Year: 1860

/


out of the House by the Constitution, and Mr.


Douglas to come in in his place as one of the


three highest candidates. Is Mr.. Douglas


any more promising agent of reform Not a


bit. In the Senate of the United States he


has but single friend, and he is certain to


lose him next year; whilst in the House the


number OF his friends can scarcely be said to


exceed twenty. 1t would seem then that, so


lar as effective assistance in the great work is
| concerned, there is little to choose between


these two. Each of them is equally powerless


In controlling the means of executing his de-


signs. Then, again, you should call to mind


the circumstances under which the election of
| either OF these candidates would be made. He


must be chosen by the House of Representa-


tives. That is to say you will, with your eyes
| open, put either Mr.. Bell or Mr.. Douglas into
| that body, to take his chances against Mr..
Lincoln. In other words, you will set one


candidate for reform against another, with no
| expectation of electiDg your friend, excepting
| by the aid of the adherents of Mr.. Breckin-


ridge, who are known to be totally opposed to
| reform. shall not now enlarge upon the dan
| gers to which the country will be exposed by
| the process of an election in the House. nor
upon the opening it would make to all sorts of
| intrigue, and to corruption even worse than


any we are trying to break up. The time has
been when many of the worthy and respecta-


BILE citizens who seem now to look with COM


placency upon the possibility OF squeezing
Mr.. Bell into such scene, were among the
loudest to deprecate the happening of any
such contingency, and to exhort their fellow


citizens not to throw away their votes, which


could elect good candidate, in the wild ex-
pectaton of helping the cause of some third
person who could not be chosen.


l remember that was the talk in 1874, when


we were many of us engaged in the advocacy


of Henry Clay against Mr.. James K. Polk.


Iremember that at that time did what could,


within the range of my feeble powers, to pre-
sent that doctrine to the minds of those who


were leaning to the support of third candi-
date L remember. also that many of them
persevered in their policy; and that through
| their action Mr.. Clay was defeated, and Mr..
| Polk was finally elected. And the, issue of
that election, and its effect upon the subse-
quent policy of the country, we all know.
Just so it may again be now, supposing any
friends of reform to vote for Mr.. Bell or for
Mr.. Douglas. well knowing that the election of
either OF them by the people is utterly out of
the question, but hoping that by some sort of
legerdeman, by hook or by crook if the cleo
tion can be defeated by the people, and they
can go into the House of Representatives,


one or the other of them will succeed there.


How is he to do it excepting through the votes


of the Administration States friends of Mr..


Breckinridge Surely the Republicans will


not abandon their strong ground. 1t would be


unreasonable to expect so large party to move


foot from the position they occupy as the


true friends of reform. To trade or to barter


or to higgl for votes at the expense of their


principles, would at once shatter the confidence


in their honesty, which is their only solid ba-


sis of support. But if there can be little hope


in that quarter, then these reformerS must go


to their opponents to those who uphold the


present administration, to those who have been


giving contenance to, if they have not them


selves been actively engaged in, the very abu


ses which it is the object of all honest men to


correct. OF course it follows that any combi-


nation made with these persons that will Sc


cure the election of either of the candidates
can only be made by surrender, or at least
compromise of the hostility which should ami
mate them against the commission of wrong
by them. Need | add that an election alone
would not be enough? 1t would be absolutely
indispensable to person chosen to have some
basis broad enough TO rest his administration
upon. That basis must be made OF those who
vote for him. 1t will then happen that the
very class of people who are now held respon-
sible for their misdeeds must be continued in
Office to contend with Republican opposition
not disposed to qualify, or compromise or toll
crate the wrong doers. In other words, there
would be no change, no reform at all, and the
work would yet remain to be done at some fu-
ture election.


lfIhave made myself understood, then think
you will see that the only way by which we
u
by efiecting choice by the popular vote, in


the first instance. And this can only be done


by uniting heartily in the support of Abraham
Lincoln. We all know that this canvass diff
ters in its nature from any preceding one for
twenty five years past. We all know that if
Abraham Lincoln be not elected by the peo-


Pile, there is n probability that any body else
will be. 1t is for us to determine whether he
shall be President by our votes. or whether
somebody else whom We may not desire shall


have a chance to wriggle through the House


of Representatives. This is the true ques-
ton: and if you are really the friends of re-
form which you profess to be, the only way o.
pen to your success is through the elevation
of ABRAHAM LINCOLN and of his friends, who,
with your aid, are numeeous enough, and de
termined enough to carry their point, in the
face of all the resistance that can be combined
into opposition.


But, independently of all considerations con-
nected with the practicability OF executing any
movement of reform whatever, there is anoth-
er and potent reason why the selection of A
braham Lincoln as the agent is absolutely an
imperative duty. A reform, to be in any way
beneficial, must be searching and thorough.
1t must go down to the very root of the mat
ter. Now, however much the professions may
be sounded abroad from the other parties, there
are reasons connected with the nature of their
position and alliance which render it hardly |
reasonable to anticipate from them any very
energetic effort to probe the abuses ofthe pres
ent government to the core. 1t is the Repub-
lcan party alone which declares its wish to ex-
pose the influence which the advocates of sla-
very exert in introducing and perpetuating
these abuses in the General Government. 1t
is here that the real trouble is to be found. 1fl
any of you have doubt of this, let him look
at the evidence in the Covode investigation.
article Lecompton. Then he will see what
slavery has to dowith corruption. Everything
else is merely superficial The true evil is to