The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-07-25
Attorney General Speed,
on THE CALI FOR 4 NATIONAL cOSvEN.
Tl0N AT PHILADELPHIA.
WASHINGTON, D. G.,
,july IL 1866

Tl0N At PHILADELPHIA.
WASHINGTON, D. G.,
July il, 1866.
II I'm. i. II. DoolNh, Chairman, DC !:
Sin: have the honor to ack knowledge
the/ receipt Of your note Of the 10th inst,
with printed copy ola call for Ma
ton al Convention, to be held at Phila
del phia on the l.llh day Of August next.
You request, in case tho call and the
principles cnunciatcd in it meet my mp
ptovai, that | reply nt my earliest con-
venicncc. This language would seem
only to imply that no answer is desired,
if do not approve the call md tho
principles avowcd in it. In other words,
that a failure to reply may be interpreted
as disapproval not only of tho Gull but
Of each and all Of the principles an.
nounced in it.
This is a position in which I am un.
willing to be placed, when | approve Of
many Of the principles set forth in the
call, and yet do not approve Of the call
itself. | will briefly state my reasons,
FIRST promising that [ DO not recognize
the very respectable gentlemen who haVo
made this call, as the acknowledged or.
guns Of the great Union party Of the
country. Since the outbreak Of the
terrific struggle, from which the country
has now emerged, We have had n Ma.
,ional Union party that has exhibited
more devotion, made greater sacrifices,
und manifested moro unsclfsh patriot.
ism, than any party ever did pre-
viously in tho history Of the world.
That party is still in being, with its
organization intact aud its organs known;
and as that party, by its faith, its doc
trincs and its cxcrtions, has, in the facc
Of the prophecies Of half the New and
all the Old World, saved the Govern.
mcnt and tho republican institutions Of
our common country from Generalization
and indeed from utter ruin, by vindicat.
ing at all hazards the primordal the oly
of the eternal, indissolublc union of the
States, through which only cun particle
of the theory Of State Rights ever be
maintained and carried out. it would
appear 10 me to be still the only, or at
any rate the most cllcctual means, as far
az a party can do it, Of finally adjusting
all the remaining minor and unsettled
matters Of reconstruction, consistently
with the requirements Of the theory
mentioned. This party is the same to.
day as it was in tho days Of its trial
the Same party now US when, but. few
short months ago, it elected Lincoln and
johnson and tho majority Of the present
Congress; and rs | acted with it then
for paramount reasons, my sense Of duty
demands that remain and act with it
now.
The pith and marrow Of the present
call. should say, tend toward conven'
tion to form Il party for sustaining, mol
the Government in its entirety, as has
been the mission Of the Union party, but
q department Of the government; and
here must !ako tho liberty Of adding
that | can hardly conceive Of any sad
der spectacle under the crisis Of present
circumstances than that Of the tried
Union party Of this country becoming
dislocated and broken up by diversions
or that Of one branch Of :bc Government
of the country taking an isolated posi-
lion upon questions of deep and common
interest, and placing itself in hostile
conf Gict with co. ordinate departments
For these, and other reasons which
might be mentioned, can not join in
the cali for the Convention in philadcl
phia. =.
have said that many Of tho princi'
pies stated in the call, are, in my view,
unohiectonable. l will not stop tc
criticisc those which arc Objectionable
but content myself with stating that the
call fails to take any notice Of one Of the
great issues now before the American
people. | alIudc to the question whcth
er the several S,ntes shall ratify or re-
jcct the last amendment, proposed BY
! Congress, to the Constitution Of th'
United States. This is grave md al
important question; the issue upon i
can not be avoided. TtShould be placct
fairly and squarcly before tho people
The failure to take ground upon 30 i'm
portant and all absorbing question
mus. DO attributed either to n. desire t
avoid tho issue or as declaration o.
belief and policy against the adoption o
tho amendment. Being mysclfenrncstly
and decidedly in favor Of tho adoption
Of the amendment by tho States, cat
not 20 into IN organization that wouI'
either orcnIy oppose that measure, o.
would smother it by avoiding its discus
sion, l must also add, that no man il
more desirous than am to attain the
entire restoration Of tho American Uniot
with its practical workings in more per
feet harmony and concord than ever
and the surety, as far as mortal affair
can be made sure, Of endless perpetuit.
in tho future.
The blessings to flow from such
| Union orc countless and ines.imublc
But such Union, consistent within it
self, maintained by tho universal conscn
of oil classes and sections, md laughln;