The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-11-02
Mr.. TiIden's Speech.

Hon. Samuel ]. Tilden was serenaded on
Saturday night last, at his residence, Gram
ercy Park, New York, and made long and
spirited address, in which he pointed out the
increasing power assumed by the Federal
government, and the danger to our system of
government to which il would lead. Mr..
Tilden denounced the fraud by which lie was
prevented from taking his lawful seat as
President, not as affecting his personal inter-
ests, but as statbing the very foundations of
free government. The whole speech was ad-
mirable in temper and tone, and shows that
the great Democratic leaders eye is not dim,
nor his natural force abated. We subjoin
an extract from his speech;
In the canvass of 1876 the Federal Government
embarked in the contest with INSCRIPTIONS ac-
tivty. A member of the Cabinet was the head
of partisan committee. Agents stood at the
doors OF the pay offices to exact contributions
from official subordinates. The whole office
holding class were made to exhaust their power.
Even the army, for the first time to the disgust
of the soldiers and many of the officers, was
moved about the country as an electioneering
instrument. All this was done under the eye of
the beneficiary of it, who was making the air
vocal with professions of civil service reform,
to be begun after he had himself exhausted ali
the immoral advantages of civil service abuses.
Public opinion in some States was overborne by
corrupt influences and by fraud. But so strong
was the desire for reform that the Democratic
candidates received 4,300,0 900 SURFACES. This
was majority of the popular vote of about
300, 900, and of $50, 900 of the white citizens
1t was vote 100000 larger than General Grant
received in 1872 and 300 900 larger than he re-
ceived in 1868. For all that, the rightfully
elected candidates of the Democratic party were
counted out and a great fraud trumphed which
the American people have not condoned and
will never condone. Prolonged applause and
cheers.
Yes, the crime will never be condoned and 1t
never should be. do not denounce the fraud
as affecting my personal interests, but because
1t stabbed the very foundations of free govern
mcnt. Loud cheers l swear, in the presence
OF you all, and call upon you to bear witness
to the oath, to watch, during the remainder of
my life, over the rights of the citizens of our
country with jealous care Such usurpation
must never occur again, and l call upon you to
unite with me In the defence of our sacred and
precious inheritance. The government of the
people must not be suffered to become only an
empty name. Loud applause The step from
an extreme degree of corrupt abuses in the cleo
tions to subversion of the elective system itself
is natural. No sooner was the election over
than the whole power of the officeholding class,
| led by Cabinet Minister, was exerted 10 pro-
| cure and did procure from the State canyassers
of two States illegal and fraudulent certificates,
which were made preteXt for a false count of
the electoral votes To enable these officers to
exercise the immoral courage necessary to tie
parts assigned to them, and to relieve them from
| the timidity which God has implanted in the
human bosom a limit to criminal audacity,
detachments OF the army were sent to afford them
| shelter. The eXpedients by which the votes of
the electors chosen by the people of these two
| States were rejected, and the votes of the cleo
tors having the illegal and fraudulent certihca es
were counted, and the menace of usurpation by
the President of the Senate Of dictatorial DOW er
over all the questions in controversy, and the
menace of the enforcement of his pretended
authority by the army and navy, the terrorism
| of the business classes and the kindred measures
! by which the false count was consummated are
known. The result is the establishment of a
precedent destructive of our whole elective
system. Applause. The temptation to those
in possession of the government TO perpetuate
their own power BY similar methods will ALWAYS
exist, and if the example shall be sanctioned by
success the succession of government in this
| country will come to be determined by fraud or
| force, as it has been in almost every other coun-
| try; and the experience will be reproduced here
which has led TO the general adoption of the
! hereditary system in order to avoid confusion
and civil war.
The magnitude of political crime must be
measured by its natural and necessary conse-
quences. Our great republic has been the only
example in the world of regular and orderly
transfer of governmental succession by the elect
| i've system. To destroy the habit of tradition
airy respect for the will of the people, as decar.
ed through the electoral forms, and to exhibit
our institutions as failure, is the greatest DOS
sible wrong to our own country. 1t is also a
heavy blow to the hopes of patriots struggling
to establish selfgovernment in other countries.
1t is greater crime against mankind than the
usurpaton of December2 2, 1851, depicted by the
| illustrious pen of Victor Hugo. The American
people will not condone it under any pretext or
for any purpose. [Checrs. Young men in
the order of nature We who have guarded the
sacred traditions of our free government will
soon leave that work to YOU Within The life of
most who hear me our republic will embrace n
hundred millions of people. Whether its insti-
| buttons shall be preserved in substance and in
! spirit as well as in barren FORMS and will con
time to be blessing to the toing millions here
and good example to mankind, now every.
where seeking a larger share in the management
of their own affairs, will depend on you. Will
you accomplish that duty and mark these
wrong-doers of 1876 with the Indignation of a
betrayed, wronged and sacrificed people? "A
| voice-"You bet we will" Laughtert have
no personal feeling, but thinking Low surely
that example will be followed if condoned, can
do no better than TO stand among you and dc
| battle for the maintenance of free government
| avail myself of the occasion to thank you, and
to thank all in our State and country who have
| accorded to me their support, not personal ia
myself but for the cause have represented, and
which has embraced the largest and hottest in.
terests of humanity. Continued applause