The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-06-27
SPEECH BY GOV. TILDEN.
The Departure of Gov. Hen
bricks for EurOpe-Mr. Tilden
on the late Presidential
Election.

New YORK, June 12.-Governor
Tilden made brief speech at the
reception at the Manhsttan club to-
night. After abiding to the de-
parture of Governor Hendricks to-
morrow with the best wishes ioF q
prosperous voyage and safe returns
he said:
e EVERY body knows that after the
recent election the men who were
elected by the people President and
Vice President of the United States
were counted out and men Who
were not elected were counted in
and seated / diselaim any thought
of the personal wrong lnVolvad IL
this TRANSACTION Not by any act or
word of mine shall that be dwarfed
or degraded into q personal griev-
snce which Is In truth the greatest
wrong that has stained our national
annals. To every man of the four
and a quarter millions who were de-
frauded of the fruits of their cleo
tive franchise 1t Is as great a wrong
as it is to me. And no less to every
man of the minority will the ultim-
ate consequence extend.
Evils in government grow by
success and by impunity. They do
not arrest their own progress. They
can never be limited except by ex-
ternal forces. If the men in pos
session of the government can in one
instance maintain themselves in
power against an adverse decision at
the election such an example will be
initiated. Temptation exists al
ways. Devices to give the color Of
law. and. false pretenses on which to
found fraudulent decisions, will not
be wanting. The wrong will grow
into practice if once eondoned. :.
In the worlds history changes
in the succession of governments
have usually been the result of fraud
or force. It has been our faith and
our pride that we had established a
mode of peaceful change to be
worked out by the agency OF the
ballot-box. The question now is
whether an elective system in its
substance as we'll as its form is to be
maintained. This is the question of
questions. Until it is finally settled
there can be no politics founded on
an inferior question Of adminiStra-
tive policy. 1t involves the funda-
mental right of the people. 1t in
wolves the elective principle. 1t in
wolves the whole system of popular
government.
The people must signally con-
denim the great wrong which has
been done to them. They must strip
the example of everything that can
attract imitators. They must refuse
a prosperous immunity to crime.
This is not all. The people will not
be able to trust the authors or bene-
fciaries of the wrong TO devise re-
NEEDLES, But when those who con-
denim wrong shall have the power
they must devise a measure which
shall render a petition Of the wrong
forever impossible. If my voice
could reach throughout our country
and be heard in its remotest ham
let's, would say +. Be of good cheer,
the republic will live. The institu-
tions of our fathers are not to expire
in shame. The sovereignty or the
people shall he rescued from this
peril and established
Successful wrong never appears
SO triumphant as on the very eve of
its fall. Seven years ago q corrupt
dynasty eliminated in its power over
the million of people who live in the
city of New York. 1t had conquer
ed or brlbed or battered and won al
most everybody into aeqniescence.
1t appeared to be invincible. A year
or two later its members were in the
penitenliary or in exile. History
abounds in similar examples. We,
must believe in the right and in the
future. A great and noble nation
will not sever its political from its
moral life" sl ns,s..ea., : ea ,..,t-