Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-01-25
Closing Paragraphs
Of Sherman's Great Speech
ON LOUISIANA AFFAIRS.

ON LOUISIANA AFFAIRS.
Delivered i'm the Senate. Tues.
day, January D, 1877.
could extend this inquiry into all
the parishes where protests were made
and where intimidation was alleged.
In some of them 1t extended only TO q
single polling place or precinct; in 9TH
ers it extended only to single polling
place or precinct; In Others it affected
the regularity of the election. II Va
ried in degree and nature In each par
ish. / have already given sufficient to
show that the intimidation in Louisi-
ana of which the evidence was before
the Returning Board, upon which
alone they could act, was Of SO over-
wheiming and criminal character
that honest men sworn TO act upon this
testimony could not do otherwise than
ms the members of this Board have
dones AS to the particular polls that
were excluded or admitted, as to the
details which entered into their hnal
decision, have no means Oi knowing;
but before God and man, with this tes-
timuny before me, with the knowledge
acquired of the history Of Louisiana in
my lace here in the Senate and from
my visit to New Orleans, / would con-
slider any man foresworn who could
say thnt in these parishes there was .
free and honest elt ction.r In this cuun-
try, where our institutions rest entire
ly upon popular suffrage; where the
freedom of election Is the cornerstone
of every part OF our system, q crime
which strikes at these foundations
ought to be resisted by every man Of
every party. 1t caHnOt be denied that
of late years an election fraud is not re-
gsrded in the same light that il was
years ago, and that many men thought
lessly ridieule and smile at all conf
plants against election frauds. This is
no doubt caused by the success OF such
frauds in Louisiana, notably In the case
of New York in 1868, and especially
Throughout the Southern States, where
this intimidation now has been organ
lied and has been successful for mum.
ber uf years. But the very moment
this system extends to other parts Of
this country, and poisOns the elections
in the Northern and Western States,
then our Government is St an end. No
system like ours can survive the gener-
al feeling that the elections are con-
trolled by fraud or force. More or less
influence of doubtful or improper
character will enter into every elec-
ton. This is unavoidable from the
imperfectiOns of human nature; but
when this fraud assumes the form Of
wholesale ballot-boX stutfiDg, or palpa-
hln f;nln n
control an election; or worse, when 1t
assumes the form vi murder, whipping,
violence, and Outrage, then the sooner
the system is abandoned the better.
Law-abiuing men and property hold
ers would rather submit to a regular,
orderly ,despOtic government than to a
government where The worst and low
est elements of human society control
ali the powers of the government. 1t
is. not u question that we can evade or
avoid; but We ought, without ,distinc-
ton of party, with y firm hand and de-
termined purpose, resist every organ.
lied effort of fraud, or violence, or in
timidation at elections. 1t is Tor this
reason that would regard the election
of Mr.. Tilden by the direct operation
uf these terrible crimes Ms the greatest
misfortune that could befall our cOun-
try. Ten thousand times better for all
OF US, and for future ages, would it be
had he been elected Dy an undisputed
majority aud an overwhelming vote.
DO not fear him or his iour years in
huence as President; but i do fear the
means by which he has been elected. il
elected ut all. His election by such
agencies will be the beginning Of the
end; for if he may be elected by such
means, then any man hereafter, by the
use of great sums of money, or by ap-
peals to the prejudice Of race, or by the
jealOusies OF religious sects, OR by the
natural division between natiOnaiities,
may hope by similar crimes to destroy
our country by Y war OF factions. u,
Our only safety is y fair election and
an honest and prompt acquiescenee in
the result of such an election. There
is nowhere among the American peo-
pie general disposition to resist the
election of either Gov. Tilden or Gov.
Hayes, if fairly elected. 1 know, for
the people OF Ohio, among whom Gov.
Hayes WIS born, that they would re-
sent any advantage obtained by him
through means that are dishonest, dis
honorable, through violence, fraud, or
corruption. We only appeal to the
Democratic party tn act upon the same
general principle. Ii you need the
vote of Louisiana to elect Samuel ].
Tilden, he is not elected President Of
the United States. His term CT Office
would be dishOnOred from the begin
ming. The blood of hundreds of men
would rest upon his skirt ang enter in
to the title Of his office. His chief ac-
cessories before the TACT would he such
men as Capt. Theobald and DIR. Saun-
ders, organized by such men as Patton
and the Democratic committee of Lou
isiana. His instruments will have
been rifle clubs and raiders, fighting
and frightening, poor negroes out of
their votes. No Republican need fear
that by standing by the legal judg-
ment of the Board of returning officers
he wrongs any one, for no honest man
can read the facts and evidence with.
out feeling convinced that, il there had
been free and fair election in, Lonisi-
ana in the fifty-seven parishes of that
State, as there was in forty parishes,
Gov. Hayes would have had o majori-
ty of 10, ,OO0 votes. We know also that
in Mississippi and Alabama and to
sOms extent in Georgia there were in
f1uences entering into the election
which prevented tens of thousands OF
Republican votes being cast; that from