The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-15
TILDEN AND HENDRICKS.

uttered some very excellent sentiments
and advanced some very wise PROPOSE
tions. They forgot or ignored, how
ever, truth which il the bedrock Of
all their eloquently advanced theories
and which Macaulay has embodied
In this terse and vigorous sentiment
" Laws exist In vain for those who have
not the courage to defend them. :
Evils In government" said Gov. Til
den. sgrow by success and impunity
They do not arrest their own progress
they can never be limited except by
eternal forces. III tho men In possession
Of the government can in one instance
maintain themselves In power against
an adverse decision Of the elections,
such an example will be initiated.
Following in the same line. Gov.
Hendricks said:
The PEOPLE cannot allow the selection of their
chief mag istrate To become thing OF chance on
SHARP practice The fraud first triumphant IN
American history must be assigned to It's proper
place among the crimes against popular govern
ment, and made go Odious that no party VIII care
10 attempt iis repetition. He who ia elected
President must be inauBui ated.
We have heard no higher or nobler
expressions than these; yet how craven
and contemplate has been the action OF
the men who gave them utterance
These expressions Of Tilden and Hen
bricks are denunciation and con-
domination of themselves. Ii Gov.
TiIden really believes that "evils In
government grow by success and i'm
punity, and that wrong will grow into
% practice IL condoned," and II Gov.
Hendricks was sincere In the remarks
we have quoted from his speech, why
was 1t that, when the Republican con-
spirators were openly moving to over
throw the most important national
election ever held In the country, no pro-
test, no counsel Of resistance was heard
from either one of themP
The utteranoes OF both these emf
nent gentlemen at the Manhattan Club
are In irreeoneilable antagonism to the
policy pursued by both Of them when
the Republic was In danger, and daring
and desperate politicians. demagogues
and statesmen were plotting the over
throw of the constitution and the con-
tinuation, In spite of the expressed will
OF the people, OF the oligarchy of COR
ruption and military supremacy. Then.
they ventured not to open their lips
even In denunoiation. The people waited
for and expected them to take active
and vigorous steps to maintain their
own rights, the rights OF the people,
and the supremacy Of the constitution.
The West was ready to take up arms.
the South waited but for the first North
ern banner to be raised, or the first
Northern shot to be fred, to marshal
her followers in defense OF the oonstitu-
ton under the leadership of Tilden.
The first bold and resolute movement
on the part of Tilden and his followers
would have dismayed the conspirators
and thwarted their revolutionary and
scandalous proceedings. But that
movement was never made. Tilden in
the East and Hendricks In the West,
with their lily-livered lieutenants In
Washington not only would not
act, but repressed every movement
on the part of the people. Mr..
Tilden did not then say aloud "if
the men in possession OF the govern
ment can in one instance maintain
themselves in power against an adverse
decision Of the elections, such an exam
pie will be initiated" He did not then
say to his eager followers, "the institu-
tions Of our fathers are not to expire In
shame; the sovereignty of the people
shall be rescued from this peril" Nor did
Gov. Hendricks then thunder forth from
O Western rostrum the grand words he
fired off In the Manhattan Club. Nay,
had these two men spoken then as they
spoke In the New York Club house,
their words had gone forth like trum-
pet blast or battle call. But their
language was very different. Then
they were for peace at any price.
They or their spokesman could conjure
up in their imaginations no horror so
terrible as civil war. and the fear OF that.
like nightmare, benumbed and par
alyzed their manhood.
1t is disgraceful, indeed, that any
man should occupy the seat OF Wash
ington ana Jefferson through fraud !;
but, unhappily, that Is only half
our Disgrace: 1t Is equally as
shameful that leaders honored by the
people and entrusted by them with the
maintenance OF the constitution and
the laws, had not the courage and the
manhood to defend their holy charge
against band Of political demagogues
and desperadoes.
The liberties Of people are based
upon the principle of resistance. When
that principle is discarded by a
people and they learn to prefer
peace to a war in defense Of their
institutions, there is an end Of con-
stitutional freedom. Governors Tilden
and Hendricks appear to understand
~ hoCo