The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-18

man.
Surely lie hiss been amply rewarded
for all his military services. But over
Jealous friends point to his civil services
and claim for them such e-eminence
| as to merit all the honors and rewards
which nation can bestow. This is
doubtful ground and admits of disputa-
ton. When he entered upon the duties
of President the country had but re-
Gently emerged from civil war in which
alienation of feelings between different
| sections had been engendered and a
heavy public debt incurred As a wise
statesman it should have been his policy,
| as it was his duty, to reconcile as far as
possible brethren estranged and set On
| foot measures of economy that the pub
lie debt might be extinguished at as
early day as possible. To this end
every subordinate officer in the Govern
| 'nent should have been held TO the
| plumb line of honesty and fidelity.
! Did General Grant adopt this course
Let the history of his administration
answer the question. Did he lift the
| Constitution from the dust into which
| the events of the war had cast it, and
with the return of peace Danish the
maxim, inter drna leq>s siieatg Did he
give place to peaceful methods of legis-
latiol and judicial supremacy? What
measures did he adopt to promote con-
ciliation and harmonize estranged sec
tions of our country? By whose orders
were legislative assemblies in the States
dispersed at the point of the bayonet
By whose order was a major general of
| the United States Army sent to Louisi-
ana with violent purposes in his heart,
who, without stint, abused and maligned
her people in a communication to the
War Department, and manifested great
anxiety to try, condemn, and execute
| her citizens bv drum head court martial ?
Who was it that removed the brave but
generous Hancock from the position of
military governor of the Southern mill
tary division of the United States be
cause he declined to interfere with the
| civil authorities of the State of Texas
| by exercising military power? Who
was it that instigated Congress to at
tempt the passage of the force bill, !"
under the provisions OF which he, the
| President, would have secured the power
| to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in
| the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and
| Alabama2 Who was it that stationed
|
| intimidate voters and secure the election
of his political friends? And in 1876,
when the people of the United States
had chosen Mr.. Tilden President by a
popular majority of 100000 and by Il
majority of nineteen in the electoral
college, who was it that massed troops
in Washington, and pla ed them con-
structiveiy ut the doors of this Hall to
overawe Congress and force a com
promise by which the peoples rights
were sacrificed their ballots disregarded,
and man installed into office who was
never elected? Call you this quieting
dissensions and promoting peace? If SO,
it was the peace which reigued in War
saw.
But again; did he manage our finances
with that skill and economy which ought
to challenge our admiration and secure
our confidence? Under whose admins
tration was silver demonetized and
thereby one-fourth of our currency de-
strOyed? Up-n whose recommendation
was the law passed declaring all our
bonded Indebtedness payable in coin,
when by the terms of the contract it was
PAYABLE in currency, thereby increasing
the burdens of the people hundreds of
millions of dollars? Whose Cabinet but
his was ever defled by the presence of a
jobber in post traderships, and when
impeached before the Senate with evil
dence sufficient to convict, was allowed
to escape merited punishment by the
tender of his resignation and Its accep
tance by General Grant? Whose friends
but his ever organized themselves
into a whisky ring to defraud
the government of its revenues, and
| when oyertaken and convicted, after a
fair trial, received pardon at the hands
of the nations Chief Executiye2 What
administration but his, in a time of pro-
found peace, before the war or since, up
to its date, has cost the people $3.50, ,000,
600 in one year?
Where now are the evidences of his
financial ability, the triumphs of his
craftsmanship? What did he while in
Office but punish his supposed enemies
and reward his friends, even to the extent
of the most shameless aud disgusting
nepotism.
Mr. Speaker, I have spoken plainly
| because | feel strongly, but | have said
nothing that the facts of history will
not fully prove, aud nothing but what it
is my duty to say as a Representative
upon this floor.
But lest | may be charged with preju-
dice and injustice, | will cali to the stand
witness whose testimony General
Grants friends will not impeach, and
whose whole experience as public man,
at the time of speaking, was had under
! Grants administratiOn-oue who speaks
in no uncertain terms nor minces Ian
guage in his description of things. /
read from the speech of Senator HoAR,
of Massachusetts, delivered in the Senate
on the occasion of the impeachment of
Secretary Belknap. Dir. HoAR said:
My own public life has been very brief
and insignificant one, extending little be-
yond the duration of single term of a
Senatorial office. Bat in that brief period
| have seen five judges OF a high court OF
the United States driven from Office by
| threats OF impeachment for corruption or
maIadm ministration. | have heard the taunt
from friendliest lips that when the United
States presented herself IN the East to take
part with the civilized world in generous
competition in the arts OF life, the only
product of her institutions in which she
surpassed all others beyond question was
her corruption. / have seen IN the State
in the Union foremost in power and wealth
four judges of her courts impeached for cor
ruption, and political administration OF
her chief city become disgrace and a by
word throughout the world. | have seen
the chairman of the Committe on Military
Affairs in the House now distinguished
member of this court, rise IN his place and
demand the expulsion of four OF his asso-
ciates for making sale of their official
privilege OF selecting the youths to be edu-
Gated at our military school. When the
greatest railroad of the world, binding
together the continent and uniting the two
great seas which wash our shores, was fin
ished, | have seen our national triumph
and exultation turned TO bitterness and
shame BY the unanimous reports of the
three committees of Congress, two OF the
/ House and one here, that every step OF that
mighty enterprise had been taken in fraud
| have heard in highest places the shame
less doctrine avowed by men grown old in
public office that the true way by which
power should be gained IN the Republic il
to bribe the people with the offices ereatetl
for their service aud the true end for which
it should be used when gained is the pro-
motion Of selfish ambition and the gratif
! cation of personal revenge. / have heard
that suspicion haunts the footsteps OF tbs
trusted companions of the President.
These things have passed into history
The HaIlam or the Taeitus or the Sismon-
di or the Macaulay who writes the annaI:
of our time will record them with his ex
orable pen.
1 Mr.. Speaker, so impressed were ths
people with the truthfuIness of thi,
word picture, drawn by a master hand
|. that at the next Presidential election
General Grants majority of 760, 900 wa.
overcome, and majority 260,00 giyer
, for Mr.. Tilden, difference of over ons
million votes.
| Here. theL. was a popular verdict a: