and at the
same time, the Government strengthened
in general confidence by the strict
observance OF constitutional principles,
and the old brotherhood Of the people
revived by policy OF mutual Justice and
Our solemn and often.
repeated pledge faithfully to discharge
all national obligations must be fulfilled,
not only by the payment Of the principal
and interest of our bonded debt when
due, but also by the removal not later
than the time provided by the existing
law, Of the curse Of our redundant, irre-
paper currency, which not only
impedes the return Of true prosperity,
but has also largely contributed TO the
existing Generalization.
These are grave questions aud there are
more that we might touch, were it our
purpose to lay down the complete pol
itical platform. But grave as they are,
still in our present situation, we must, us
American citizens, recognize it as our
most pressing duty 10 re.cstablish the
moral character OF our party, and 70 ele-
vate the tone Of our political life. Honest
government is tho frat condition OF en-
during national prosperity, power and
Without the elementary virtues
Of political, as well us social life, they will
ouHtrip our progress. Discussions, and
struggles about other great questions, and
will appear like mock.
Dry and a. farce II We permit our public
concerns todrift into that ruinouE anarchy
which corruption must necessarily bring
In its train, because 1t destroys the contid-
ence Of the people in their self government,
the greatest calamity that can befalt a re.
public, 1t is a simple question Of lie or
death. A corrupt monarchy may last by
the rule OF force, corrupt republic
cannot endure. II il useless to console
ourselves with the ideh that the corrup.
lion among us must 6e a, a,cribed solely to
the immediate effects Of the civil war,
and will without an effort at reform soon
pas away. There is another cause which
L not tranaitory, but threatens TO become
Ills that system which has