Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1842-09-17
LETTER FROM SENATOR AL
LEN OF OHIO, IN REPLY TO AN
INVITATION TO ATTEND THE
YOUNG MEMS CONVENTION
OF THAT STATE:
Washington City, July 90, 1870.

NY Gear elr-Your obliging letter of
the 9Th inst. came to me several DAYS
since; and would have been immediately
answered but FOE the pressure Of business
with which ! could not dispense. ..
ishould be grutiiied, ! assure you, were
it in my power to attend, as YOU invite
me, the Young Mems State Convention,
on the 2Sth inst. should be grhtified for
other reasons; but especially so, that
might there be able to take once more, by
The hand, hundreds of the noble spirits
whom it is my pride to call personal, as
well as political friends; and with many
of whom became first acquainted when
trayersing the state, to offer my little aid
in the contest Of 1888, and in the more
terrible struggle of 1910. But the mad
ness of the dominant majority seems likely
to make this session of Congress as long
as II has already made it odious; and
have, therefore, no prospect of being pres.
ent in person In soul, and in sentiment,
however, ! shall be with the Democracy
then, and always, whilst | have reason
enough left to appreciate the value Of free.
dom. ...
When the convention meets, 1t will find
the Federal Government, for the first time
brought down by its own acts. ia sixteen
months Of the proioundest space, to a point
of distress as low and as humiliatng as
could well have resulted from the most
pr>lracled and disastrous war. This
great calamity is the first born offspring of
Federalism, since it assumed the name of
Whiggery, and embodied its principles &
Its passions in the form of a National
Administration.
For many years prior 10 1910, the lea
ders of that party had been busily collect
ing into a common focus all the diseased
elements Of society. 10 that year they
forsl the public mind fretfuI and restless.
They found thousands Disconnected, whom
the reaction of their own system Of cur
rencv and credit had ruined. They
found banks bankruptcy, Incidence, ava
rice, rapaclty, impudence, venaIity, profit
gacy, cupidity and fraud, all standing rea-
dy to league with ambition for the power
and plumber Of the country. The league
was formed, and every feeling Of the hui
man heart, that lay within the reach Of
terror or corruption, was then stimulated
into revolt against the Democratic party.
The prices of all things were suddenly
reduced, because the politicians had
prompted the banks thus TO aggravate the
public distresses, by the reduction Of their
discounts and circulation. The people
were openly treated with contempt, by
the brutality of the appeals made to their
senses. Fraud and folly, the most crmi-
nal and ridiculous, were employed 10 dis
tract their attention, bewilder their minds
and misead their action. To aHectther
lmsginations, everything, from the gor.
geous ensign Of the Republic, with IFS
stars and stripes streaming from its hall
yards; down TO the skin of the most loath-
some skunk, was displayed 10 the popular
eye. Globes and cabins, banners &.hush-
es, barrels and brutes, haraugue and mu.
sic, revelry and leasli0g, the song aud the
bottle, imprecalions, blasphemy, badges
and bufonery-all things that could min
lister TO confusion, were made TO chime 10
the general din. Reason was silenced in
the turmoil, and truth, for once IN our
country, yielded its empire 10 falsehood,
fraud and frivoIity. If these leaders con.
descend, for moment, TO speak seriously
to the peoPle,t was but TO denounce things
as abuses which did not exist, and to
make pledges of reform they never intcn.
ded to fulfil They deplored the scarcity
of money they had themselves occasioned
and promised abundance on their access
sion to power. They condemned remov-
al from office, for the sake Of opinion, and
Heaven to witness that this pracuce
should cease. They promised the unfoF.
tunate PREPARATION Ct his fortunes--the
laborer an increase Of his wages-the far.
mer an addition to his prices--the hope
less OF every description the qualification
OF being soon surprised in their despon.
dency by the timely bounty of Gov'nment
to be distributed among them. To the
nation at large, they promised opulence
and contentment, the restoration Of law
and order, the healing Of all wounds, the
restitution OF all rights, the reparation Of
all wrongs, the cure Of all ills. the remedy
OF all disorders, the observance of all obli-
cations, the reduction of all burden, econ
omy 10 all things, security, plenty and
happiness to all men. Thus was excited
every passion ofour nature, to lis exlrem-
est limit, by all the means which the joint
energies OF ambition and rapacity could
employ. Thus was the public heart torn
and lacefated 1.-The public mind stung and
goaded, add thus was an Administration,
conducted by men Ofhonor, ability, and