Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-03-17

of the people, has given to the country.
A word or two, Mr.. Speaker, in re-
ference to the electoral bill before
close my remarks. | voted for that
bill because it promised the only
chance for the Inauguration of Samuel
j. Tllden and the triumph of the right
| knew, the whole country knew that
he had been fairly and Constitutional
ly elected But in the opinion of
every Democrat, both North and
South, in the Senate and the House,
with the exception of one in the for
mer and eighteen in the latter branch
of Congress, he stood no chance to be
inaugurated. | have a right to so as
sumo, because no Democrat would
have voted for the bill if Mr.. Tilden
could have secured his Constitutional
rights without it; and if the one Dem
Ocrat IN the Senate and the eighteen
IN the House who voted against the
bill ever suggested any feasible method
by which, in the face of existing facts
and surrounding circumstances, Mr..
Tilden could have been inauguarated,
| never heard it.
So far as reaching the Presidential
chair was concerned, Mr.. Tilden was
dead and buried before this electoral
bill was brought forward; it was the
trumpet sounded above the grave in
the hope Of a resurrection. As to how
he lost his chances, by what process
one fairly elected by the votes of the
people was sent to the rear and a usur-
per brought to the front, L have an
opinion, but care not tOexpress it here
and now. [ was fully aware when [
voted for this bill how largely its pop
ularity might depend on its success in
/ seating Mr.. Tilden but conscientious
| ly surveying the whole ground with
/ the lights before me and believing it TO
/ be best, and, in fact, the only thing
/ that could then be done to subserve
the interestof my constituents and the
country, | gave the measure my sup
port, ignoring the important consider
alton of its effect upon my political
I fortunes. | was neither deceived, be-
trayed, nor entrapped by any one in
voting for this bill. | understood its
provisions, exercised my best judgment
in the premises, and propose to dodge
no responsibility which legitimately
belongs to my action. IF | erred,
erred with an overwhelming majority
of the Democratic Representatives
North and South, in both Houses Of
/ Congress; | erred with the Democratic
press Of the country which, with a
unanimity akin to that which signal
lied its passage by Congress, sustained
the measure.
In common with large majority OF
the American people, | was disap-
pointed and shocked at the course OF
the majority of the commission. How
could any human being with faith even
as a mustard-seed in the honor Of his
race suppose that men who wore the
robes of Supreme judges could get
their own consent to go down to his
tory with the damnation Of such de-
cisions as they made clInging like an
endless curse to their names? When
the partisan shout now sent up by men
eager to gather the fruits Of the fraud
established by their rulings shall have
died away; when the passions which
now infiame the hearts and becloud
the judgment of men shall have sub
sided, and the acts Of those eight
members of the high joint commission
shall be read in the clear, unwavering
light of history, the verdict of poster
ity upon their conduct will be fal
more terrible than even the whitening
curse which now leaps burning from
the heart of an outraged and injured
peODle.