Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-06-16
General EremOBts Letter of
ACCeptanCc.

GENTLEMEN In answer TO the letter
which j have had the honor TO receive from
you on the part Of the representatives Of the 5
people assembled at Clcycland May 81, I
desire TO express my thanks for the conf {
dcncc which led them to offer me the honor
able and difficult position Of their candidate
in the approaching Presidential election -
Very honorable because in offering it to Inc
you act in the name Of great number Of
citizens who seek above all things the good
Of their country, and who have no sort Of
selfish interest in view.
Very difficult because in accepting the
candidacy you propose to me am exposed
to the reproach Of creating schism i'll the
party with which L have been identified.
Had Mr. Lincoln remained faithful to the
principles he was elected, no schism could
have been created and no contest could have .
been possible. This is not an ordinary cleo |
ton, it is Il contest for the right to have can
didates, and not merely usual election for
the choice among them. Now for the first
time since l776, the question of constitu
tional liberty has been brought directly be-
fore the people for their serious considera-
ton and vote.
The ordinary rights, secured under the
Constitution and the laws of the country,
have been violated and extraordinary pow
ers have been usurped by the Executive.
| 1t is directly before the people now to say
whether or not the principles established 10y
the revolution, are worth maintaining. If
as we have been taught to believe those
guarantees for liberty, which made the dis
tinctivc value and glory Of our country, are
in truth inviolably sacred then there must
be protest against the arbitrary violation
which had not even the excuse of necessity
The schism is made between those who
force the choice between shameful silence
or protest against wrong. In such con-
siderations originated the Cleveland Con-
vention. 1t was among its objects to arouse
the attention Of the people to such facts and
to bring them to realize that while we are
saturating Southern soil with the best blood
of the country in the name of liberty, we
have partially parted with it at home
! To-day we have i'll the country the abuses
of military dictation without its union Of
action and vigor Of execution, an admins
tration marked at home by disregard ofcon-
stitutioual rights, by its violation Of person.
al liberty and the liberty of the press, and
as crowning shame, by its Abandonment
Of the right Of asylum, dear to all free ma
tions abroad.
Its course has been characterized by fee
bleness and want of principle which has mis-
lCNt I1ulupCdh I)ONSlc, anu ullN lllCili w Z.
/, belief that only commercial interests and
personal aims are concerned, and that no
great principles arc involved in the issue.
The admirable conduct of the people,
, their readiness to make every sacrifice de-
mandcd Of them, their forbearance and 81
, lcnce under the suspension OF everything
that could be suspended, their manly acts
of hcroism and sacrifices, were rendered
, fruitlcss by the incapacity or to speak more
exactly, by the personal ends for which the
war was managed. This incapacity and sell
; lshnesS naturally produced such results as
led the European powers, and logically
enough, to the conviction that the North
: and its greatly superior population, its i'm
+ mense resources, and its credit, will never
: be able to recovef the South.
e Sympathies which would have been Will
us from the outset of the war, were turned
t against us, and in this way the Administra
/ ton had done the country double wrong
c abroad.
a 1t created hostility, or at best, indifl'er
ence among those who would have been it
q friends if the real intentions of the peopl
/ could have been better known, while at tn
is same time it neglected no occasion for ma
lc king the most humiliating CONCESSIONS -
1t Against this disastrous condition of affair
y the Cleveland Convention was protest.
l. The principles which form the basis oft
= platform, have my unqualified and cordis
rt appreciation, but | can not so heartily con
n cur in all the measures which you propose
| do not believe that coniiscation extend
c ed to the property Of all rebels is practica
t. BILE, and if it were so l do not think it
IF measure of sound policy. 1t is in fact
t. question belonging to the people themselve
d to decide. and is a proper occasion for tn
+ exercise Of their original and sovereign au
el thority. AS Il war measure in the begin
N ming Of a revolt which might be queled b.
r prompt severity, | understand the policy 0
is conliscation, but not as a final measure G
le reconstruction, after the suppression OF a
to insurrection.
is In the adjustments which are to folio
" peace, no consideration of vengeance ca
lie consistently be admitted. The object ofth
1t war is to make permanently secure the pcaC
IN and happiness of the whole country, an
I'd there was but single element in the wa
a Of its attainment.
es This element of slavery may be conside
ell cd practically destroyed in the country, an
ly it needs only your proposed amendment
C. the Constitution to make Its eXtinctiC
is complete
It's With this extinction of slavery the par
y, divisions created by it have disappeare,
pit and if in the history of the county there h;
sc ever been a time when the American pc,
lis pie, without regard to one or another of Il
e, political divisions, were called upon to gi,
IL solemnly their voice in a matter which il
W volved the safety of the United States, it
IL assuredly the present time.
i'll If the Convention at Baltimore will non
s, mate any man whose past life justified
n well grounded confidence in his fidelity
t. cardinal principles, there is no reason VII
rs there should be any division among the +,
lg ally patriotic men of the country.
TO any such / shall be most happy to giy
y, a cordial and active support.
- My own decided preference is to aid
as this way and not be myself candidate,
is But if Mr. Lincoln be re- nominated as
~ believe it would be fatal to the country
lp indorse a policy and renew power whiC
an has cost Us the lives of thousands of me
he and needlessly put the country on the TO;
he to bankruptcy, there will remain no altc
&c n..:.tiyc but to organize against him eve
h, element Of conscientious opposition WI
ny the. view to prevent the misfortune OF h
zee reelection. In this contingency | acce
on the nomination at Cleveland, and as pr
'ro liminary step, | have resigned my col
of mission in the army.
dy This was a sacrifice it gave me pain
take. But had for long time fruitless
endeayored to obtain service l make IL
IN, sacrifice now only to regain the liberty
ks speech and to leave nothing in the way
0 a discharging to my utmost ability the ta
you have set before me. With my earne
nal and sincere thanks for your expressio