The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1842-06-02
LETTER FROM THE HON. T. l..
HAMER.


SIR. \ friend has handed ME your paper
of the fifth inst, in which you express de~
sire 10 hear from the author of the West UTi-
oy resolutions" whether i is tie design Of
himself and his associates 10 separate from the
democratic party, as organized Oh the 9Th OF
January last The liberal manner in which
you have treated our proceedings proves equal
ly your good sense and your knowledge OF hu-
man nature. 1t has drawn from me an expIa-
natlOn, which never could have been extor'ed
by the ili~advised attacks of the "Ohio States-
MANI or the coarse Vulgares Of the "CIn-
cInnati Enquirer" What democratic editors
promise themselves, by throwing fire-brands
into the party and denouncing men who were
doing service in the battlefield before they en-
listed, and who will, in all probability, be-
found fighting in the ranks after thOse EDITORS
have loft uo and gene to paris unknown lis
more than can tell. Their denunGialions have
no ierrovo 70, me. have lived 10 but little pur-
pose, for the last twenty years, if few sour
rllIous newspaper articles can shake public
confidence in my integrity as man, or IN my
stability and fidelity as democrat.
lie. mo oay then, frankly, TO you, that no
'genteman" at the meeting in West Union
ever thought Of separating himself from the
great body Of the democratic party. Every
maa at that meeting will vote for Wilson
Shannon next October, and for democratic
candidates for Congress and for the Staio
Legislature. But in selecting the latter, we
shall reject ell RECKLESS demagogues;" ultra,
violent politicians" and "hard money men,
pre!erring sound, consistent, firm democrats,
who are practical business men, and tavora
bic to such banking system as is described
in our first resolution namey,-one that will
give fair prophet TO the bankers-be perfectly
safe TO the people, and furnish currency
al all times convertible into gold and silver, at
the will of the holder. We intend 10 select,
men, too, who will not be awed by frowhs,
seduced by fattery, or terrified by the columns
of the Cincinnati Enquirer or the Ohio States
man, from obeying the wishes of their coma
stituents; men who will not vote for mea-
sure, because the wings are against il; nor a.
| gains; one. because the wings are for il; men
who will act according 10 the dictates Of their
own judgment, in promoting the greatest good
to the greatest number and securing the gen.
eral prosperity of the Commonwealth.
You are right in supposing that our resolu-
tion describes such system of banking, as the
democratic party has been contendiOg for,
since the general suspension in 1887. But,
we differ with you in thinking there was noth-
ing done last winter Of which we ought to com
| plain. The difference is one, however, that in
wolves no fundamental principle of democracy.
ItinvoIves questions ofpolcy and expediency
alone. Such differences will always exist a.
mong men Of the same faith in politics, as we'll
as in Religion. Liberal minded men indulge
mutual lorbearauce towards each other, and
thus produce harmony in general movements;
imprudent zealots, narrow minded bigots and
petty despo!s resort 10 persecution and denun-
citation, and by such means create schisms,
and subdivisions, which result in general de-
feat of the entire party, and a disappointment
Of its purposes and objects.
We do no. complain that Resumption was
required by the Legislature. The whole DEM
ocracy party were for that. Sol believe,
were a large majority Of the whig party. The
election last fall was decision in favor Of the
axiom" "resume or wind up" The people
demanded this at the hands Of the Legislature
but, die time and the manner Of resumption,
wsrs lef, entirely 10 their discretion. Did they
act wisely as to the time and the manner?
Aboutthal, there is a diferance of opinion
| think the resumption should have been grad
| uaI:beginipg on five dollar notes on the 4th Of
| March, on notes ofte dollars on tine 4th Of
April; on twenty dollar notes on the 4lh Of
| MAY on filties the 4lh Of June and SO on,
| This would have, prevented a run on the banks;
would hav retained the specie in Ohio instead
of sending it to other States to aid their banks
in resuming and would have kept our Ohio
bank paper in circulation among the people in
stead of driving it all in upon the banks to be
taken up by Eastern drafts, without, giving US
anycurrency In exchange foriL In This part
ofOhio We have currency but Indiana paper,
with now and then Struggling Kentucky
bank bill. There is neither specie, nor Ohio
napsr TO be seen.-Sbould the Indiana bank
fail to resume and take in her paper we would
be literally without currency of any kind,
The people eau neither pay nor collect debts
and our indebtedness is much greater than It
has ever been at any former period since our
existence asa State. We think our condI'ion
would have been better under . gradual re-
sumption than It is under the law Of the last
session, In this belieftho West UalOn meet
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