But the people respected them, and chose them because they deemed them worthy, and the persons so chosen endeavored to deserve the public confidence.

It would be harder to find a leading supporter of General Butler who will say that he deems him honest, truthful, disinterested, or incapable of using power to gratify both his ambition and his revenge.

The battle with corruption is the duty of the hour.

But this poison, this rotting from the core, is far more dangerous to the Republic.

There is already danger that the operations of the Tweeds and Goulds in New York may be repeated on a more gigantic scale at the National capital.

The mighty railroads to whom our public domain has been so lavishly granted, in some cases I doubt not, wisely, afford infinite opportunity for plunder and corruption.

Our Republic finds itself to- day assailed by a monster as dangerous, unpalpable, soft, horrible but strong--strong as hands of iron.

The limbs of this monster of Corruption have seized upon our noble Republic, but at last there is a head coming in sight, and I think the Republicans of Massachusetts are able to bear the knife and strike the blow which will destroy its…

I quoted these sentences with the following comment: "That, Fellow-citizens, is precisely the difference between Omnipotence and Humbug, between the Almighty and General Butler.

I see that the Greenback candidate for Governor has seen fit to taunt some persons, including myself, who have ventured to exercise the privilege of free speech in this campaign, that they did not go to the war; while he boasts that he not…

Edward Everett preached a sermon when he was twenty-four years old before a large audience in the Representatives Chamber at Washington which was heard with breathless silence.

I bow reverently to the brave, modest, patriotic soldier, who, without thought of personal gain, gave youth, health, limb, life to save the country which he loved.

When Benedict Arnold taunts Jefferson that he did not go into battle in the Revolution, when Aaron Burr taunts John Adams with want of patriotism, then it will be time for you to boast yourself over the men who performed the duties of…

You could hardly take up a morning paper without dreading that you should read of the removal from some position of honor of some brave honest soldier who had deserved well of his country, and the substitution of some disreputable person…

Character is more important than opinion; good name to the State, as to the citizen, is better than riches.

I suppose it is true of each one of you as of myself that among his chief comforts and pleasures in life is his pride in being a Massachusetts citizen.

If we deal differently with General Butler, it is because the difference is in him.

In determining on whom we would confer the title, His Excellency, we have sought a man who represented in his own person our standard of excellence.

We sought a man whom the fathers and mothers of the Commonwealth would be willing to hold up to their children for imitation.

I do not concede for myself that truth is necessarily determined by majorities.

I have a high respect for the people, but they do not change men's characters by their votes.

He has shown an utter want of understanding of the true theory of the Constitution.

His telling Earle to obey his orders on pain of dismissal was as flagrant a violation of law and of the fundamental principles of the Constitution, as it was an injustice to as brave an officer, as honest a man as ever tied a sash around…

I believe every charge he made broke down on his own evidence or was thoroughly refuted.

He has fallen at the very gate of an honorable and eminent career, and a thousand hopes are buried in his grave.