The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-22
BUTLER's SPEECH.
He Charges Hayes with Having Inter-
fered I'm the senatorial Contest.

The correspondent of the Charleston Ne,os
gives the following report of the speech made
bygssnat or M. G. Butler in response to the
serenade from members of the State Legisla-
ture and others, in Columbia, on Wednesday
evening, December IL:
NY Fellow Citizens-I thank you most cor
daily and sincerely for this manifestation Of
your Kindness. Twelve months ago to-day
body calling itself a Legislature. sitting in
your State-House under the shadow and pro-
ection of Federal bayonets, pretended to
slect as representative from South Carolina
n the United States Senate one D. L. Corbin.
Seven days afterward on the 10th of Decem-
Der, the Legislature which now occupies that
5tate-House, under the protecting Rgis of the
avs and the constitution Of this country, did
ne the honor to elect me to the Senate of the
United States. From that day to this, from
hat day until the I'd of December, 1877, con-
est has been waged, which, for its bitterness
and malignity, its falsehoods upon myself and
,he good people OF South Carolina has never
oeen equalled in the annals of our history.
But on that morning of December 1t culmi-
the United States, instead of d. T. Corbin.
My friends, very grave misrepresentation
1as prevailed in the minds of some of the peo-
pie Of this State as to the nature of that con-
best. 1t has been supposed by some that the
question was whether / should be sworn in.
zion by the Legislature; but | say to you that
that was not the contest. II it had been I
should not have quietly submitted to the tor
rent OF abuse, such as no man ever submitted
to before. should have returned to the
bosom OF my family, and, friends, IL that had
been the issue, have allowed your representa-
tives, the representatives OF the people of
South Carolina, to have decided in their dis
cretion and wisdom whether or not / should
be returned as your Senator. No, my friends,
4 yxhnt hnr CHI hn 4,l
or Corbin. Some say that this was impossi-
BILE. That there was no law to seat him be-
cause he has no constituency and no law.
But, my friends and fellow-citizens, does q
desperate Radical majority, dwindling day
by day out OF existence, stop to consider ques-
tions Of law or right? Was there any law for
the admission OF Kellogg from Louisiana Z
1t was fiagrant outrage on that gallant sis
ter State OF ours. There was no law for that,
and none to seat Corbin; but I tell you
Senate had determined to seat Corbin
and now say with regret and reluctance that
the man. whom think am not stigmatizing
too severely when say that he procured his
present position through fraudulent methods,
threw the entire weight of his administra,,
tion, backed by his friends to perpetrate this
outrage on South Carolina, and seat this m IN
Corbin, of whom 1t has been said that he has
drawn more tears and pangs from the people
vi OOutu SdLOllud tIdu tll OtIeIS DuL To-
gether-seat him and perpetrate this outrage
on South Carolina. And yet the President of
the United States, personally and through his
friends, attempted to do it. say that make
this remark with some regret, because, in all
that he was doing, or assuming to do, to help
the South and the country, / felt bond to
sustain him, although his position was pro-
cured by questionable means, and | was quite
willing that he should atone for the crimes OF
his party by virtuous and constitutional
administration of the laws. But when the
supreme moment came and it's issue was
made squarely and sharply between the enc
mics OF constitutional liberty in South Caro-
lima and its friends, he threw his weight In
favor OF the enemies of his country.
And now, my friends. have been placed in
position OF comparative novelty. | have
been thrown into All arena to which am not
accustomed. 1t is one of dignity and gravity
and of the greatest responsibility; and meet
this responsibility with the gravest appre.
tensions that l shall not come up to the ful
measure OF your expectations, or prove eoua
to the requirements of my position | ear
only promise that, in the discharge of my
duties, 1 shall be actuated by but one single
principle, and that is to always keep stead
lastly before me the honor and the welfare
and the interests OF our grand old common
wealth. have sat in the Senate of the Unitac
States hour after hour, day after day. nigh1
after night, and submitted to insult, con
tumely, abuse misrepresentation, falsehooC
and malignity. have submitted to it, my