The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-09-19
Important Letter from Hon. j.
w. Grimes to II. HI. Stiles. Esq.


My DEAR SIR.-I am astonished to learn
as do by your letter of the 18th inst, that
any one has asserted or believed for one mo-
ment that | do not fully, freely, and as enthu-
siastically as am capable Of doing it. support
the entire Republican ticket in the pending
canvass. You say the report is that | am iu-
different to the result ION account of the I'M
called for and unwise action of the Union
Convention on the suffrage question ! GER
tainly did regard that action as uncalled for
and impolitic, and had | been a member of
tee Convention would have opposed the in
PRODUCTION into the platform of any new issue
upon any subject however just might believe
the principle to be. l would have opposed
it because believe that there has been no
time during the last four years when it was
more necessary that the Union party of the
nation should present an unbrokeu front and
stand as a unit, than a; the present moment
and ! would have done nothing, consented to
nothing that would have tendency to repel
a single voter from support of the Union
party, which IS the support of the Union IT.
self believe every vote withdrawn at this
time from the support of the Union ticket
withdraws just that much moral support from
the Administration. and that that support is
just rs necessary to the Government in the
present crisis a. 1t was necessary to support
our armies when in the field
The very fact that in my view the Cohven-
ton erred by introducing a local issue into
the canvass when the minds of the people are
very properly engrossed by the transcendant-
ly great national issues pressing upon them,
SO far from beretting indifference" would
give me much greater anxiety as to the result
OF the election. and would call forth CORES
ponding exertion did not | know that the
10 of blx ,ha
questions before them, aud cannot be diverted
from their support of the Government by any
side issue like this of negro suffrage i'll this
State
There is not one intelligent man in the State
who does not fully comprehend all of the
subjects legitmately embraced in this can
vass.
The Union party seeks simply to fulfill in
good faith their obligations assumed during
the war. and to secure to the country al the
fruits of four years struggle permanent unity
peace and prosperity.
We all know that the Democratic party de-
sire and intend TO coalesce with the returned
rebels from the South. By that means, if
they can succeed in distracting the supporters
of the Government and secure few North
ern States, they hope TO obtain control Of the
| Government, and then viii follow the assump-
slavery under less odious name, and the re-
turn of the leaders of the rebellion TO power
Ii was to this end that the farce was enacted
| q few weeks ago st Des Moines of nomina-
ting a soldiers ticket BY THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY,
But Of this folly it is hardly worth while
10 speak ! have neither seen or heard of a
man who is likely to be deceived by it. II is
only calculated to make the actors in it ride
ulous. and its only final result will be TO add
one disappointed man to the Democratic
party.
| No, my dear sir, there never was a time in
the history of the Government when it was
mere Incumbent upon every good citizen to
, supper; the mon ticket, whatever may be
his opinions on the subject of universal suf-
| frage, than now: and it believed that there
was the slightest doubt about the result,
though am admonshed by my physician
that / can no longer safely speak out of doors.
as | should generally be compelled to.
would at once enter personally into the can
vass, and use what strength have to urge
upon the people the Importance of the con-
test. But there is no need OF it. The peo-
pie will not be deceived or misled on this sub
Iject. The jagglery at Des Moines. when
Col. Benton received the nomination of the
men who during the last four years, have
thrown every possible inpediment in the way
of the Union cause, was too transparent tc
deceive any one.
Your obedient servant,
4 JAMES w. GRIMES.