personal fortunes. If my own reëlection two years hence depends on my favoring or appearing to favor the return and endorsement of those who perverted and destroyed that great movement which, if conducted according to our idea, would have saved the Republic from so wretched a situation as the present,—then I say without hesitation, I cannot pay such a price for a seat in the Senate. We have now to deal with a condition of things too serious to be trifled with. And I entreat you as a true friend, not to involve yourself in this thing. You will compromise your own future and some day keenly regret it. It is for your own sake as well as that of interests greater in importance than your or my fortunes, that I speak so earnestly.
I conclude from other advices I have received that most of my friends think about this matter very much as I do and believe the election of some other candidate eminently probable. I shall write to Preetorius about this matter to-day. . . .
ELECTION OF SENATOR CALDWELL[1]
Mr. President:—Every Senator who has spoken upon the subject before us has treated it as a matter of most painful interest; and quite naturally so, for nobody could approach it without reluctance. It is hardly possible that there should be the least personal or political bias in this debate, at least none unfavorable to the gentleman most nearly concerned. As far as I know, the conduct of the Senator from Kansas on this floor has been uniformly inoffensive and courteous. He has, I presume, no personal enemy here. We also know that in case he should
- ↑ Speech in the U. S. Senate, March 14, 1873, on the resolution declaring that Alexander Caldwell was not duly and legally elected a Senator from the State of Kansas.
