Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-07-19
Not such an Answer as was WANT
ed.


The Doolittle- Randall club, it seems,
addressed letter to each member of the
Cabinet for the purpose of ascertain
ing which of them were in favor of,
and which were opposed to, the Phila-
delphia convention. The reply of At
torney-General Speed was evidently such
as was not wanted by the club, and the
club will not be likely to make any ex-
traordinary efforts for its circulation.
In fact, it contains sound Union doc
trine, eloquently expressed, and is wor-
thy of careful perusal. We accord
ingly make room for it below:
WASHINGTON, D. c., July IA, 1866.
To Hon. j. r. D0Olittle, Chairman, &c..
SIR Il have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt Of your note of the 10th
inst, with printed copy Of call for a
National Union Convention, to be held
at Philadelphia on the 14th day of Au-
gust next. You request, in case the
call and the principles enunciated in it
meet my approval, that reply at my
earliest convenience. This language
would seem to imply that no answer is
desired if l do not approve the call and
the principles avowed in it i'm other
words that failure to reply may be in
terpreted as disapproval, not only of
the call but of each and all of the prin-
ciples announced in it. This is posi-
tion in which / am unwilling to be
placed, when | approve of many of the
principles set forth in the call and vet do
not approve of the call itself.
will briefly state my reasons, first
promising that I do not recognize the
very respectable gentlemen who have
made this call as the acknowledged or
gans of the great Union party of the
country. Since the outbreak of the ter
rife struggle from which the country
has now emerged we have had Nation
al Union party that has exhibited more
devotion, made greater sacrifices and
manifested more unselfsh patriotism
than any party ever did previously in
the history of the world. That party is
still in being, with its organization in
tact and its organs known, and as that
party, by it's faith its doctrines, and it's
exertions, HAS, in the face of the prophe-
cies OF half the new and ali the old
world, saved the government and the
republican institutions of our common |
country from decentralization, and indeed
from utter ruin, by indicating at all
hazard the pEmordial theory of the
eternal indissoluble Union of the States |
through which only can particle of the |
theory OF State rights ever be main |
tanned and carried out, it would appear
to me to be still the only, or at any rate |
the most effectual means, as far as a
party can do it, for finally adjusting all |
the remaining minor and unsettled mat
tiers OF reconstruction consistently with |
the requirements of the theory men
toned.
This party is the same to-day as it
was in the days Of its trial; the same
party now as when, but few short
months ago, it elected Lincoln and john
son, and the majority of the present
Congress, and as | acted with it then for
paramount reasons, my sense of duty
demands that remain and act with II
now.
The pith and marrow Of the present
call, should Say, tends toward n con.
Vehtion 10 form a party for sustaining
not the government entire-"as has been
Inc mission OF the Union party"-but p
department of the government. and |
here l must take the liberty of adding
hat can hardly conceive of anv sadder
spectacle under the crisis of present cir
than that of the tried Union
'arty Of the country becoming disloyal
md broken up by divisions, or that of
me branch Of government of the conn
~ taking an isolated position upon
questions Of deep and common interest I
ND placing itself in hostile conflict with
coordinate department.
For these aud other reasons which !