The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-29
waf;crSoh's Welcome.

wattersoh's Welcome.
ug TELLS THE STORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC
pErEAT-"1NE BATTLE WAS REALLY LOST
RsroRE IRE ELECTORAL BILL WAS PASSED."
Mr.. Henry WattcrSon was welcomed
home to Louisville from Washington by
public demonstration on Thursday evening
last, and made the following speech
| thank you. Mr.. Mayor. and l thank
YOU, friends and ncighbors, for the cor
diality OF this welcome. Nothing was fur
ther from my thoughts when quilted the
scene OF the last three months OF unremlt-
ting but unsuccessful labor in your interest
than any utterance or display, least OF all
4 demonstration Of this kind. 1t was my
purpose and my inclination to return TO
duties for which you must give me leave to
think myself better qualified than for all
others; 10 put my wellworn harness on
again as speedily and rs noiseeSsly rs
possible: to fall into the old track and
the old gait OF Il career which, il
less splendid and conspicuous than that
you were good enough to open for
me, is yet full OF Joyous in
spratlon, presenting to my minds eye the
prospect OF happy. congenial. and useful
work. | need not tell you how much this
gratities me. for I learned long ago that
beaten soldiers rarely gain applause. Fail
ure can expect nothing, should ask nothing,
except obscurty. l went hence borne upon
the waves OF popular eXultance. / bring
yOur eagles back TO YOU, and lay them at
your feet, claiming only that, though for
the time being the cmblems of disaster, they
have not been dishonored in my hands.
(Great arplause.l
LOST OPPORTUNITIES.
shall not undertake to explain away
such share rs | lnav have had in the general
responsibility for the loss OF the yctery
obtained by you. l accept the full conSe-
uucnceS OF my associations, as well rs my
acts and words. 1t is not for me to say
an my counsels had been tl'en
The issue had gone otherwise,'-
for no man can propheSy that which can
never be. | lave found myself mistaken
too often in the lesser affairs OF life to set
up infalibiity for my judgment in one Of
the greatest pith and moment, aud hope
that shall never find myself reduced to an
extremity so dire as that my sole means Of
escape shall be the transfer OF blame from
my own shoulders to those OF my comrades.
The whole story OF our defeat may not
vet be told. 1t is still the private property
OF the caucus and committee-room. l shall
repeat only what is known to the public,
that from the first | believed 4 wcll-organ-
lied conspiracy existed to cheat the people
out OF their elected President. / went to
Louisiana the real battle-ground of this
conspiracy, and found there the vcrifcation
Of my fears. My dispatches from New Or
leans may be referred 10, and will be seen
to cover nearly all that has happened there
since. | went TO New York, urging coun-
reorganization. popular organization
organization in the interest Of free govern
mcnt and the masses OF the people-upon
those OF our friends who had authority to
act. (Applausc.]
There are two ways Of securing our
rights in this world; one is by law and the
other is by force The court Of last resort
was in this instance practically closed upon
uS, and, conceiving Mr.. Tilden to be right
fully chosen Chief Magistrate, | proposed
to prepare 10 seat him in office, to provide
the physical means OF doing so, to take all
needful risks. and to leave the result to look
after itself There are times when impru-
dence is safety. would have had Mr.. Til
den emulate the frmness OF Hampton. /
would have had him assemble the people
about him, and say to them simply this:
"I am an old man, sixty years and up
w
for the Office OF President OF the United
States; but I have been elected thereto,
Overwhelmingly elected, and, az 1 love
my country and owe duty to my
countrymen, I mean to see that their
will is done" Mr. Tilden did not
take this view. He had confidence In
the powers and forms Of law. He believed
his case was Irresistible. 1t seemed to him
thing apart from reason or probability that
any tribunal would or could count the votes
of Florida and Louisiana against him. a
peaceful, patriotic man, conservative, law
abiding, the suggestion OF an organized
popular opinion upon an uncompromlSlng
line brought before his eyes nothing but the
spectacle Of public and private. ruin. II
peace had been put in one scale and the pre-
sidency in another, he would not have hesl-
tated to choose against himself His mind
may have wavered at times, but his infu-
ence was steadily against agitation. / say
it in no reproach, say 1t entertaining dis
trust OF my own opinion, that it was impos-
sible TO proceed without Mr.. Tilden at the
front 1t was for him to lead, for the rest to |
follow. [Applause.]
Thus the ground slipped away from us
inch by inch. When we were brought face |
TO face with the Electoral Commission bill, |
We found ourselves occupying narrow
space of territory lying about midway be-
tween the devil and the deep sea; in the
far front confusloa, chaos, coupled to iney-
liable, perhaps disgracelul, defeat; just be-
fore Us a scheme which no sound judgment
could approve as an original proposition.
l suppose it is known to all of you that l
fought it earnestly ir committee; that, I'M
able to defeat it, / yielded a most reluctant
consent to it; that finally Ivoted for it with
the full consciousness OF the danger ii fore
closed. 1t was distinctly choice Of evils.
Having voted for it knowingly and in good
faith, / never dreamed thereafter OF making
SO much as ai effort to escape its conse-
quences. The battle was really lost before
we passed the bill. 1t provided for but one
out Of two contIngencies-Hayes or Tilden.
So much was plain on the face OF it. And
what could be thought OF aman who, having
voted for it in his full senses, and referred
bis case to the Commission named under 1t,
should On bis own motion turn about when
it decided against him and try to eyade i?
Bear in mind 1t was Democratic, not Re-
,hlSean Inv T1omnprltln 1