The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-06-30

Edward BATES, Letter In SUP
port of Lincoln.
THE RErE.LicAx sIaxDA.D sEAREl
81. Lorss, June II. 1850
o. Il. Brc~rfrs. xsa-, Quincy, Illinois.
DlAR Sn: When received your lette
Of May 22d, had no thought that th
answer would hs % long delayed bot
vaisipg all excuses, proceed TO answer i
NOW
Under the circumstances Of the case, i
cught not to have been doubted that woult
give Mr.. Lincoln's sonipatiou cordial ant
hearty support. But in declaring nv insen
ton to do so, it 10 due to myself TO stat,
some Of the facts and reasons, which hav,
. controlling influence over my mind, ant
which think ought TO be persuasive ar.
gnments with some other men, whOst
political opinions and antecedenss are, IN
some important particulars, like my own.
There was no good ground for supposine
that felt any pique or dissstisfAciion
because the Chicago Convention failed to
nominate me. had no such feeling. On
party grounds, had no right to expect the
nominasion. l had no claims upon the
Rspubsiesns ~ parry, for have never
been . member Of any party. 90 - to BE-
hound by its dogmss and subjecs to its
discipline, except only the Wing party,
which is now broken up and its materials,
.or the most ysr:, absorbed into other
And thus am left, alone
and powerl.ss indeed, bat perfectly free to
follow the dictates Of my own Judgment
and to take such part in current politics
- my own sense Of duty and patriotism
nay require. Many Republicans, and
smong them, think, some Of the most
moderate and patriotic Of that party, hon.
1ed me with their confidence, and desired
u make me their candidate. For this favor
Twas indebted to the fact that between
them ane me there was q coincidence Of
ooinion upon certain important questions
oi overument. They and | agreed in
believing that the national government has
sovereign power over the Territories, and
that il would be impolitic and unwise to use
that power for the propagation of negro
Some II them believed also that my nomin-
alton, while it would tend to soften the
tone Of the Republican party, without any
abandonment Of its priaciples, might tend
also to geaeralize its character and attract
the friendship and support of many, es-
pecially in The border States, who, like me,
had never been members of their party. but
concurred With them in opinion about the
government Of the Territories. Those are
the grounds, and think the only grounds,
upon which l was supported at all At
Chicago. .......
As to the platform put forth by the Chi
cago Convention, have little to say, be-
cause whether good or bad, that will not
constitute the ground Of my support of Mr..
Lincoln. have no great respect for party
platforms in general. They are commonly
made in times Of high excitement, under a
pressure of circumstances, and with the
view to coDciliate present support, rather
than to establish q permanent system Of
principles and line of policy for the future
good government of the country. The
conventions which form them are transient
in their nature; their power and influence
are consumed in the using, leaving no
continuing obligation upon their respective g
parties. And hence We need not wonder
that platforms so made, are hardly ever
acted out IN practice. shall not discuss
their relative merits, but content myself
with saying that this Republican platform,
though in several particulars it does not
conform to my views, is still far better than
any published creed, past or present, Of the
Democrats. And as to the new party, it
has not chosen to promulgate any platform
n all r fbraa hr n -,
which nre common to the professions of
faith Of all parties in the country. No
party, indeed, dare ask the confidence of
the nation, while openly denying the oblga-
tion to support the Union and the Constitu.
ton, and to enforce the laws. That is a
common duty, binding upon every citizen,
and the failure to perform it is crime.
To me it is plain that the approaching
contest must be between the Democrat and
Republican parties; and, between them, l
prefer the latter. .........
The Democratic party, by the long pos
session and abuse Of power, has grown
wanton and reckless has corrupted itself
and perverted the principles Of the Govern
ment; has set itself openly against the
great home interests of the people, BY
neglecting to protect their industry, and by
refusing to improve and keep in order the
highways and depots of commerce; and
even now is urging Q measure in Congress
to abdicate the constitutional power and
dut7 to regulate commerce among the
States, and to grant to the States the dis
cretionary power to levy tonnage duties
upon all our commerce, under the preteDse
Of improving harbors, rivers and lakes !;
has changed the status of the negro slave
BY making him no longer mere property,
but q politician, an antagonist power in the
State, power to which all other powers
are required to yield, under penalty of a
dissolution Of the Union; has directed it's
energies to the qualification OF its iusts Of
foreign domain, as manifested in its per-
sistent efforts to seize upon tropical regions,
not because those countries and their iDcon-
gruous people are necessary, or even desi.
rable, to be incorporated into oar nation,
but for the mere purpose of making slave
States, in order to advance the political
power Of the party in the Senate and in the
choice of the President, so as effecsually to
transfer the chief powers Of the government
from the many to the few has in various
instances endangered the equality of the
coordinate branches of the government,
by urgent efforts to enlarge the powers of
the Executive at the expense of the legisla-
tive department; has attempted to discredit
and degrade the Judiciary, BY affecting to
make it, at first, the arbitcr Of party quar-
rels, to become soon and inevitably the
passive registrar of party DEGREES.
In most if not all these particulars,
understand the Republican party Judging
it BY its acts and BY the known opinions Of
Of many Of its leading men, to be the exact
opposite Of the Democratic party and that
is the ground Of my preference Of the one
party over the other. And that alone
would be sufficient reason, il had nc other
good reason, for supporting Mr.. Lincoln
against any rssn who may be put forward
by the Democratic party, as the exponent of
it's principles and the agent to work ont, ip
practice, ITS dangerous politics.
The third party, which, BY its very
formation, has destroyed the organization
of the American and Wing parties, has
nominated two most excellent men. know
them we'll N sound statesmen and true