The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-21
ANTEDILUvA1N IDEAS OF OLD BOURBON,
Letter from Clement L. vallandigham.


Letter from Clement l.. Vallandigham.
DAYTON, Ohio, January 3-As to your first in.
curry, Congress, In my opinion, has no more con.
states (so called) than to make Territories Ohio
OF Wisconsin. Neither has any other department
combined The States made the Federal Govern.
ment IN the beginning but now the fable Of Saturn
Is reversed, and the child devours the parent
As to your second inquiry-the probable ''result
If the radical scheme be carried out ATTEMPTED"
pardon me little Latin De Carthdgene sGtius
est siiere guam pdrum deere" Only general results
at the most, can be toreseen by the wlsest OF
tails and in these dark times, when every lesson OF
economy, and of finance seems to be broken
with impunity; and when either Iolly or
gether, thwart the wisest, most honest,
most patriotic plans for the public good, have
do venture to prophesy. Yet think that had the
programme for the political campaign of 1856, as
agreed upon formally at washington IN April and
May last been honestly, courageously, and vigorously
carried out instead OF being set aside for that COM
bnation of procured abortion and accidental mis-
carriage, the Philadelphia Convention of August "a.
we should have had as great victory in the fall
elections suffered decisive defeat As il is, fear
that the last hope of the reaction persisted then,
and that the "Great American Revolution of 1862
must now go unchecked, till either it shall have
overturned totally IN FORM as already substantially
IN 1act, that grand OLD federal republic winch
fathers set up; substituting IN ITS stead impenastic
despotism under the shadow OF the name and form
and the cant of tree nshtutons or have precptated
@ counter revolution, through which, by the ex-
piatIon of fire and blood and suffering, it may
]
light, free, cheap system of government which
they so eagerly and recklessly have thrown
away. All this indeed, implied by the late civil
war for the UnIOn when it commenced; and 1, for
one, have no new quarrel with Iadicaiism and its
eXpOnents for striving to attain the natural egitl
mate and inevitable results OF changing our system
from government OF consent 10 government OF
coercion OF force. At the same time am not pre-
pared to compete with them IN the race OF radical
Ism; and if we're, should aim at that which alone
could command successful ''out.herod Herod
and go at enc bound so far beyond its present de-
mAnds that even Republican radio aism would stand
aghast. l should "cut under" so deep that no
'lower deep" could be found or iathomed. For, in
good sOoth, am not one of those who delude them
selves with the vain notion that by yielding
! halt the other can be made secure. Such sOpi to
| Cerberus" never silence the triple-headed dog of
| tanahclsm. And there is but one way to deal with
revo utOn-elther to go with totally, and ahead
| of it, OF fight 1t every inch and crush it We
hitherto have not so fought the battle and, by
sequence we have gone wn be ore the bold d ash.
ing charge oftbe BackKnight with his VISOR up And
so it has ever been; and will ever be, world with
| out end. | cannot add Amen; it "sticks in my
throat" For still would remember the sublime
old Roman MAXIM, and never despair of The repub-
lie; for even now, with more than eight hundred
millions of paper money having no other basis than
credit upon credit tour ply, and taxation, state
and Federal lor imPerial, quite equal in amount,
am not sure that bessed stranding" in the way of
finance might not at any moment prove the very
salvation Of the ship in her last lurch. For, NJ.
Guiz0t in his "History OF Cromwell" profoundly
observes, 1T by exhaustion and necessity that GOD
imposes justice and good sense upon nations"
Meantime, however deriving such satisfaction
and 1t is both great and sweet-as springs from the
recent decisions of the Supreme Court of the United
States convictng Abraham Lincoln and his ad-
minstTaton OF high orlme against the Constitution
and pubic and private liberty, l confine myself
chiefy-haying no cabbage garden to cultivate,
especially during the present cold snap-to the
studies and labors OF my profession, and am con.
tent just now to look on in politics and await with
faith and patience the OF time the corrector
ana aVenRer." Two suggestions only l would
make, most respectfully -
First. Ought we not forthwith TO begin to agitate
for a convention of all The states to meet and adjust
upon the basis OF the fundamental principles of the
old Constitution and Union, the new and momentOus
/ nj Of lin
arising out OF the late war; ana If fHe 'barPain'
| which our fathers made for the sake of seuring a
asideiunGer pretense OF e.tabhshing exact Justice
ana equity, auu States are TO be dealt with the
mere creatures OF the Federal will and pleasure,
and divided consolidated, and moulded to SUIT me
fashion Of the nourand the interests OF those who
can secure and hold the power is 1t not good time
now to demand that the gross iniouty of the ore.
sent Senatorial representation should give way to
great question OF suffrage upon the theory of 'im.
paItiality,' three millions of yankees" shall no
longer be permitted to vote twelve Senators, while
to vote but two3 Would New England, think you,
see the pOinti
Second. Without single representative man. to
whom all defer in any department of the Federal
Government, or any State Government in the North
or West, and without even a general committee,
always in session and having the confidence of the
party and therefore without any means to give uni
iormlty, concert, and promptitude to the opinions
and actions OF the Democratic party upon the sud-
den and very grave questions which, the midst of
areyolutlon every day brings tortn to perplex and
divide. what that party needs most now, is il not
frst.cass daily newspaper, say at Washington
| like the old Washington Globe secure on its
Decuniary foundation, totally democratic in its
politics, controlled by clique dependent enIv on
the Democratic masses for support the reflex of
their sentiments devoted heartily to their interests
aud edited by some or more of the statesmen of
the country having an established national reputa.
ton, and in whose ability and integrity alike the
| people have full coDfdenceH Cut off by fanaticlsm
and revolutionary hate from every other public en-.
| poyment, what but want of capital can forbid the
| representative public men OF the Democratic party
| from connecting themselves with the HFOurfh Es.
tate"-a department in politics quite as honorable
and as full of dignity, potential too and far
more lucrative otentimes than any Ofic cia station
even when fairly gained and as to the last espe.
| cialY, when honestly filed. Wv