Speech

RESPONSE OF HON, CHARLES SUMNER HAMLIN, Assistant Secretary U. S. Treasury, TO THE TOAST: "Our National Administration," AT THE JACKSON DAY BANQUET, HELD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATS OF THE MIDDLE STATES, At the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago; JANUARY 8, 1897. Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis with the able co-operation of the Secretary of the Treasury, maintained in the United States the gold standard of value, the standard of the civil- ized world, originally given to this country in 1834 by Andrew Jackson. Unmindful of personal criticism and abuse which might well have made a strong man hesitate, he has steadfastly kept in view the one end—the MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN : greatest good of the greatest nuinber of our people. The courteous invitation to address you this evening was to me both The Democratic National platform, adopted at Chicag.o in 1892, de- an agree,able surprise and a call to duty in the name of Democracy which manded the repeal of the Federal election laws, the McKinley tariff law no loyal Democrat could ignore. and the Sherman silver purchase law. True to that platfoma the Federal We meet to-day to pay our tribute of affection, respect, and honor to electiS n laws were repealed. The McKinley Tariff Act was swept from a typical American ; one who achieved great and deserved fame ; the statute book and the present law substituted. While this present law who was prmninent before the people as a judge, legislator, a distin- iS not all that we had hoped for, yet it is at least a step in the right direc- guished soldier, and President of the United States. No American ever tion. So far from our markets beina flooded with imports under the new lived who was nearer or dearer to the people of the country. No one law, as predicted by our politicar opponents, we find our Republican was ever more devoted by precept and practice to what he believed to be frienI- criticizing the measure because it does not produce sufficient the people's cause than was Andrew Jackson. revenue to support the Government, which is merely another way .of His life was marked by a fearless deterrnination to do what he con- stating that under its operation there have not been imported enough ceived to be his duty ; however much we may differ from him as to the fI'n goods toraise the revenue we need. propriety or expediency of individual acts, we must all concede to him The purchasing clauses of the so-called Sherman silver purchasing rigid honesty of purpose and high integrity of character. law were also repealed with Republican assistance, and thus was Whether we consider the Nullification Proclamation, the war against removed that menace to the industrial prosperity of our country the United States Bank, the French spoliation message, the Specie circu- The pablic credit has b fearlessly maintained, and this in the face lar, or the Gold Bill, we find the same evidence of strength of will and of a diminished surplus and a consequent dwindling gold reserve. hat determination a purpose. In his message to Congress concerning the surplus, it would seem. was unwisely reduced by the last administration recognition of the independence of Texas, he rises to lofty statesmanship by purchase, at a premium, of the public debt a a time when expendi- rarely surpassed in our state papers. tures were increasing and revenues tending to decrease. The present In honoring him let us also render honor to other illustrious administratiI n in issuing bonds to protect the gold reserve, has in effect statesmen who, in the present, as was Jackson in the past, are but reissued those bonds which the last adininistration unwisely pur- leaders of our political faith. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts chased and canceled. vies with the State- of Illinois in its affection for that great leader, 5 5ssin„.7, from domestic to foreign relations the Adstration has cer- John M. Palmer. It also extends its grateful thanks to the Common- tainly achieved most notable successes. By the treaty with Japan we were wealth of Kieintucky for the services rendered by another statesman in the first to recognize that country as a civzed Nation. Chile acknowl- our recent struggle to preserve the honor and credit of our country — •e lges complete restoration of friendship. We have exercised a watchful Simon B. Buckner. They stand forth to-day pre-eminently as represent- care over Americans in Armenia. We have confidence that history will ing courage and conscience in politics. They fought a noble fight, and apIlaud the withdrawal of the treaty of annexation with Hawaii— though defeated, as was to be expected, their defeat was but a stepping- a treaty which, if ratified, would have given incidentally a pension of stone to a victory of sound principles of finance and a vindication of our $20,000 a year for life to the" b arbarous beheading" Hawaiian queen, National honor. By their courage and patriotism they have claiL!ams upon a, Senator Hoar politely charactelized her, and the further sum to her the gratitude of all our people, and especially those who have earned the daughter of $150,000, all to be mised by taxation upon the A merican right. by practice as well as profession, in the present as in the past, to people. call themselves National Democrats The long-standing Mora claim ag9,inst Spain_bas beeiLEetiled. The Commonwealth of Kentucky has given us another etninent The attitude of the aAministration towards the Cuban revolt, SD clearly statesman—one of her brightest jewels, the intellectual peer of any laid IS in the President's recent message to Congress, is so fresh in living public man—that faithful public servant, the Secretary of the your memories that it need not be alluded to here. It may be well, Treasury, John .