Middletown transcript., 1877-11-03
MDDLETOWN DELAWARE SATURDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER 1871

| over IMAM Lne MnOle power VI en0
ofice-holding class, led by a cabinet
minister, was exerted to procure, and
did procure, from the State canvassers
of two States illegal and fraudulent
certificates, which we're made pre-
text for false count of the electoral
votes. To enable these officers to ex-
ercise the immoral courage necessary
to the parts assigned to them, and to
relieve them from the timidity which
God has implanted in the human bosom
as limit to criminal audacity, detach-
ments of the army we're sent to afford
them shelter.
"The expedients by which the votes
of the electors chosen by the people of
these two States were rejected, and the
votes of the electors having the illegal
and fraudulent certificates were count
ed, and the menace of usurpation by
the President of the Senate of dicta-
torial power over all the questions in
controversy, and the menace of the en-
fOrcement of his pretended authority
by the army and navy, the terrorism
of the business classes, and the kindred
measures by which the false count was
consummated, are known.
"The result is the establishment of a
precedent destructive of our whole
elective system. The temptation to
those in possession of the government
to perpetuate their own power by sim
liar methods will always exist, and if
the example shall be sanctioned by
success the succession of government
in this country will come to be deter
mined by fraud or force, as it has been
in almost every other country, and the
experience will be reproduced here
which has led to the general adoption
of the hereditary system in order to
avoid confusion and civil war.
"The magnitude of a political crime
must be measured by its natural and
necessary consequences. Our great re-
public has been the only example in
the world of a regular and orderly
transfer of governmental succession by
the elective system. To destroy the
habit of traditionary respect for the
will of the people as declared through
the electoral forms, and to exhibit our
institutions as a failure, is the greatest
possible wrong to our own country. It
is also a heavy blow to the hopes Of
patriots struggling to establish self
government in other countries. 1t is
a greater crime against mankind than
the usurpation Of December I'd, 1851,
depicted by the illustriOus pen of Vic
tor Hugo. The American people will
not condone it under any pretext or
for any purpose.
"Young men, in the order of nature
we who have guarded the sacred ira
ditions cf our free government will
soon leave that work to you. Within
the life of most who hear me our re-
public will embrace a hundred mil
lions of people. Whether its institu
tions shall be preserved in substance
and in spirit, as well as in barren
forms, and will continue to be bless
ing to the toiling millions here and a
good example to mankind, now every
where seeking larger share in the
management of their own affairs, will
depend on you.
"I avail myself of the occasion to
thank you and to thank all in our
State and country who have accorded
to me their support, not personal to
myself, but for the cause I have repre-
sented, and which has embraced the
largest and holiest interests of human
ity."