Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-08-07
TO Col. J. G. GRooNE.
ELKToN, MD, July 81, 1857

Gentlemen !: have had the honor TO
receive your letter of the Oath inst. in
which you have been pleased to state,
that many of my old political associates
and others, who are my personal friends,
though they have not been identified
with me as party men, desire to present
me as an independent candidate at the
coming Gubernotorial election; and
among you who have united in making
this fattcring appeal to me, see the
names Of wings who took different sides
in tho last Presidential contest. Al
though you speak of me, in very many
respects, in terms TOO highly compliment
tary, yet you do me no more than justice
when you say, that throughout the peri
cd Of the separate organization of tho
whig party, and while there was single
one Of its principles to be defended, ]
remained consistent and firm, but tenn
Perate member of it, and you might havo
added, that the memory of my connex-
ion with that party, and of my unwaver-
ing devotion to its great leader and cham
pion, while he lived, is source of un-
qualified pleasure to me still. But times
have changed, new era in politics has
commenced; wings, as such, are no
longer necessarily arraycd against Dem
ocrats, but new party, deriving its ma
tcrials from both of the old parties, claims
to hold chat position 1t was Torn and
nurscd in secrecy, and when its princi-
pies were made public and became known
they were found, or at least seemed, to
the uninitated in its mysteries, % be re-
strictiye Of religious liberty, as they were
clearly in fact adverse TO individual po-
litical equality Al first it took strong
hold upon the popular mind, extended
its qualifications into every secticfof the
Union, and displayed a strcngtIb which
threatened for time to overwhelm all
opposition. But at length its northern
wing combining with the frcs-soiers and
abolitionists, and thus forming, as you
state, the so-caled Republican arty, it
lost its nationality and was shon Of its
prestige. Everywhere it has sine shcwn
symptoms of decay and Of earl disso
luton, except in our own good State,
where it still claims to be in the scend-
ant. will do the American patty the
/ Justice 10 say, that il has manifated at
the South no sympathy general5 with
its old associates at the North on 10 sla-
very question; except that beng too
feeble in itself to arrest their faatical
course there, il has refused to cooperate
with any other party here to rsist CT
even TO rebuke their insane excuses. IL
still adheros, however, to its proseiptiyc
policy, and thereby for lesser object
prevents union Of effort in regard 10
greater and paramount objects, thcmaiu-
tenance and defence Of our domestic in
stitutions and the safety Of our ZONES.
do not fraternize with either Of these
parties, but am utterly opposed 10 the
principles and practices Of both.
Although, as an old wing, | have no.
thing to disguise, regret or retract, yet
] am constrained to admit that at the
present time the democratic party is the
only national political organization, which
throughout the length and breadth of the
land, is sound upop the great political
questions Of the particularly upon
those which osect the liberty Of con-
science, the rights and privileges of
American athens, the interests Of tie
South tll harmony of the States, and
the preervation and permanency Of the
Uniop; and regarding it in this light, |
hadho alternative but to give It's nomi-
ne for President at the last election my
humble support. In this respect, may,
in the opinion Of some Of you, have erred
but the act had the approval Of my ON
conscience, and nothing has transpjed
since in the administration Of the FeJeral
Government to shake my confdeice IN
its propriety and wisdom.
If after this brief but explictexposi-
ton of my political views and principles,
present and past, you thip4 tbat can
command the conffonce and support Of
a large portion Of the people Of Mary
land have ne objection to allow myself
10 be prcseneed as an Independent candi-
date for governor Of the ea-s,, and il
eleel.1 will try to discharge my a-49
,.sh fidelity.
] am, gentlemen, most respectfully
yours,
JOHN G. GROOME.
TO the Hos. j. A. PEARcE, JAS. Il.
EARLE and others.
Rg- Love Is Ike river, if the cur