Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-10-20
President Hayes.

The following is the speech Of President j..
II. Seelye, of Amherst College, delivered at
the Hayes ratification meeting at liolSoke last
night
"Our public men are not the leaders of the
nation, but are led by current OF public oplo-
ion miphtier than they. This was true 10 the
revolution and all through the history OF the
nation. Those have been our leaders aud great
men who in the real movement ct the nation
have been willing to stand in the front rank
and be borno along. No part OF our history
has been planned by human forehought but
has come from unexpected and almost unconscl.
GUS inspiration OF the people. What has been
true 10 this particular hitherto is true still.
There is an underlying force sometimes unseen,
but always felt. which is like the power OF gray:
ity 10 public life. This force has az ebb and
flow. The administration OF Hayes has pros
porous voyage before it ii 1t moves with the
current of this force; and men, great or small,
who essay az opposite course will be submerged
or tossed aside. What are the indications of ts
tendencies2 What is the voice of the people
respecting the two points Of civil service reform
and the treatment of the South? Certain ten.
denotes 10 public opinion were already felt, and
we're to be dominant on both poets, which will
receive Hayes approval and tho gratitude OF
the nation. Nothing in public life excltes keen
er or wider reaching disgust than the way Offices
have been sought and bestowed. We have
been saddlcd with the doctrine that Offices are
war spoiIs and belonged to the Victors. Offices
have been made matter Of bargain and booty,
ADD even when filled by wise and honorable men
are too often regarded as a dignity rather than
as sacred trust. Offices have been treated as
though earned and deserved; but 10 man ever
deserved office or had claim to office. Office
is not reward, but requirement, and 10 no
sense payment for service, but demand Tor
service TO be rendered. Therefore, when office
is given from party cXigenoles, aud not from
persoual fitness, We have f.lsi6ed tho prn.
ciplcs of governmental administration. and
must expect fraud, deceit and corruption. Pres
idcnt Hayes has taken higher aud better
stand than auy administration Tor fifty years.
| His letter of acceptance aWoke hearty aud spon-
taneous APPLAUSE. This voiced the living, and
soon to be the controlling sentiment Of tue no.
ton. Had the republican managers had the
convictions and courage OF their candidate the
election would not have been matter OF doubt.
| President Hayes has kept the promise Of Can.
| ddate Hayes. Not since John Quincy Adams
has President spoken SO clearly. Let US bid
him God speed and mark the men and put a
ban on them, whatever their namo or station,
| who seek to hinder his righteous purpose. |
| believe President Hayes is right aud will have
| tho approval Of the nation in the treatment OF
| the Southern question. Ga this the republl.
can party has made prodigious mistake from
the end of the War. We carried on the war on
the ground that the Southern States werc an
integral part of the UoioD. When the war
closed We abandoned this high plane for exact
ly the opposite ground. We said these States
had committed suicide --the States whose clti-
zaos We had been fighting to prove the U0ion
indvisible If we were right 10 treating
| the Southern rebellion as rebellion then when
| the rebels we're conquered their States had az
much right to representation 10 the national
| Congress and all the privileges Of government
as ever Had this policy been then taken. we
should have escaped the blunders and crimes
which have made reconstruction painful and
perIous. We remanded these States 10 8
unasi territorial condition ADD sent them mill.
tary government.
I'VE could hardly have devised better way
to keen up hatred and hostility. Could the
horrors of tho massacres 10 Louisiana, Missis.
sippi, and South Carolina have been exceeded
in number or atrocity by any different course !?
Would different process of reconstruction have
put larger number of Confederate army Off
GERS and Chief men 10 Congress? Broad states
manship ought to have shown that 10 the Fed
eral Unou central government could not with
out the gravest peril, usurp the judicial, exeeu
tive or legislative functions Of any State. This
cardinal doctrine We have too much forgotten,
and it was high time for some one of authority
to utter it again, as President Hayes has done.
Ho has done nothing more than to reafirm the
equal rights of all States Flo has put himself
10 the line of our historical progress, and cannot
fail unless history is meaningless and our insti
otifnfions deluaian ~