Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-08-29


Senator Thurman. Of Ohio, delivered
: speech at Hamilton. in that State, on
Tuesday Of last week. After denying
certain charges made against bis fnan-
cial consistency, and stating bis posi-
| ton upon the question OF contraction
and expansion, he spoke Of the late
frauds perpetraied By the Republican
party In the following language:
but, iellow-citizens. there is one
great drama of fraud, one huge black
spot upon fhe nstional escutcheon, that
cannot be passed by with mere allu-
sion. The seat of the Chief Magistrate
that seat that in times past has been
and IN All times should be IN emblem
Of purity and honor--is occupied b q
man who was never elected TO IL, and
whose elevation was accomplished by
the grossest frauds and boldest usurpa-
lions that ever disgraced the history OF
a free people. have no time to-day to
90 into detailed statement of these
frauds and usurpations. Ihave no time
10 show you how The Returning Board
Of Florida, in plain violation Of the law
of The State. in equally plain violation
Of the solemn decision Of the highest
court Of the State, threw out sufficient
number OF Democratic ballots 10 give
the vote Of the State TO The Hayes elec.
tors instead Of the Tilden electors, who
had been chosen by the people. Nor
how, in like manner, the Returning
Board of Louisiana threw out from six
to eight thousand votes given 10 the
Tilden electors, thereby DISTINGUISHING
the people of whole precincts and coun-
ties, and completely reversing the vote
OF the State. Nor how, by vote of
eight to seven in the Electoral Compeis-
sion, all inquiry into these frauds and
usurpations was precluded, and the doc
trine solemnly announced and acted
upon that no matter by what frauds, no
matter by what illegalities, no matter
by what usurpations a returning or can
vassing board may defeat the will Of
the people, the wrong is remedies, the
people are helpless, and usurpation
must triumph and prevail.
"These, fellow-citizens, are now all
matters of history: but although the er-
roneous decision by which Congress
counted in Hayes and Wheeler may not
be reversible, that Iact only makes il
the more incumbent upon the people TO
condemn the decision and the means by
which il was brought about. Ifsuch an
usurpation can pass without rebuke, it
will soon be in vain TO talk Of constitu-
t.onal modes and honest elections. II
the will Of the people can, with impuni-
ty, be overthrown by obscure and cor
rupt Returning Boards, and there is no
remedy for the wrong, it will soon be the
voice Of such boards and not the voice
Of the people, that viii make your Pres
idents. And how long, / pray you,
could your government stand under
such system, or what claim would il
have to be called a government OF the
peoples My friends, If the people ever
condone this great sin. if they ever par
don the guilty men who perpetrated it
and nearly every one of whom has
been rewarded by Office under the adj
ministration--the most sanguine advo-
cate of popular government will have
reason to hang his head in shame, and
doubt the possibility of its success
Yes, my fellow citizens, the very exis-
istence Unpopular government, the ques-
ton whether il is possible to maintain
il, and 10 maintain il in purity, is now
on trial before you. AS you love the
institutions bequeathed TO you by the
fathers, as you reverence your Consti-
tuition and value your freedom, as you
esteem virtue and detest all wickedness,
you are bound, in no uncertain tones,
TO manifest yoGr adherence OF the great
usurpGtion."
In speaking of the hopes OF the Re-
publican leaders TO retain power in this
country, he says:
"Fellow-citizens, nothing in politics
se ems more certain TO me than that the
Republican leaders rest their hopes OF
proIongatlon Of their power upon the
success that may attend a studied and
energetic effort on their part TO excite
and perpetrate sectional feeling. And
nothing seems tome more unwarranted,
unpatrotic and detestable than this
scheme. It is not enough that the
South has frankly and manfully accepted
the results of war; that. waiving all
questions as 10 The mode of their adop-
ton, no voice is raised against the bind
ing force of the Constitutional Amend
ments; that every law passed by a radi-
cal Congress, however doubtful its con-
stitutionality. or manifest its injustice
and impolicy, is nevertheless obeyed;
that desire for harmony and peace
and determination to aid in the pre-
servation OF the Union, are unmistaka-
bly, and plainly the dominant sentiments
Of the Southern people-all this is not
enough 10 deter The Republican mana
gers from resorting to all the weapons
in the arsenal of the demagogue, BY
which sectional hatred can be aroused
and perpetuated, and q solid North
thereby created 20 rule with rod of
iron q PROSTATE South. II Is thirteen
years since the close OF the war, thir-
teen years since a hand was raised or
word was spoken against the preserSa-
ton Of the Union, and yet articles are
now written and speeches are now
made BY men. prominent in the Repub-
lican party, the bitterness Of which is
scarcely parslleled BY anything that was
written or said when war was fsgrant
and the Union was in danger.
"Fellow-citizens, nothing more un-
Just, nothing more unpatriotie, nothing
more injurious to The peace. welfare,
and prosperity Of the Republic, nothing
more clearly demonsfrativa Of the me-