A great war; the time which follows a great war; great public debts; currency and values inflated; the exertion of new and extraordinary powers for the safety of the State; the sudden call of millions of slaves to a share in the Government--any one of these things would be expected to create great disturbances, and give rise to great temptations and great corruptions.

Our term of office has seen them all combined.

And yet I do not scruple to affirm that not only has there been less dishonesty and maladministration in the sixteen years of Republican rule proportionally to the numbers and wealth of the people than in the first sixteen years after the inauguration of Washington, but there has been less absolutely of those things.
"Now, Mr.Speaker, I do not wish to be misunderstood.

I do not wish to be misrepresented in this matter.

Let no man assert that I refer to the evils of those days as either excuse or palliation for the evils of ours.