The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-04-05
ETUCKY'S DISTING ULSRED CON.
GRESHAM
CON,
EMIT EVENTS REVIEwED-THE FUTURE
POLICY OF THE SOUTH.

ENr EVENTS REv1EwED-rHE FUTURE
POLICY OF THE SOUTH.
"a his speech at the public. reception
Zen him in Louisville on Thursday
ht last, Mr.. Henry Watterson said:
shall not undertake to explain away
SRM responsibility for the loss of the vic
fy obtained by you. accept the full
Asequences of my associations, as we'll
my acts and words. 1t is not for me to
an my counsels have bssn ta'en
Tho Tissue had gone other wss-
- no man can prophesy that which can
sver be. 1 have found myself mistaken
iHo often in the lesser affairs of life to set
I'D infallibility for my judgement in one of
e greatest pith and moment, and I hope
at / shall never find myself reduced to
u extremity 80 dire as that my sole
pans of escape shall be the transfer of
seme from my own shoulders to those of
~ comrades.
The whole story of our defeat may not
20 be told. 1t is still the private property
the caucus and committee room. I
ali repeat only what ia known to the
bile that from the fret, believed a we'll
ganized conspiracy existed to cheat the
ople out of their elected president.
pnt to Louisiana, the real battle ground
the conspiracy, and found there the
rihcation of my fears. My dispatches
pm New Orleans may be referred to, and
Opened there since. l went to New
2rk, urging counter-organization, popu-
"a organization, organization in the in
Rest of free government aud the masses
the people upon those of our friends
20 had authority to act.
There are two ways of securing our
hts in this world one is by law and the
er lie by force. The court of last resort
an this instance practically closed upon
ind, conceiving Mr.. Tllden to be the
sfully-chosen chief magistsate, pro-
I'd to prepare to seat him in Office, to
yide the physical means of doing so, to
all needful risks, and to leave the re-
TO look after itself. There are times
n imprudence is safety. would have
Mr. Tilden emulate the firmness OF
pton. would have had him assemble
people about him, and cay to them
ly this: 81 am an old man, 60 years
upward; nor wife nor child, and l
little for the Office of President of the
ted States but l have been elected
Eeto, overwhelmingly elected, and as
my country and owe duty to my
atrymen. | mean to see that their will
DONE" Mr.. Tilden did not take this
~. He had confidence in the powers
~ forms of law. He believed his case
y Irresistible. 1t seemed to him a thing
art from reason or probability that any
bnnal would or could count the votes of
orida and Louisiana against him. A |
acefnl, patriotic man, conservative, law
9lding, the suggestion of an organized |
Fpnlar opinion upon an uncompromisinS |
% brought before his eyes nothing but the |
ectacle of public and private ruin. If |
poe had been put in one scale and the |
4eeidency in another, he would not have
sltsted to choose against himself. His
nd may have wavered at times, but his
1uence was stead ly against agitation.
q it in no reprOach, l say it entertaining
ptrust of my own opiniou, that it was
possible to proceed without Mr.. Tilden
the front. 1t was for him to lead, for
b rest to follow.
Thus the ground slipped away from us
ch by inch. When We were brought face
face with the electoral commission bill
P found ourselves occupying a narrow
'p of territory lying about midway be
cen the devil and the deep sea ; in the
j front confusion, chaoe, coupled to in
ltable, perhaps disgraceful, defeat Just
Fore US n scheme which no sound judg-
ent could approve as an original position.
oppose it is known to all of you that l
hght it earnestly in committee that,
sable to defeat il, l yielded a most re-
ktant consent to it that, finally, voted
it with the full consciousness of the
nger it foreclosed. 1t was distinctly q
pice of evils. Having voted for it,
.owingly and in good faith, 1 never
eamed thereafter of making SO much
an effort to escape it's consequent
The battle was really lost before
passed the bill. 1t provides but for one
Two contingencies, Hayes or Tilden. So
ch was plain on the face oft what could
Thought of a man who having voted for
his full senses, and referred his case
ommission named under it, should on
Own motion turn about when it decided
nst him and try to evade itR Bear in
q it was Democratic not republican
enre, passed by Democratic votes, op-
% by majority of republican votes.
in mind, also, that opposition to the
nc obtained by it possessed no political
ifcance unless we were ready for civil
the bare suggestion of which had been
ago rejected.
ting aside these two considerations.
on which was conclusive, we could
~ Sou justice or propriety, lose sight of,
nuon, or repudiate our own mem bers of
commission, led by Bayard and Thur
i % 90 n uvnul6 ho M E,oo,, - |