Year: 1876

tne Delter 1or the opinions winch he
honestly holds.


| believe there is an instinct of self
preservation that will show the people
OF this country whom to trust and
whom not to trust. l believe in that,
and therefore it is that approach that
contest without fear. Something was
said by the Senator about my looking
to time when the Ku Klux shall re-
turn, and he SAID something about my
being politically associated with such
a class of people. / hardly know how
to answer such suggestions If
there be any act of mine-if my name
has ever been connected with any act
of lawlessness or of dishonor, the SEN
ator has my free permission to point it
out or to obtain it from anywhere in
the world if he thinks he may; and
then he may have justification for his
charges or his innuendoes. | do not
propose to make this Chamber the
theatre for assertion or denunciation.
l have no epithet whatever to throw
back upon him or his State or his par,
ty, He must stand or fall by his own
works. leave him and his speech Of
to day to be answered by the people of
the great, ancient and honorable Com
monweaith of Massachusetts. They
must speak to him because he here as
sumes to have spoken for them. Ii he
has spoken for them, i was going to say
SO much the worse, in my opinion, for
them; but do not believe that he has.
| do not believe he has spoken the
sentiments of Massachusetts in utter
ing words of bitterness and of hate to-
wards the Southern people and dis
trust of those who are here as their
representatives. But in this strain |
nave already continued too long. had
no idea there would be in this matter
a personal remark or personal feeling,
The Senate is no place for it, think
| can refer to my record here in debate
to show that am not wrong in saying
that when | have spoken of the action
of Senators it has been in regard to
their official action, their opinion, and
the record of their printed views
Wherever l have thought that they
tended injuriously to the public inter
ests have not hesltated to say SO, and
l propose to continue this course so


as l remain a member of this body
| Certain it is that the question of ur-


banity, the question of attempting to
educate the Senator from Massachu-
setts in anything like rule of courte,
sy, is something that | should entirely
despair of. | do not propose to at


tempt the task. l did not suggest it,


l merely commented upon what l


thought was a breach of decorum in


the Senate when in asking a question


he injected a political TRADE into my


remarks.


One evil of our times, one great


worng of our times, has seemed to me


in condemning or praising men for


the accident of their opinions. Their


personal character, the degree of re-


spect to which they arc entitled, GER


tainly does not depend upon the result


their mental organism or the object


which may affect their opinions, ]


remember very well that when first


came into this Chamber | was one of a
, minority of about eight men. Then,


as now, | was on what is believed to be


the weaker side, side which the


growing generosity of this country
| towards the South is gradually max
/ ing stronger side, a side which |
trust for the safety of the whole coun-


try will in November next be destined
to be the strongest side; but weather it


is orInot the issue is not,with us, and


it is for each man to do that which


he thinks is right in bringing it about.


l have esteemed men most highly who


differed with me entirely in opinion. l


remember well, upon my first coming


into this body, that | said to gentle


man exceedingly violent in his pro-


scriptlve feeling towards the Southern


people, as | thought, but for whose
personal character | had the highest


respect. "How strange it seems to me


to hear you speak and vote as often as
you do in the Senate, when if your


home had been but few hundred


miles south of where it was you proba-


bly, would have been just as violent ON


the other side, just as positive rebel.
as you call il, you were a Union


man." That gentleman was the late


Mr.. Jacob Nj. Howard, and remem-
ber perfectly his entire assent, saying
he really believed in his heart it was
so. Is it possible that at this stage of
the worlds history men are to be con-
demned, viliied, abused because of
their honest political or other epin-
ion? 1t seems to me very narrow
minded and miserable condition of |
affairs if such things should be. do |
not believe that such a course is at all |
in consonance with the temper or the |
wish or the American people who like |
all great people, are a generous people
They do forgive, except where they
believe that meanness, hypocrisy,
untruth and dishonor have stained the
character of man. When that is so,
they are justified in Withholding from
him their confidence. l am glad in
speaking now Of the coming month Of
November that there is some question
of personal character to enter into the
contest; that the people of this country
will insist that a man shall not be the
mere figure head of party, with its
name stamped upon his forehead; but
he will look below the badge, and they
will see whether the man who bears it
is a consistent man, speaking his con-
conscientious sentiments in victory or
defeat, standing by his principles .whe-
ther they are to lead him into minori-
ties or into majorities. These are to
80 ,bo toete, nnJ tbarafprn for |