Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-06-28
MIR. TILDEN SPEAK KS.
A CALM UTTERANCE THAT WILL FIND
AN ECHO IN ALL TRUE HEARTS.

AIN ECHO IN ALL TRUE HEARTS.
There was large gathering of
tho Manhattan Club in New York,
on Tuesday last to do honor to
Samuel j. Tilden and Thomas a.
Hendricks. Mr.. Tilden addressed
the Club as follows:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of
the Manhattan Club. l accepted
your invitation under the idea that
this was to be merely social meet
ing, the particular occasion of
which was the presence an this city
of Mr.. Hendricks and of Gov Rob.
inson and Lieut.-Gov. Dorsheimer.
You are aware, l suppose, that
one of your guests, Mr.. Hendricks,
embarks to morrow on an excursion
10 foreign lands, for rest and recrea
ton. He will carry with him, I am
sure, our best wishes for prosper
GUS voyage, for pleasant visit, and
a safe return, and for the health
and happiness of himself and family.
[Applause. | have been availing
myself, tor similar purposes, of a
brief interval, and find myself now,
with some reluctance, drawn away
from this privacy to attend this
occasion. But the occasion itself,
and the apparent general expccta-
ton, seem to require that l should
say a word in respect to public
affairs, and especially that | should
allude to the transaction which, in
my Judgment, is the most porten-
tious event in American history. Ca
hushed expectancy here retrained
the tendency to applause, which
was just breaking out when Mr..
Tilden proceeded.)
Everybody knows that after the
recent election, the men who were
elected BY the people as President
and Vice President of the United
States were ''counted out
"Hear, hear !" and applause)-and
men who were not elected were
"counted in" and seated. [:Hcar,
hear !" "Yes f! Yes y Applause. /
disclailn any thought of the person
al wrong done to myself in this
transaction. c'Hear, hear y Tener>
getically) "Good Good = APP
plause.] Not by any act or word
of mine shall! that be dwarfed or
degraded into personal grievance.
which is, IN truth, the greatest
wrong that has stained our national
annals. Not one of the four millions
and a quarter of American citizens
who gave up their votes but ex-
perienced wrong as great as deep
as l. [''More ~ Applause Not
one of that minority who did not
give us their votes, but, in the
resulting consequences Of this act.
will share in the mischiefs. if it is
not redressed and punished. Tap
plause. To every man Of the four
and quarter million who were
defrauded of the fruits of theil
elective franchise it is as great "a
wrong as it is to me. And no less
to every man of the minority will
the intimate consequences extend
Evils in government grow by
success and by impunity. They dc
not restrain themselves voluntarily
They can never be limited except
by external forces.
If the men in possession of the
Government can, in Ole instance
maintain themselves in power
against an adverse decision at the
elections, such an example will bt
initiated. Temptation exists always
DEVICES to give the color of law
and false pretences on which to
found fraudulent decisions, we'll no
be wanGng. The wrong will grow
into practice, if condoned-if once
condoned.
In other countries, in the Ole
World, changes in the succession o
Governments have usually been the
result of fraud or force. We felicl
tated ourselves that here, through
the skill and patriotism and philan
thropy OF our forefathers, we hat
established a system of peaceful
change through the agency of the
ballot box. This is the first time
in American history that this righ
of the people has been impaired
1t is the first time in American
history that anybody has ever pre-
tended that the Government OF thi
great country was hauled over t.
any set of men through fraud. Gap
plause.)
The question now is whether on
, elective system, in its substance a
well as its form, is to be maintained
This is the question of questions
! Until it ia finally settled there cal
, be no politics founded in inferio
:. questions of administrative policy
) It involves the fundamental right Q
. the ceople. 1t involves the clectiv