•. True to his chief, our great President, however, th recall one historical parallel. regardless of personal consequences, he flung himself into the breach On December twenty-one, 1836. President Jackson sent a message to in the recent conflict, and by his intellectual vigor, his cogent reason- Congress in relation to Texas. The two Houses of Congress, at the pre- ing and his brilliant oratory, did perhaps more than any other man ceding session, had passed resolutions favoring the acknowledgment of to insure the preservation of our National honor. Texan •$'.... :it h1ad in operation a civil government Massachusetts at different periods in our country's history has capable of performing the duties and fulfiling the obligations of an presented to the Nation great men. The name of Adams will never independent power. be forgotten. The whole country acknowledges the ability and states- Having investigated the matter, Jackson sent a message to Congress inanship of Daniel Webster ; we cherish the memory of Charles Sumner ; advising. against recognition. I quote the following : with equal pride we present the name of another citizen,t he worthy suc- true tha, with regard to Texas, the civil authority of Mexico cessor of Clay, Webster, Marcy and Seward—the present Secretary of has been expelled, its invading army defeathd, the chief of the Republic State, Richard Olney. hinaself captured, and all present power to control the newly-organized We gather here this evening as Democrats to do honor to Democrats. government of Texas annihilated within its confines. But, on the other Let us renew our allegiance to the great principles of our faith, and to the hand, there is in appearance at least, an immense disparity of physical illustrious leaders of our party from Madison to Grover Cleveland. Let forcS on the side of Texas. The Mexican Republic, under another us with renewed vigor press forward with perfect confidence that in the executive, is rallying its rces under a new l,eader and m nanccieng a fresh future as in the past these principles will lead us to victory. nvasone er its lofsot dom We believe all men are free and equal ; that sovereign power is vested pon scsouve o hea n ndepende of Texas in the people ; that the greatest good of the greatest number should may be considered as suspended ; and were there nothing peculiar in the be the chief maxim of government. These principles are as simple relative situation of the United States and Texas, our acknowledgment as they are grand ; as old as they are true ; cherished for genera- of its independence at such a crisis could scarcely be regarded as tions, they have been handed down from father to son as a sacred herit- consistent with that prudent reserve with which we have heretofore age. We point to them as the justification of our course in the past ; we held ourselves bound to treat all similar questions. But there are here announce that we shall follow them implicitly in the future. cumstances in the relations of the two countries which require us to act The National Democratic party, accepting these principles as the basis S n this occasion with even more than our wonted caution. of its political faith, becomes at once welded together into a common He then states that these circumstances consist in tile fact that a large unity of purpose. It can be bounded by no sectional limitations, by no majority of the civilized inhabitants are emigranth from the United Mason and Dixon's line, other than the common boundaries of our Statesthe government of Texas is of the same form as our own ; country. It represents liberal, progressive ideas as opposed to narrow and that admission to the Union is openly desired by the residents conservatism. Its motto is forward, not backward. Its path is that of there. progress, not decadence. Its song is one of hope, not of reminiscence, a song of promise. He continues: The toast, "O ur National Administration," has been responded to "P rudence, therefore, seems to dictate that we should still stand aloof, again and again in the hearts of the people during the la,st few- months. a,nd maintain our present attitude, if na until Mexico itself,o r one of the The administration a our great leader, the people's leader, President great foreign powers, shall recognize the independence oft he new Govern- Cleveland, has been true to the principles of the Democratic faith. He ment, at least until the lapse of time, or the course of events shall have has carried the banner of Democracy aloft, with unsullied hands. With a proved beyond cavil or dispute, the ability of the people of that country firmness and strength of purpose almost unknown in our history he has, to maintain their separate sovereignty and to uphold the Government Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis constituted by them. Neither of the contending parties can justly corn plain of this course. By pursuing it, we are but carrying out the long- established policy of our Government—a policy which has secured to us respect and influence abroad and inspired confidence at home." Thus spoke "Old Hickory," the hero of New Orleans, the valiant soldier who knew no fear. His words are commended to those who would impair our influence abroad and ruin all domestic confidence by their