The daily gazette., 1880-07-03
whom the bright light of public In
Yestigation has burned for years.

field Scott Hancock [applausel before
he was nominated by the Cincinnati
Convention. And years ago the
State of Indiana sent VIM. II. En-
glish as representative in the coun-
ellis of the nation, where he gave evil
dence OF such worth and character as
makes him in every respect a worthy
candidate for the people to voto for.
Applause. tNI. 44l
General Hancock is no untried
man, but he has been tried and test
ed, and has vindicated his claims to
public confidence in a way that has
fallen to the lot of but few men in
this country.
In 1868 he was the choice of Della
ware before the National Democrat
ic Convention, and again in 1876 he
was a candidate before that body
And now, for the third time, he
comes before his fellow-citizens, and
is found spotless without reproach,
and has been nominated by the as
sembled Democrats of the nation for
the Chief Magistracy of the Uni
ted States.
With all the light OF fierce inquisItion
that has been thrown upon his life and
character, not the first suspicion has ever
been whispered against the integrity of
this-great soldier.
We are asked why we nominated a
military man for president? will tell
you. 1t was cause he has proved that
| God gave to him the same characteristics
| Ar ri ,I tluk L.
gave to the great George Washington.
This Is not the extreme uttersnce of a
stump speaker, but 1t Is the deliberate
utterance of man seeking TO see the
light aud follow ii.
Nothingis is so dangerous in this country
as the love Of power. Our government 10
designed to protect the weak against the
strong, to defend the minority against
the powerful majority, and to place pro-
per limitations and cbecks on power.
The great trouble has been that when
men W re entrusted with power TO pro-
tee. the people they were too apt to use
that power to perpetuate their own sway
and Decome despOts instead Of rulers.
Washington was conspicuous because he
volunI arily laid down power when lie
could have retained 1t. There have been
soldiers as great as he, and rulers as
great as he, but how many, like he, have
voluntarily laid down their power aud re-
| Tired to private life, when the could have
continued their rule had they so desired.
As l understand it, this is the keynote
of this nomination, Gen. Hancock has
been military Governor of States
where his will was law. What was his
course? When requested iu Louisiana or
texas to arrest men, he asked for
judicial process; when asked to try men
ny military commission, he pointed to
I've Court House, with It's judge and
iary TX, when asked 10 take property or
liberty, he inquired, "where is the law
| for this?"
Other military Governors there have
been, but | ask you to name one who re-
| fused over aud over again to exercise
arbitrary power when it was in his
nands. "a voice, "not one." have seen
distinguished statesmen in the Republi-
can party educated in the duties of civil
| life, advocate the use of the most mons
lrous and arbitrary p ,wers ever conceiv-
| ed. But here We see man with every
| opportunity who when the chalice of
| power was placed to bis lips, deliberately
put it away, saying that while he was
| soldier he was citizen, and held the
rights OF citizenship above military
power, and that his law was that con-
situtlon he had sworn to support
Compare this with the action of
| another General who requested the Presi-
dent to issue q proclamation of out
lawry against the white citizens of
| 4 o,,ts;ana AIana.na Miosiueinri Tavaa
and Georgia, and as the ords Of his
despatch read, "leave the rest to me" !"
such, shame to say was the despatch
| received from o General of the Army,
and a Lieutenant General at that and
| he answer sent on behalf of the Cabinet
was, "we all agree"
All who joined in sending this re-
sponse have retired from history-the
last in kissing reproach for BeIknap
proved as base and treacherous to the
interests of the country as to the princi-
Piles of free government [Applause.]
Power ATTAINED by force is apt to be
retained by force. The Republican
party, at Its last national convention,
| tried to nominate a man who represen-
ted nothing but force, and brute force.
| (Applause). But the movement failed
because it was opposed by Other rings
and cliques and combinations, and then
/ the party dropped down upon compar-
atively unknown delegate in the Con-
ventiOu.
| l have been representative in Con-
gress for the last twelve years and know
whereof speak. But first wish to say
| that do not Impeach the patriotism of
those men that differ with me and hold
that the safety of the country is best
preserved By the Republican party, but
RI wish them and you to see where that
party would carry us should 1t remain
In power. By force the war was ended,
and when it was ended reign of peace
should have taken its place; but love OBJ
power was there, and, unlike Washing
| ton and Hancock, men were unwilling
to give it up, and so there has been
struggle between the kindness and love
of union of the American peOple-their
disposition to forget and forgive on the
one hand, and the desire of the Repub-
iscan party to maintain control by any
means on the other hand.
See how they have centralized power.
We are all citizens of Delaware aad the
United States. Why, after the expert
ence of one hundred years, should we
not be trusted to conduct our own cleo
tions? I only mention this as one of
the steps Republicans took to maintain
power.
In 1876 there were very nearly 300,-
900 more votes cast for the Democratic