The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-04-02
A Suppo>ititi0ns Farewell Address.

down the great trust which your sui
fragcs conferred four years ago upon
another person, it seems proper thai |
should address to vou few words OF .
an;cctionatc warning. 1t has been Gus
tomary heretofore only for the great
Presidents, who were consc;nu, 81 the
love and vcnerHton OF the people, to
take leave OF their country in tbs sol
cmn form. But. nl,nut!t As / can
hardly be ranked among tuc Presidents
3. AZ, anl h:stoc; vii! rr3htb.y take
not. 81 me only Us an lntvU'l'r in thai
i.Iu>triou> line, 80 NOT lccI myself
bound b. those nrc"c:cntS
Niy situation IN ;..a adm rStra.on of
this Office. to which was not elected,
has been one If sin:ular cnharr;tss-
mtnt. | hal borne arms .or my coun-
tn. II moi "th distinction. 1T Ic;s>, with
moderate credit. Ny ielioW-cltiLelIs OF
Ohio. ticcmin- me m innIlenS;ye sOrr OF
person, without, sufficient tD.ru ui char
actCr to cn-cn.cr enemies. Repeatedly
raised me. ike Il wooden image. to the
place OF GoveInor-an office i'll that
State OF no power AMI iniiu nee. ba, |
was gra;ilicd with these apparent te>tj-
monials Of public favor. and. believing
| that no man Of real abilities could re-
ceive the nomination AZ Cincinnati.
was not surprised when the bate OF
the Titans ended in the choice of the
p:gmy. And it was we'll SO. \ stand
ard-bearer OF larger stature would have
been struck, PERHAPS fatally, by many
missiles which passed harmless over my
head.
My defeat was 4 cruel disappoint-
mcnt, and the very large majority of
my opponent added greatly to the
weight OF the blow. But owe myself
the justice TO state. in this, doubtless.
the last communica ion the public will
ever receive from me-, that had no
thought then of resisting or reversing
the popular viii. Had consulted only
the promp;ings OF my own hear |
would have refused to be Il parry to the
memorable conspiracy which was I'M
medialely formed 10 substitute the can
'dida;c rejected by the people for the
candidate whom they had elected. SO
innocent was of the design subsequently
execued That publicly acknowledged
nv. defeat in a candid address from my
own doorstep. and confess that | was
profoundly shocked when | saw Mr.
Chambers celebrated. dispatch boldly
announcing my election hours after my
defeat had been universally known and
conceded. But, as the plot developed,
and only the most agreeable features
were communicated to me, while the
dark details of crime and corruption
were carefully hidden. the scrupleS
which soon came to regard as mere
personal weaknesses gradually melted
away, and | finally accepted the fruits
of conspiracy and forgery with compla'
ccncy and even pleasure.
l will not recall the history of my in
duction into office. [ wish. indeed, il
might be erased from the memory o.
men, and would cheerfully return te
the conscience fund Of the Treasury. o.
make over to my defrauded competitor
all that had been saved of his foul
years salary, if that act could restore
me to the state of innocence | enjoyed
while yet the harmless Governor o
Ohio. -.
My position after the assumption 0
! the Presidency, as before said, was on
of peculiar delicacy and difficulty.
, had read attentivey the powerful lette
! Of acceptance BY the great statesman
,, nominated al St. Louis, and inasmucl
5 as the people had, by large majority
expressed their approval of its contents
and l was in the occupation of the of
flee to which its author had been cleo.
ed, | conceived it to be my duty to etfec
some OF the reforms therein recon
3 mended. But l found myself power!ess
3 | was not free agent. The Govern
;; ment was administered in my name
/ but | was little more than passv
y instrument in the INSCRIPTIONS hand
!! which had forged the variou
9 links in that so-called chain of t
!; tie to the Office | held. Those me
9 were not reformers; they had M
5 brought me into power to forward tn
= measures enunciated by my late o.
IS ponent. It was some time before
5; fully realized my abject dependcnc
g upon the secrecy and fidelity of I'll
\, numerous agents employed in the gre;
: fraud, and meanwhile was perml,te
Z to amuse the country with certai
4 promises of reform, which were, how
= ever, confined to the Civil Service. I
:, length even this pretense grew ride
s lous. What had intended for refor
4 Mr.. Sherman calmly converted into tt
I. simple process of turning out mis- poll
Il ical enemies and putting in his friend
=, = and Mr.. Sherman, as | was early MAJ
$ to understand, was one OF my master
5, loathed in my heart the lepro
~ ~ criminals who had conceived and ex
g cuted the DARN. frauds in louisa,
s! and Florida. But no sooner had taxi
&, the oath of office than I ascertain,
20 that my nearest friends and sponso
81 had promised them not merely prote
81 81 ton, but high promotion and other ,
+! wards. and was compelled to cxecu
- - those promises under penalty Of co.
.; plete discovery in every shocking det
>! OF the stupendous crime OF wbici
81 seem to be enjoying the fruits. 1t
2, 2, needless to pursue the narrative. 1t
-. ..' enough to say that, except one Ca,
- - nave. who was paid in cash, they we
@si all - visiting statesmen, Retulnin
20 q, Board knayes, torsers, thieves. seer
:, negotiators anil counsel before t
% Electoral Commission-~pen,ioned up
q, Your treasury. The last Of these nor
~ nations, that of the notorious Stanl
Is Matthews. for Associate Justice of I
<. So SdpRme Court, is even now pending
es the Senate. --.-r, psi.
81 =, Nm, " f..
i! But there was still more grievt
1 ' humiliation to be endured. Whc,
90 realized nv defeat on che 6av after ,