The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-08-15
JUDGE HEmPNTEAD's LETTER.
Oia WING. Read ana Ponder,

Central Committee Of Pike County,
should be read and pondered over by
members of the Republican party and
particularly by that portion who were
once the followers and supporters Of.
Henry Clay. Judge Hampstead was
an old Clay Wing, and has, since the
establishment of the Republican party.
until within o few months, been an
ardent Republican. Read, and see
what ho now says of il:
Democratic Central Committee Of Pike
County: .,
GENTLEMEN:-Your kind invitation
to be present and preside at the OPEN
ing OF tho campaign al Waverly, Aug.
18th, has been received.
Permit me 10 express to you, and
those you represent, my thanks for this
mark of your confidence.
Owing to the impaired state of my
health under ordinary circumstances
1 could not accedo to your request
But l feel hat at this important crisis
in our affairs no -oBc should refuse TO
labor in any direction that good can
be accomplished.
You have assumed 10 Judge for me
in the premises, and ] shall therefore
accept your invitation.
/ feel grateful to you for your very
complimentary expressions, rs 10 my
past and present position politically,
and | indulge in the hope that those
with whom 1 have heretofore been
associated politically will generally
award to me the same degree of sin
oerlty.
Having been what might very prop.
erly be termed an ardent Republican,
from tue time Of the organization Of
that party up to the time, that / CON
ceived to be it's departure from the
principles upon which it was founded,
IN assuming my present position l feel
truly mortified that numbers of nv
former political friends refuse to &C
knowledge the sincerity of my %convic-
tions as TO what / deem necessary to
perpetuato our free institutions. sal
Until | assumed my presentposition,
l could not realize the tendency of
many of my political associates to IN.
tolerance, and l have deemed it but
justice 10 myself and my friends to
avail myself Of this opportunity of
expressing briefly my reasons for OPP
posing the men and measures Of the
Republican party.
You are aware, gentlemen, that /
was a resident Of this locality ut the
time of tho formation Of this county.
and by the kindness and Partially Of
the people have been permitted TO act
IN an official capacity the greater por-
ton Of my life.
During all this time / tried to divest
myself Bipartisan preju iiccs and adopt
that line OF policy which / deemed
best calculated OBSCURE happiness and
prosperity for the people and more
over underworld TO be II close obs srver
OF the practical workings of our Gov.
eminent, and whilst acting us u zeal.
GUS partizan OF tho Wing and Repnbi.
can parties always e~ndeavorcd 10 ac-
cord the same sincerity tony friends
and neighbors that l claimed tor my
self.
And now having arrived at the
period in my life whore personal MS.
pirations are ut IN end, l deem it no
assumption in mo to assert, that all the
ambition l now have is 10 transmit to
p0sterIty the Government of our Fa-
theirs IN like form that i: was bestowed
upon us.
l cannot accede to tho politicians OF
tho present day superior wisdom to
those who formed our Government
and administered it 10 successfully. On
the contrary the innovations OF our
modern statesmen IN my humble
opinion have had u tendency to dis
organize our system, and threatens il
with total humiliation, and | desire to
perpctuato u original form of Gov.
ernmcnt, and with this object Ct lely
IN view severed my association with
the Republican party.
Congress has undoubtedly assumed
unwarrantcd powers, and has demon
strated that it is IS incapable of gov.
erning itself and the country as tho
rebels are governing the South.
l cannot comprehend how we are Il
have n free and independent govern
ment, whom the people of States ar,
denied the right Of elf.governmcnt and
are placed temporarily in charge o.
The military for the purpose Of trans
terrlng the government of those States
permanently to the blacks.
The idea Of maintaining q banking
system that IL perfectly usless to Tho
Government and the people. and inures
only 10 the benefit of the stockholderr
of those institutions, at a public OK.
pense Of twenty millions per wear
and at u time too. when taxation /.
positively oppressive, is SO incompati
bic with the principles of our -Govovn.
ment. that | i1al ,t'to ha H. 49, :,