Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-07-12

Henry G. Murphy, John Kelly, Isaac " Fowler,
Thomas Wheean, Esqrs., and others Com
mittee &c.
From the Hon. Martin Yam Buren,.
LNDENwALD. June %, 1856. :
| GENTLEMEN / feel myself honored by the
invitation of the Tammany Society to unite
with its members in their annual celebration of
the anniversary of the adoption of the Declare
ton Of Independence. There is no portion of
my fellow citizens with whom it would give me
more pleasure to be associated on an occasion
so dear to the American heart, because | know
of none who have more faithfully adhered to the
spirit of that immortal document. | therefore
the more regret that / am deprived of that
qualification by advanced age and my distance
from your place of meeting.
You have been pleased to bring to my notice
the reunion of the two sections of the Demo
cratic party, and by necessary implication, the
objects to which their combined energies are to
be directed in the approaching Presidential
election. The Committee of Arrangements for
the meeting lately held in your city to ratify
the Cincinnati nominations, honored me with
an invitation. Hoping that the notoriety of the
fact that | had for several years declined to
take part in political meetings might, by friends
| whose indulgence / had so often experienced,
be deemed sufficient excuse for the seeming
dlsconrtesy and being, moreover, earnestly
| DESTROYS to avoid any participation in the par
tisan discussions of the day, ventured to allow
their note to pass without reply To leave a
second invitation, of substantially the same
import, and coming virtually from the same
source, unanswered, might, fear, in the esti-
nation of those whose opinion / can never
cease to respect, expose me to the suspicion of
being DESTROYS to conceal my sentiments upon
! the political questions before the country.
shall, therefore, with settled purpose that this
letter, as it is the first, shall also be my last
appearance in the canvass, save only at the
ballot box to deposit my vote, give you my views
| upon the subjects referred to without reserve.
| | am happy to receive your assurance that
the too loug discovered sections Of the Demo-
cratic party in this State have, upon the prin-
| cipes you describe, and in which / fully con-
cur, become united into one compact body"
No free country can ever be without political
parties, and among the devices Of mere factions
there has never been one more sinister and de-
ceptive in its character and objects than the
no-party cry which is ever and anon acclaimed
from our political stage That party to which
we have all been so long attached, has doubt
less not been always perfectly right In its
movements, because perfection does not apper-
tain to man or to associations of men. But
with this qualification, l think venture moth
ing in saying, that of all the political parties
which have arisen in this or any other country
there has not been another in the formation
and history of which there have been such ex-
elusive regard and devotion to the manten-
ance of human rights and the happiness and
welfare of the masses OF the people. 1t had
its origin in the necessity of an effective union
Of the root and branch friends Of the Repub-
lican system to preserve the fruits Of our Revo
lutionary struggle by preventing the Federal
Constitution from being perverted to purposes
neither contemplated by those who framed it,
or anticipated by those who ratified it, but hos
tile to the republican principle upon which it
was founded. 1t has for more than half cen
fury employed itself perseveringly and success
fully, in resisting the revival of heresies which
it had defeated in the first stages of its exis-
tence, and in maintaining the sanctity Of writ
ten Constitutions, without which our form Of
government must prove delusion and a
mockery.
Almost unaided by its political rival it car
ried our country through the war of 1872, the
results of which contributed more to elevate
our national character and to increase our
power, than any other measure or series Of
measures since the recognition of our INDIE
pendence. 1t has, after protracted and severe
struggle, not only relieved the country from the
incubus Of National Banks, but forever exploded
the idea of the necessity Of such institutions,
and established a constitutional system for the
safe.keeping of the public monies and the per.
Torrance of duties for which National Bank
was claimed to be indispensable; this system,
after having been the leading object Of the
fiercest partisan assaults, having by its salutary
action won not merely the acquiescence but
the positive favor Of all parties, a result which
it may with truth be said has not been realized
by any other public measure that encounter
similar partisan hostility since the adoption Of
the Constitution.
But the limits Of letter will not admit OF
an enumeration, much less an examination, Of
the advantages secured to the country by the
rise and progress of the Democratic party. To
restore and preserve the unity Of party which
can boast Of such history may, very properly,
be regarded as a matter Of national concern,
especially in respect to the influence it is, when
united, capable of exerting in State to which
has been conceded the high honor Of having,
by its unexampled exertions and complete sue
cess, secured the Republican triumph In the
civil revolution Of l800-which has on subse.
quent occasions rescued the Democracy Of the
nation from impending defeat by interposing
in its favor vote which no other State could
give, and without the support of which no man
has yetreached the Presidential Office.
II needed not our recent experience to show
that occasional descriptions of party ties are un.
ayoidable in respect to all political associations.
While they continue, discontinue and humili.
alton are the portion Of the disiointed sections.
OF these you have on both sides had your full
shares and justice to yourselves as well as to
the general interest, required that you should
put an end to them by reunion, whenever
that could be accomplished without dshonor.
There is no reason to question the good faith
with which the conflicting opinions that lay at
the foundation of our divisions we're entertained
and we would have been more than men, if in
enforcing our respective views in moments Of
great excitement, there had not been faults on
both sides. You have well decided to forget
past collisions, and to enter upon a generous
rivalry in the sacrifoa nc personal feelings