Every  man  knows,  or  ought  to  satisfy  himself  whether  the
principles  and  policy  presented  to  the  people  by  the  Demo-
cratic party  are  such  as  he  approves.  If  they  are,  certainly
his  duty  as  a  citizen  obliges  him  to  indorse  them.  Every
man  ought  to  satisfy  himself  whether  the  candidates  of  the
Democratic  party  are  men  of  such  character  and  ability  that  he  is
willing  to  trust  them  in  the  administration  of  his  State  govern-
ment. If  he  believes  they  are,  he  should  not  withhold  his
support  from  them  upon  any  frivolous  and  irrelevant  pretext.
The  exercise  of  the  right  of  suffrage  is  a  serious  business  ;
and  a  man's  vote  ought  to  express  his  opinion  on  the  questions
at  issue.  This  it  utterly  fails  to  do  if  the  voter  listens  to  the
ravings  of  our  opponents,  and  allows  his  vote  merely  to  record
the  extent  to  which  he  has  yielded  to  the  misleading  and
cunningly  devised  appeals  to  his  prejudices,  made  in  behalf  of  a
desperate  and  discredited  minority.  Such  a  vote  does  not
influence,  in  the  least,  the  real  settlement  of  any  of  the  weighty
matters  of  policy  and  principle  upon  which  the  people  are
called  to  pronounce  judgment.
If  enough  such  votes  should  be  given  to  cause  a  false  ver-
dict in  the  State,  those  who  should  contribute  to  that  result,
and  thus  become  disloyal  to  their  beliefs,  would  find  every-
thing but  satisfaction  in  their  self-reproach,  and  in  their  sense
of  degradation  which  would  follow  the  unconcealed  contempt
of  those  partisans  who  had  duped  them  for  the  purpose  of  thus
gaming  a  party  advantage  not  otherwise  possible.
In  conclusion,  I  desire  to  disclaim  any  fear  that  the  business
men  of  New  York  can   be  thus  deluded.     They  will  not  only


3i6  <;PEECHES    nV  POLITICAL    CANVASSES.