desire for precipitate ill-advised action at the present time. It is unnecessary here more than to refer in passing to the Venezuelan boundary dispute, and to the great message of the President, followed by the proposed treaty of arbitration to decide the differences between Vene- zuela and Great Britain. We are, further, apparently on the threshold of a general treaty of arbitration between Great Britain and the United States, and it is sate to say that if such a treaty is enacted into law, it will be one of the grandest achievements in the history of the human race. Underneath the foreign policy of the President lies the deep conviction that the Government of the United States is great enough. and strong enough to do what is right. He has sought for his country "all that National prosperity," again to quote Jackson," which can be derived from an intercourse with foreign nations, guided by those eternal principles of justice and reciprocal good will, which are binding as well upon states as • the individuals of whom they are composed." The study of international law should teach us that the selfish idea of national prosperity, that what is one nation's gain is another's loss, is gradually giving way to a broader and grander conception. Statesmen now realize that with nations as with individuals the permanent prosper- ity of one is best achieved by the prosperity of all; that the interdepend- ence of man upon man, of nation upon nation, makes progress perma- nent and not ephemeral. Every law or treaty which interferes with this interdependence points to retrogression, which, carried to its logical end, would array nation against nation, people against people, class against class, and finally man against man. It is painful indeed to realize that during the late struggle former com- rades were opposed to us. But we must not forget that they are still our brothers. united to us by bonds growing out of the real underly- ing principles of our political faith upon which they and we agree and for which in the good old times together we have fought. Forgetful, therefore, of the past, and mindful only of the future, let us stretch out our hands to them and beg them to turn from the false light—the will o' the wisp--of Populism and face towards the sacred fires of Democracy which we have kept burning and share with us their warm, beneficent glow. In the present condition of public affairs we should steadfastly proclaim and practice the principles of true Democracy. Let us pledge ourselves to render to the new coming Administration patriotic assistance to secure needed reforms in our financial system. Let us here announce that whenever a call is made upon us to help sustain the honor and credit of our Government, that call will not be made in vain. The safety of the State is to us the supreme law. In the recent struggle we but responded to the toast given once by Jackson, "Our Federal Union, it must be preserved." We should not forget, however, that we are Democrats and not Repub- licans. We should not seek as Democrats to dictate to our Republican friends their future political course. The responsibility for that rests with them, and will be passed upon by the people two years from now. In a spirit of kindness let us only hope that they will not be carried to such excesses of party zeal as shall make non-partisan unity of action in future emergencies difficult if not impossible. As I speak, my mind is unconsciously filled with memories of the past, oft hose good old days when shoulder to shoulder we marched against the Republican forces, united by a common purpose, and filled with enthusi- asm and vigor which no defeat could quell. Some of those valiant leaders have been taken from us by death, but the inspiration of their leadership we can never forget. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts mourns to-day for one of its most distinguished sons. The memory of William E. Russell will be forever green, and his grave will be for all time a sacred shrine for the Democracy of his native State. He gave his very life-blood for his party. Let us march forward inspired by the thoughts of Jefferson, Jackson, Cleveland, Carlisle, Palmer, and Russell. We have work ahead to do. Let us maintain the principles of the Indianapolis platform. Let us insist in the future as in the past that taxation should be limited by the necessities of Government economically administered; let us reform our financial system. Let us, further, repeal the barbarous navigation laws which have swept our foreign commerce from the seas. Our sailors, once the heroes of our songs, are now toilers in our work- shops, and the beautiful sea, once covered by our snow-white sails, is now a closed reservation, along which our people may build houses, but upon which they are not permitted to encroach. But a change I believe will soon be at hand. Let every Democrat, gird up his loins and, dropping wild vagaries born of unrest and discon- tent, fight for the principles of Jefferson, Jackson, and Cleveland, and victory again will be ours. Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Charles S. Hamlin (1897, January 7). Speech. Speeches, Federal Reserve. https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/speech_18970108_hamlin

@misc{wtfs_speech_18970108_hamlin,
  author = {Charles S. Hamlin},
  title = {Speech},
  year = {1897},
  month = {Jan},
  howpublished = {Speeches, Federal Reserve},
  url = {https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/speech_18970108_hamlin},
  note = {Retrieved via When the Fed Speaks corpus}
}