une:

"So much fault is found with the Springfield speech by the opponents
of the Republican party, and so many accusations made of inconsistency
with the Nashville speech, that perhaps you may say--what you meant
--what the foremost purpose was in both cases?"

"I meant my Springfield speech to be an historical statement of
the position of the two parties and their tendencies and aims in
the past and for the future. In this respect it differed from the
Nashville speech, which was made to persuade the people of the
south, especially of Tennessee, that their material interests would
be promoted by the policy of the Republican party."

"Do you find anything in the Springfield speech to moderate or
modify?"

"I do not think I said a word in the Springfield speech but what
is literally true, except, perhaps, the statement that 'there is
not an intelligent man in this broad land, of either party, who
does not know that Mr. Cleveland is now President of the United
States by virtue of crimes against the elective franchise.' This
may be too broad, but upon a careful analysis I do not see how I
could modify it if fair force is given to the word 'intelligent.'"

"You stand by the speech, then?"

"Well, since the speech has been pretty severely handled by several
editors whom I am bound to respect, I have requested it to be
printed in convenient form, and intend to send it to these critics
with a respectful request that they will point out any error of
fact contained in it, or any inconsistency between it and my
Nashville speech."

"You do not admit that the two speeches are in two voices?"

"I can discover no inconsistency. And now, after seeing and
weighting these criticisms, I indorse and repeat every word of both
speeches. It may be that the speech was impolitic, but, as I have
not usually governed my speeches and conduct by the rule of policy,
as distinguished from the rule of right, I do not care to commence
now."

"What about the persistent charge of unfriendliness to southern
people and the accusation that you are shaking the bloody shirt?"

"I do not see how the arraignment of election methods that confessedly
destroy the purity or the sanctity of the ballot box, and deprive
a million of people of their political rights, can be ignored or
silenced in a republic by the shoo-fly cry of 'bloody shirt.'"

"Is there no hope of persuasion of the southern people at large to
see the justice of the demand for eq