Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-26
A CASE OF MORAL SUICIDE.

From the New York World
Daniel Webster in one of his speech
es at Boston, in referring to the tergiv-
ersations of certain public officer,
said that when man went back upon
his friends it was called ingratitude, or
upon his enemies it was called revenge,
but when man went back on his own
principles which he had avowed it
ought to be called moral suicide
Daniel Webster referred to John Ty-
Ter, but he might have used even
stronger language had he lived to wit
ness four of the conspicuous tergiver-
sations of General Garfield upon de-
cided questions of principle. One was
in regard to reconstruction :" one in
regard to the disputed election of
1876 one in regard to freedom of
elections, and one in regard to reviv-
ing the issues of the war. On New
Years Day, 1867, General Garfield
wrote to his friend Hinsdale:
81 am less satisfied with the present
aspect of public affairs than have been
for long time. | find that many of
the points and doctrines which believe
in and desire to see prevail meet with
more opposition than heretofore, and
are in imminent danger of being over.
borne by popular clamor and political
passion. In reference to reconstruction
| feel that if the Southern States should
adopt the constitutional amendments
within a reasonable time we are literally
bound to admit them to representation.
My own course is chosen, and il
is quite probable it will throw me out of
public life" e."-Bundy's Biography, page II.
Nevertheless, within two months
after the utterance of these brave
words General Garfield was in line
with the extremists of his party in
worrying the South with special stat
utes on reconstruction and when the
Southern States had adopted the con-
stitutional amendments he still kept
them, as long as his vote could keep
them, from representation. he even
introduced the bill which was intended
to abolish General Hancock's office as
Major-General in punishment for that
Generals practical enforcement Of
General Garfeld's avowed principles.
On November II, 1876, Gen. Gar
field wrote to his friend Hinsdale
''Last evening the President tele.
graphed me from Philadelphia request.
ing me to go to New Orleans and re.
main until the vote is counted, acting as
witness of the count. was a good
deal embarrassed by the request. | did
not know who else was going and /
might find myself associated with violent
partisan Republicans who mean to count
our side in, right or wrong"
Nevertheless, his embarrassment
yielded and did not even return when
he found himself among the visiting
statesmen at New Orleans, or when he
afterwards found himself on the Elec-
toral Commission at Washington "as-
"sociated with violent partisan Re-
"publicans who meant to count our
"side in, right or wrong" And only
week after the date of this letter to
Hinsdale he was writing from New
Orleans to his friend Hill, of Boston,
in frame of mind which showed the
writer to be entirely amenable to the
specific and unanswerable criticisms
which Ex-Governor Hendricks recently
made in his speech at Marion, Ind:
Garfield went to New Orleans to as.
sist his party in making up a case, and
after his return to Washington, of all
his associates he was the only man who
took his seat upon the Electoral Com.
mission. by every sentiment of fair
play he should have been excluded from
the jury.box. By his own sworn state.
ment of what he did in New Orleans
Garfield had charge of the returns from
West Feliciana Parish. In one of the
inner rooms of Packard's Custom. House
he did his work, examined the affi.
davits, and when they were not suffi.
ciently full he prepared or had prepared
additional interrogatories to bring them
within the rules adopted by the Return.
ing Board. The testimony so received
by Garfield went back TO the Returuine
board, and the result was that West
feliciana with its Democratic majority
was thrown out. In Washington Gar.
fields vote was that Congress could moi
60 behind the returns thus made. As
agent Afor his party he helped TO make
returns by manipulating the evidence
and as Juryman for the nation he held
such evidence as conclusive and bind
ing
On April q, 1880, General Garfield