Year: 1872

| choose between the deSpot15m OF the
majority of Legislative body and
that of one man, should not hesi-
tate to prefer the latter; nor would
the country do so long. The Demo
cratic government of my choice is
one of limited powers, which deals
with common interests, and where
people have homogeneous feelings
with myself. l prefer such rs we
once had, with powers distributed as
by the Constitution of the United
States among different assemblies, 30
rs to over-task none with so many
subjects rs to deprive any Of the
proper means for dclibcrating and
forming u common opinion. 1t ig
for you, my friends, and for tho poo
pie Of tho United States, to dGtor-
mine this great question in regard TO
the future form and spirit of our
Government. Is it to be Govern
ment of the many, or the few2 For
myself, ms / said before, / have as
little TO hope or fear personally from
the result of this election as any 9TH
er man in the country.


But / have entertained the belief
for long time that our people were
planted here upon n mission of iber-
ty and popular government, not only
to make . great march in human
progress themselves, but to take the
world along with them, TO develop
new modes of strength and happi-
| s,,s sba uGasu1 -
consolidate liberty and TO suggest
plans of moral Improvement to ele-
yate the raco. This was the noble
purpose for which / had hoped we
were placed here with so many ia
voring opportunities 10 write great
schemes Of human-liberty and prog
ross on the idbuiG Tasa Of new con-
tinent, and TO teach by our example
grander philosophy Of human rights
and popular government than the
world has yet seen or could under
stand without personal illustration Of
their truth. These hopes and expec-
ta;ions were perhaps extrayagant, but
twenty years ago how many of our
| people entertained them; but / CON
fesg that | should regret TO be forced
to the conclusion that they were IL
lusions and dny-drcams at best, and
yet to what other conclusion can /
come if the people should prove un-
true TO themselves upon the great is
sues now before them? know that
much is said and done to deceive the
people aui misdirect them upon
false issues. Suspicious are sugges-
ted to influence the public mind so
absurd that / can hardly conceive
how an intelligent people can be in
duced 10 entertain them. Among
other things, it is said that il Greeley
| be elected the war debt Of the South
Is To be paid, and this. too, in the
| face OF :hc Constitution which for
| bids it. Can any man believe that
three fourths of the States will be
found ready TO change that instru-
meut TO effect such purpose? Ger
tainly no man i'll the South believes
it; and if there be n man in all that
region who enteitains fancy SO ab-
surd, | have neither seen nor heard
| of him.


TIE HOPE or THE SOUTH.


The Radical party seems to sup
pose that if tho South votes for #
man it is enough to cause him to be
suspected, and If no good grounds
can be found for entertaining such c
position, they are neither ashamed
nor afraid to trump up charge SO
absurd as this. This is not q good
symptom of the times, or at least of
tie state of feeling in tie Radical
party. More than seven years have
elapsed since the war, and the South,
absolutely within their power, has
been ruled by their will, and still if
she goes one way it seems to be q
sufficient reason for them to go an
other. Fcllow-citizens, the South
supports Greeley and Brown upon
the issues l have been discussing.
OF course, if elected, they will ex-
pect from them pure government,
some reform in the civil service, and
a better regulation of the vast pat
ronage of the General Government.
Beyond these objects Of general well
fare, they expect nothing of which l
ever heard.


They look for nothing, as far as /
know their opinions of sectional or
exceptional good, but of such trans
cendent Importance do they regard
the peace OF the country and the To-
cal self-government of the States, SO
far as the Constitution has provided,
that they willingly pass by the con-
sideration of all other subjects, high
ly interesting as they may deem
them. They will not neglect the at
tainable for the unattainable, espe-
cially when they think they have
within their reach objects of such inn
portance as those I have described.
1t used to be objected to the South
and particularly to my native State,
that they were not practical.


We have learned some wisdom in
this regard. A more practical, and
in some respect wiser people than
the whites of the South you will
hardly find in this or in any other
country. 1t is more than two years
since the people of my own State,
finding that they must either give up
the right of self-governmento or adopt
q Constitution opposed in many re-
spects to their interests, their habits,
and spirit, wisely adopted that Con-
stitution and placed its administra-
ton in the hands of native of your
own State. Experience has shown
that they were right. They have es-
capped the debts and other enormities