The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-07-14
ISSUES OF THE CAMPAIGN
Speech by Thomas F. Bayard, Senator
From Delaware, Before Rati-
eU fcatiOn Meeting.
A Plain, Straightforward Discussion of the
Issues Of the Day, and OF the Men
Who Represent Them.

last week, when Senator Bayard made the
following speech:
FELLOW CITIzENs-I do not know that my
voice can reacn the ears of all in this vast
/ crowd, and therefore 1 ask you to preserve
for laughter and a time for idle amusemsnt e
| But when the time comes for American citi-
i zens to take counsel together in respect OF
there should be gravity, a manly earnestness
taking the place OF idle amusements. IL is al
all times to me great pleasure to stand in an
assemblage of Delaware men, for here / was
born; among them l have lived and worked
and have represented them in the public
councils, and received from them from the
nearly the close of my second Senatorial
term - an answering support that would
to:doubt
This is'an occasion of great interest and i'm.
portance. The National Democracy-Jhe party
that never had second object or second in
tent; the party that always stood by the BAN
ners OF the delegates, the representatives and
| interests of every State in the Union-this
| great party, animated by the greatest patriot
| ism, sent, n fortnight ago, delegates from every
| state and from every Territory to Cincinnati
TO take counsel together TO choose q standard
| bearer of the faith and principles of that party
In the coming campaign for the choice of a
| President and Vice Pr sident. Men of high
! character and intelligence, sincerely DESTROYS OF
doing what best for the whole country,
made that choice, and am here as your friend,
as your political rotner, bound with every In
terest of your own, to say that warmly in
dorse the action of that Convention. Thew
nave not selected unknown men; not men OF
| obscurity; not men who would be called in
/ slang of the times, clark horses" No, they
/ have chosen men on whom the bright light
of public Investigation has been shining for
| years. For the lifetime of generation have
! they been known. There is no man in Ameri-
ca. and few in any part of the world where the
English language is spoken who did not know
and honor Winfield Scott Hancock long be-
fore the Cincinnati Convention was thought
And so of his worthy associate. Years ago
Indiana sent William II. Englsh to represent
her in the councils of the Nation, and there
teIiigence and unimpeacha bic character that
makes him to- day dit man to take the chair
of Vice President OF the United States.
The Democratic candidate for President is
no untrled man. On the contrary, 1 shall
show that he has been tired, thoroughly tried,
anu that he can lay claim TO a record that has
not fallen to the lot OF any other public man
of his time. In 1858 he was named by MANY
as the favorite candidate for President, and
the delegates from Delaware at that Conyen-
ton, held in New York, balIoted for him, if /
recollect right. He was also voted for in 1876
and now for the third time he stands conspic-
uously before the Nation, with his every act
subjected to the vigor of partisan examina-
ton. And how does he stand? Spotless and
without reproach, favored by the unanimous
voice of the representatives of the party.
Now, gentlemen let me ask you one thing.
Having passed through this fire of examina-
ton, let nee ask this crowd whether there has
honor, intelligence, fidelity or patriotism of
that renowned and great soldier? Why was he
True he has a military record as brilliant, as
unsullied, as glorious as that of any man In
America. Why. did the Democratic party
nominate military man? 1 will tell you
why. Because this man has proved that God
gave him the same characteristics of con-
science and o. self control which he gave TO
the great George Washington. My friends
this is not the extreme utterance of stump
speech. 1t is the deliberate utterance OF man
struggling to see the right and TO follow it,
Since this world there has hQpn in
fiuence so dangerous and corrupting to mems
hearts as love of power. What was free gov
eminent designed for but the protection OF the
minority against the msiority? The great
difficulties and dangers to liberty have arisen
wherever men intrusted with power have used
about tyranny instead oflimited Government
We know what made Washington so con-
spicuous when he laid down his power and re
IT, ed 10 the privacy of his home. There are
many men as great as he in military knowl-
edge and in the abilities of statesmanship bu.
how many other men would have voluntarily
laid down their power when they could have
used 1t for their own selfish, tyrannical pur-
poses? wish you TO comprehend this because
IL is the keynote OF the nomination of Win
field Scott Hancock. He held great power. He
was Military Governor of a large extent of
country. his will could have been as law At
his pleasure stood the liberty of every man
What was his course course alone of all
the Military Governors in this country for the
last fifteen years?
rest persons he inquire where was the jul
dicial process. When asked TO try persons by
Military Commissions he pointed to the Court
House and TO the jury of twelve. Whea asked
to fine men and take from them their prop
erty he demanded to know by what right I'M
der civil law he could do these things. There
have been soldiers perhaps as able, perhaps as
courageous, and that is saying a great deal;
but name me one who has refused over and
over again to exercise arbitrary power when
he could have done so. No, you can't name
one. 1 have seen distinguished men, educated
wholly In the Republican party, giving adj
vice OF the most arbitrary character that can
be conceived; but where can you find man
who has had the chaIice brought TO his lips
that he might drink full OF control over his
fellow creatures aud who you have seen put
il aside and saw: "I am a military man: am
an American soldier, but am a citizen with
respect to the law which is the Constitution
swore 10 suppOrtW
We saw the Legislature of South Carolina or
gained at the Will of a Corporal without any
lana. lido not propose to go over these recol
lections In detail nor to cite the unlawful ex-
ercises of military power, but desire to show
what was the character of the distinguished
man whom the Democrats have nominated
during the time of the current Of tyranny. The
great lesson to be derived from the
of King George is the lesson would
hold up to you now. One of the charges
against that potentate was that he attempted
to subordinate the civil TO the mi itary power.
Any man who attempts that is not fit to be a
ruler of men. The man of our choice echoes |
the same spirit that made our people free in
date that freedom In 1850. Do you not remem
Der that his power was as ample, that he had
the same organization, administration, or
whatever you choose TO call IL, that other Gen.
erals had? Compare him with the New Or
leans General who besought the President to
issue that proclamation of outawry-tf1e
declaring that the white men of
Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and |
Georgia shall be outlaws-''and leave the rest
to me-" Such was the dispatch, shame TO |
say, of a Major General-aye, a Lieutenant |
General-of the army of the United States. |
And from the Cabinet at Washington W as sent |
the response: ave all approve of your |
actiou." These names have passed into his |
tory covered with lasting reproach, for Bel |
KNAPP. who wrote that dispatch, proved a base |
rogue, as treacherous to the money OF America |
as to the principles of liberty. This was the |
is to-day the great underlying |
principle of the two great parties. During the |
struggle from 6l to 80 there was little law and
could be no law but force; but the difficulty |
has been that power obtained by force has |
been sought 10 be retained by force. 1t was at !
tempted at Chicago to renominate a man who |
typified nothing but brute force and arbitrary |
powers, but the attempt failed because there |
were other machines-maehlnes of the lobby, |
machines OF railway management-and be- |
tween them they quarreled and finally drop |
ped upon comparatively unknown delegate |
In the Convention.
have been Representative in Congress |