The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-05-31

Letter from Mr.. Seward to the Republican
Central Committee.
He declines a Public Dena0nstratson.-
The Platform and the Nominees
meet his hearty approval
New York, May "a.
The following letter has been adj
dressed by Mr.. Seward to the gentle
men of the Central Republican Com
mittee, who invited him to attend .
meeting for the ratification of the pro-
ceedings Of the National Convention.
"Auburn, May 2l, 1860.
GENTLEMEN will not affect to
conceal the sensibility with which l
have received the letters in which you
and so many other respected friends
have rendered to me expressions of re-
newed and enduring confidence. These
letters will remain with me as assur-
ances in future years, that although !
was not unwilling to wait even for
another ago the vindication of my po-
litical principles, yet that they did new
ertheless receive the generous support
of many good, wise, and patriotic citi-
zens of my own time.
Such assurances, however, made I'M
der the circumstances now existing,
derive their priceless value largely from
the fact that they steal upon me through
the channels of private correspondence
and altogether unknown to the world.
You will at once perceive that such
expressions would become painful to
me, and justly offensive to take any
public or conventional form of mani
festation. For this reason, if it were
respectful and consistent with your
own public purposes, would have de-
layed my reply to you until | could
have had an opportunity of making it
verbally next week, on my way to
Washington, after completing the ar
rangement for the repairs upon my
dwelling here, rendered necessary by
a recent fire. The same reason deter
mines me also to decline your kind in
vitation to attend the meeting in which
you propose some demonstrations of
respect to myself, while SO justly con-
sidering the nominations which have
been made by the National Convention
at Chicago. .asf - sss4
At the same time it is your right to
have frank and candid exposition of
my own opinions and sentiments on
that important subject. My friends
know very well that while they have
always generously made my promotion
to public trusts their own exclusive care,
mine has only been to execute them
faithfully, so as to be able at the close
of their assigned terms to resign them
into the hands of the people without
forfeiture of the public confidence.
The presentation of my name to the
Chicago Convention was thus their
act, not mine. The disappointment
therefore is their disappointment, not
mine. 1t may have found them unpre-
pared. On the other hand, have no
sentiment either Of disappointment or
for who in any possible
case could, without presumption, claim
that great national party ought to
choose him for it's candidate for the
first Office in the gift Of the American
people :?
l find in the resolutions of the Con-
vention platform rs satisfactory to
me as if it had been framed with my
own hands, and in the candidates
adopted by them, eminent and able
with whom / have cor
daily co-operated in maintaining the
principles embodied in that excellent
creed. / cheerfully give them sim
cere and earnest support. / trust,
that those with whom / have
abored SO long, that common service
in noble cause has created between
them and myself relations of personal
unsurpassed in the expert
.nce of political men, will indulge me
IN confident belief that no sense Of
disappointment will be allowed by them
to hinder or delay or in any way en-
barrass the progress of that cause to
the contamination which is demanded
by a patriotic regard to the safety and
welfare of the country, and the best
of mankind.
l am very sincerely and respectfully,
your friend and obedient servant,
WILLIAM II. SEWARD.