Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-07-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.

of the country, a controlling power in the ad-
ministration of the government and supplanting
in its stead dangerous political element designed
and intended to bring back into power the leaders
and abettors of treason throughout the states late
ly in rebellion.
Every powerful and successful political party,
has adhering to its skirts, set of mere camp-fol-
lowers, place-hunters political fungi, who cling
30 its organization long as the spoils of Office
are in view, and then abandon it to attach them
selves as leeches wherever prospect is presented
of depicting the public treasury, and thrusting
themselves into official positions. When it be-
came manifest, after the ascendency through the
agency of an assassin of Andrew Johnson to the
Presidency, that he was about to betray the loyal
people of the country, to whom he was indebted
for his election to the Vice-Presidency, and cast
himself with the power he controls as the Chief
Executive of the nation, into the of the lead
of the late rebellion, and their aiders and SYM
pathizers, this political fungi sloughed off from
the great loyal union party relieving it of the
dead weight, and attaching itself to the fortunes
of Andrew Johnson and his dangerous policy of
reconstruction. Then came, first, call for q
Johnson National Convention, eminating from q
few poweress and discontented men who claim to
have supported the election of Lincoln and john
son, but who support fmy policy" among
which. and upon the call, may be found the Blairs,
A. w. Randall, Senators Cowan and Doolittle, and
others of like ilk requesting delegates from all the
states to meet in convention in Philadelphia ON
the 14th of August next for the purpose of giving
support in an organized form to the President in
his policy of reconstruction. Following immedi-
ately after, the second act in the great drama,
came call signed by the democratic Senators and
Members of Congress- indorsing the above named
cnll, and as if conscious of the weakness of the
once powerful democratic party, in consequence
of its political sins, advising the sending of dele
gates from all the states to the said 14th August
convention. Third and last, find the entire
rebel press of the states lately in rebellion ndors.
ing the CALL and urging that delegates be sent to
the said convention, ana already in some of the
southern states, delegates crimsoned with the
blood of union soldiers, and who have desecrated
the graves of our patriot dead, have been chosen.
Here then we have presented the attempted polit-
ical combination, with accidental President as
its leader which if successful is to rule the dest
MES of the nation, and control the political policy
of the government. What have the loyal people
of man." to expect from such combination as
as this !?
Already the fiat Of prescription has gone forth
from the President, himself the chief head and
centre of the combination It's instruments and
agents are set at work in all sections of the
try, to debauch political sentiment, by the pro-
fer of official positions, and the prescription of
loyal men holding positions under the government,
who will not surrender their manhood and become
the instruments Of promoting and building up this
netarious scheme for the overthrow of loyalty.
Against this association of wickedness and wick
ed men, stands out in bold relief, with untarn-
ished record, the great loyal Union Party of the
country, who have sustained and upheld the Gov
ernment and carried it triumphantly through the
fierce struggle with traitors in arms, and by the
force and prowess of it's armies in the field have
compelled the cohorts of treason to lay down their
arms and retire from the contest This is the
party of progress, for the promotion and protee
ton of true and enlightened republicansm, and to
it the loyal people look with earnest solicitation for
protection against all combinations seeking to
bring back into political power those dangerous
who carried eleven of the states of this union
into rebellion, for the purpose of destroying the
union and establishing confederacy based upon
slavery. Overpowered by the force of union arms,
but not humbled in spirit, this disloyal ele-
ment, stimulated by the aid of Andrew Johnson,
seeks to overawe union sentiment, and by combi-
nation such as l have shown to exist to become
the defiant dictators of the political policy which
shall rule the Government The consequences
which are to follow such a combined attempt, If
successful, need not be enumerated 1t will re-
store the leading rebels to seats in Congress- and
to controlling positions in every department of the
| Government. 1t becomes then the solemn duty of
every true patriot in the land to exert his personal
influence, actively and zealously, in favor of the
of the party which represents the true loyal
sentiment of the country, against the combined
elements of treason and its abettors and sympa-
! thizers.
Being myself citizen of your own county and
district, and having been heretofore somewhat
identified with past political struggles, which di-
vided to some extent, upon purely local issues the
union party of our county and district, naturally
feel some solicitude for perfect and harmonious
union of all who have heretofore stood by the ad-
ministration of the lamented Lincoln. l know
that attempts are being made by appeals to the
prejudices engendered by our late local strifes, by
certain men who have been assigned the work of
distracting the union sentiment of our county and
district, to divide the union party and divert suf
icient portion of it to the support of the candi-
dates of the combination, to insure their sue
| cess, but they cannot succeed. Mr.. Robert F.
Clark, lately appointed Assessor of Internal Rev.
enue for our district, and his successful competi-
tor for Congress in the fall of 1862, Hon. H. W.
Tracy the active agents for the combination in
our district, and have entered with what subordi-
mates they can command fortunately very few ac-
lively upon their work. For these men, personal
ly, have high regard, and in the contest of 1862
because of my convictions of right upon the local
question which made up the issue in that canvass,
l gave to Mr.. Tracy as an independent republican
candidate my cordial support against Mr.. Clark,
who was then the republican nominee, and upon
that issue solely and alone, Mr.. Tracy was sue
cessful. 1 am truly sorry that these gentlemen,
enemies before but united now for this work. can
find any pretext or excuse (reasons they cannot
have,) for abandoning the of the union par
ty, and becoming the instruments Of wicked and
dangerous combination for the prescription and
persecution of those who have carried the country
safely through the rebellion. 1 allude to my own