Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-06-28
Judge Bates Letter in Sup.
pOlt of Lincoln. uo' .a'

port of Lincoln. .iuor .ar
The Republican Standard Bearer " arns
Iy EuIogizcd. t-oi I-n'
- :. ; 70 .. ..Sr. LorIs. June IL. 1850.
o. II. Browning. Esq, Quincy, III. go =
DEAN SIR: When / received yohr letter
of May 22.i. had no thought that he an
swer would be 50 long delayed; bn, waving
all excuses, proceed to answer it now.
/ Un,ler the circumstances of the case 1t
ought not to lave been toubtei that ]
would give Mr.. Linculn's nomination a
cor,lial and hearty support. bsblp de-
claring my intention to 40 so. 1t Is due to
myself TO state some OF the facts AMI rea-
sons, which have a controlling Influence
over my mini. and which l think ought
to be persuasive arguments with some other
men, whose political opinions aud anteee-
dents are. in some important partieaisrs,
like my own. s.,...,.y ',. lI,s-4 IL
There was no good ground for supposing
that felt any plquc or dissatisfaction be-
cause the Chicago Convention failed to
nominate me. / hal no such feeling. On
party grounds, ] had no right to expect the
nomination. had no claims upon the
Republicans as a party. for l have never
tccn n member oiany party. SO as TO he
bpunl ,byiIs dogmas and subject to It's dis
cipline. ex rcpt only the Wing party, which
is now broken u; and its materials, for the
most part. absorbed in other organizations.
And thus am lelt. alone and powerless
indeed, Lpt perfectly free to follow the 'ilc-
ta,cs Of my own Judgment and take such
part in current politics as my own sense 0
duty and patriotism play icluire Many
Republi ans, and among them. think,
some of the nisst mglciate. and Patriotic
OF that party. honcreti me with their conf
dence. aad desire TO make me their cam
di,la;e. For this favor i was indebted to
the TACT that between them and me there
was coincidence of opinion upon certain
Important Questions OF govefnnent. They
and agreed in believing that tho national
Government has sovereign power over'thc
Territories, aial that it woild ee unwisc
and inlpoiitic to Use that power for the
pfopacation Of negro slavery by planting
! Il in fee Territory. Some of them believ
| eI aisotlfat my nomination, whieit woull
| tenii to soften The toifc OF the Republican
part1,, Without any ahan'loiiinent of prln-
eilics, might. tena ALSO, 10 genefalizc us
! character ami attract the if,iehlship AMI
Sn, mort Of mary, espctiallyin the berlef
State. ..rho, like me-, liaa i,cver been mem.
berssg OF their party but 'coneufreds with
then, in opinion about the government foi
| the Territories. Those are the grounds,
AMI think the only grounds, upon which
| was supported at all at Chicago. %
As to the platform pm forth by the Chi.
caco Convention. have little to say, be-
cause wh,tller gool or bad, that vii not
cunstitu,e tile ground Of my surperr of MIR
/ Lincoln. have no great rcsp pect for party
platforms in genefal They are commonly
made in times OF high cxeit ncnt, Under
pressure eofcircumstanccs, and withihe view
to conefiiatc pre,cnt' support. rather than
10 establish permanent system OF princi-
rlcs AMI line of policy for the fnture good
government of the coun,ry.. The ccnven-
tions which form them arc transient in THEFT
nature; their power and influence are con-
s;:mcl in the using. leaving no continuing
obligation upon their respective parties
And hence we nee NOT wpnier that plat
forms So male. are hardly ever acted ioui
in practice. shall not discrss their rcla-
/ tive merits, but chntcnt myself with saying
that this Republican platform. tliongh IN
several particulars it docs not conform to
my views. is still far better than any pub
Iisfel creed past or present Of the Demo
crafs And as to the new patty, it has
no, chosen to promulS gate. any platform at
all, except two or three broad gencrali,ies
which arc common to the professions O
faitlSof all partic. the country. M rat.
ty. ihdeesi. .lare ask tho conf 'lencc Of III,
nation. while openly denying the obliya.
ton TO support the Union and the Cons,i
tuition, and to enforce the laws. That r
a common dh;y. 'bin,ling nphn every citi
zen. and the failure 10 perform it is {
crime - = H' a p.
To me it is plain that the 'arproAchin.
contest nnSt be between tie Democratic
and Republican parties; and. between them
/ prefer the latter. = = -. .'''1sh . -'it
The Democratic party, ty the lon. pos
session and abuse Of POWER, has grown
wantpn and reckless: has corrupted "
SELF an't perverted the principles Of thu
Government: has set itself openly agains
the great home interests Of the people. by
neglecting to protect their Industry nn'
! by refusing 10 improve and keep in or'ie1
the highways and depots Of conmerce: ant
even now is urging measure in Gongres,
to abdicate the, constitutional power an,
duty to regulate commerce among III,
States, aad to grant to 'the States the dis
creiionary power to levy tonnage duties nv
on ali our commerce. under the pretenct
Of improving harbofs. rivers and lakes: ha
changed the Stains or the negro slave b,
making him no longer mere property. bn
a politician. an antagonistic power in th'
State, a power TO Which All other power
are required to yield, nnder penalty of I
dissolution Of the Union: has directed it.
energies to the Qualification of its Iusts o
foreign domain. as manifested in its per
sistent effortsto seize upon tropical regions
not because those, countries and 'ihcongrn
ous people are necessary, or even desirable
to be Incorporated into onr nation. bnt 70
the mere purpose Of making slave States
in order to advance the political power o
the party in the Senate and in the ehoic
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