The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1855-09-14
MINNIE.
Pennsylvania POlitics-Leiter from VIII
liam B. Reed. Esq.


To Hon. A. J. Curtin, CAqirmaa of the Wliq.
State Committee HarriGburlr-
DEAR SIR ~ beS seSgn my position as a
.asmagr Of the State COMMITTEE, and drsre to
--.- le- reasons which have led n14 to this con
.as.sa. ! asn quite aware that these motives
nav nave 80 interest either TO my late collra-
.u.s0G 70 tie 9uaHc, but am not less satisfied
taat there Is something IN existing political
.l1us calculated 10 affect personal character,
and which admoniSheS every honorable man 10
b. perfectly ingenious and unrrserved as to
what he does In this communication | mean
to be so, and shall BE- very glad, if | am in err
r0r on any matter of fact, that you will correct
ne.
was appointed a member of the State Com
mittee bv the Wing Convention of 1884, which
nominated Mr.. Pollock and Mr.. Darse. To
us was confded the duty Of promoting the sue
Cess ofthat ticket in It's int1grty-Mr. Darsle's
success as much as Mr. PoIIock's. W. were
bound in honor to do all we could for both these
gentlemen, and | can confidently assume that
fany human being, in or out Of the Conven-
ton Or the Committee, had hinted the idea that
one of these candidates was to be sacrificed, 1t
would have been met by a most indignant re-
buke. There was not even an uDdprcurrent OF
Intolerance then. These were Wing nomina-
tons, entrusted to the honor of a Whig Com
mttee
On receiving the intelligence of my appoint
ment. l immediately wrote TO the President of
the Convention, begging, for personal and offic-
al reasons, to be excused from serving. Had
dreamed of what has since occurred, my with
drawl would have been perpmtory, and ] should
! Z e. tEa
party, with which | have acted for thirty years,
endangered, if not destroyed, by sinister and Sc
cret Influences which could not control and
with which might seem TO be implicated
lleIding, however, 10 the urgency OF old and
kind friends, who seemed TO think ] might rem
der some service, | consented 10 act. In one
respect, and but one, aside from the PHEASANT
personal association we have had,l am / glad
served. 1t enabled me, and in this my collea'
CUES of the Committee and our candidates cor
daily co-operated, to aid in assuaging the as
perlties of political conflict, and so to direct the
canvass that little or no personal feeling ming
gIed in it. Sure am that no word of persona
TeProach or unkindness TO Gov. Bgler, or any
individual member OF the Democratic party, EN-
anated from the State Committee. 1t was ii
this particular most decorous contest.
Having agreed to act, took, as you are a
ware, my full share of duty, and attended ever,
meeting Of the Committee, one of which he'll
'hree hundred miles from Gy home.
You will excuse the recapitulaton. 1t is ne
cessaTy to the illustration of the painful, and i
my Judgment, most discreditable sequel t
"hat was so proptiously begun. In the winte
and spring of 1854, two incidents of public in
terrst occurred, which in my opinion were al
tended with the worst consequences-the pass
age OF the Consolidation Bill, and the first eleC
U'on under it. To consolidation, in every forl
IN which ii was presented, / am proud to say
d, @|ays was, and yet am, resolutely opposed
Inc principle was wrong and deusive-the d.
'a'S OF the measure, as has been abundant
proved, were incongruous and imperfect
machinery rIckety-and the manner in whie
Il was forced on the public, no one venturng
''S'S' the spurious sentiment that was stimulate
Vas most unfortunate. It's sad results no OF