Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 3.djvu/192

166 Convention at Baltimore. Upon that platform I stood then, and upon it I faithfully stand to-day. Democrats, where are you? In making that declaration of principles, I was in earnest. If your leaders betrayed their declared faith, what right have they to accuse me of deserting my cause, when I resist its betrayal by them?

Again, they pretend that from opposition to President Grant I have turned round to speak for him and promote his reëlection. Let us see. In the verbatim report of a speech made by Governor Allen at Mansfield I find the following language:

I have some reason to believe, and not a small reason either, that Grant, in his secret heart, wants the Democracy to carry Ohio, in order that it may be said by his partisans: Now, no other man can rescue the country but Grant; therefore, we must have Grant. ”

You, Democrats, will certainly not accuse your candidate for the governorship of telling a deliberate untruth. If he says he has good reason to believe that President Grant desires the Democracy to carry Ohio, then, of course, his reasons must be good. We have Governor Allen's word for it. Now I, for my part, do not wish to see President Grant's secret desires gratified on this point. I am as honestly and earnestly as ever opposed to President Grant's renomination, and, therefore, I am honestly and earnestly opposed to the furtherance of that renomination by the success of the inflation Democracy in Ohio. If there are any Grant men in this campaign, they are those who advocate Governor Allen's election, not I.

The truth is, there were a set of Republican politicians who thought they could permit themselves any iniquity if they only raised the cry of “rebel.” There seem to be now a set of Democratic politicians who think they can permit themselves any iniquity if they only raise the cry