Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-07
TIRE FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS
EXTRA SESSION.
sen ATE
SPEECH or PATTERSON IN ATTENUATION OF
MS COURSE

slEEth VI IL VI
HIS COURSE.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30. - Mr.. Patterson
said In maintaining the title of Butler to
a seat, but recognize the logic of political
events. Those events were not the result
of any act of mine. The triumph OF the
democratic party in South Carolina, at the
last general election, was the triumph
OF might over right, When it became
known that the President contemplated
the removal of the troops from the
State house. q thrill of horror went
through the hearts of the republicans of
South Carolina. and they crowded the ma
tional capital to make solemn protest and
earnest appeals against an act which
they were bound to hold as iOulest
treachery, and the most undeseryed and
untimely wrong OF which the history
OF political parties furnishes any record.
Rude and ignorant and uniettered as the
great mass Of South Carolina republicans
may be. they were yet loyal and true to the
grea. principles of the republican party and
IN war and in peace they gathered around
the flag of the union with all the devotion
with which a devout Christian clings to the
cross OF his Redeemer. In spite OF their re-
monstrances the President, who had secured
his election, through their votes recognized
the democratic state government and turned
them over to the tender mercies OF their
embittered enemies Had the electoral vote
OF South Carolina been cast against the re-
publican nominees democratic President
would now occupy the white house and
democrat would now be presiding over this
body The republican board of state can
vassers guarded the integrity of that cleo
toral vote with fidelity which neither
threats of personal violence nor the
mandate OF judicial authority could
Swerve from the path OF duty.
There was no hint SiSen then that upon
the accession OF HAYES to the Presidency he
would remove the troops whose presence
alone enabled these officers to exercise the
functions of the officers to which they have
been fairly elected. Verify NAV the republic
cans OF South CarOlina and of the entire
South exelaim-"l have been wounded in
the house of my friends" The arm that
struck the fatal blow was nOurished by
their devoted and unsuspeeting service.
The republicans of that state owe to-day
t. the c!emeucy .! the yIctOrS whatever OF
protection remains to them and not to the
administration which they believed in,
toiled for and inaugurated. They would
have suffered silently and borne the ills
that rtpubicauism il heir to in that re-
ZION Obu4u tut buh hlNNbhOl tANCn III
the South that era OF good feeling, disin-
tegTation OF their opponents. or even
uprising of the old live whig
element confidently prophesied and
i1udiy anticipated. While the Presi-
dent wa. known TO he mtdItatiug tins act
which q" let slip dogs of the war upon the
republicans OF the South some of the repub
lean senators who now assail me with
harsh criticism because | vote according to
the dictates OF my Judgment and my cons
cieIce upon question which Is in no pro-
per sense party question, were either cOldly
neutral or were actively giving aid and
comfort to the Hampton government. |
repudlate and disOwn the authority OF such |
a. these t. pass Judgment upon my fidelity. |
Remember the trem. nIuus political crisis OF
last March, when the fate, not only Of ;he |
republican party but OF tins great nation, |
seemed to hang IN trembling balance. |
There were whispers of holy ami unh0ly /
alliances then, and it was spoken |
in tones louder than whispers that the |
distinguished senator from New York, now 1
the republican Achilles of the Senate, |
would either JOIN the war against his .
republican compeerS or retire IN moody |
wrath to his tent, bearing no part in the /
battle that WIS big with the fate OF his
party yet nay VOICE dbl not swell tho
current of false SurmiSc that imputed
medtated pcrhiy to the honorable Senator
from New York. cannot refrain from
noticing the terOclOus attack upon mt by
the Senator from Vermont. who read upon
the l1Or last Monday lihsilOu- article
against me. written by some unknown
person. That article, false. scandalOus and
was retalled to the country by
,hc Honorable Senate: who virtually gave
to 1t the right and sanction of MS high au-
thorIty by making 1t the declared ground of
u resolution submitted to the Senate 10 in
ve~tignte the conduct winch it most falsely
imputed to me, and had from my place
IN the Senate most sOlemnly denied ma
JOrlty OF the Senate by their vote upon
the motion pf the Senator from Vermont
dcJilcd that the honor OF the Senate did
not require that they should give their
sanction II the proceeding in which the
Honorable Senator converted himself into
a mere huekster OF anonymous libels In re
gard tn the indictment against me. | desire
to say am ready to meet 1t before any i'm
partial Jury OF my countrymcn, but tho
tribunal IN which that lndlctmnnt was
found has already iore7talled the Judgment
OF lury and denied the accused the priv
ilcge of an impartial hearing. Two days
previous 10 finding the Indictment, the pre-
siding Judge, addressing the grand jury as
t. all persons charged with Offences IN sew
eral bills OF which persons were known as
TcpHhllclns sand. ''the party to which the
accused belonged was the creature OF mill
tary cone ue-t. they wTest,t from the
other party their rIghitul heritage to gov
ern South Carolina Juries are too apt