The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-08-24
WHY A CoNsERyArIvEsUPP
GRANT
Letter from Hon. John $. Carlisl,

Letter from Hon. John $. Carlisle.
Editors Baltimore American
My attention has been called to the
publication in your paper of my letter
To General Kelley and some surprise
expressed at its contents. have, for
considerations personal to myself, de-
layed any publication ofmy reasons for
the conclusions TO which have arriv-
ed. now can only hint at a few.
have never been, in the strict sense
of the word, a party man. My chief OBJ
ject in public life has been the main
tafnance of the Union under the Con-
stitution. The Union of the States and
the rights Of the States, as secured by
the Constitution, has been my motto,
and TO the preservation of that Union
and the maintenance of those rights
have all my efforts as a public man
as we'll as a private citizen been di-
rected. have long been of the opin-
ion, and still believe, that partisan poll
tics have been and still are the bane of
the Republic.
With the death of Andrew Jackson
the Democratic party ceased to be guild
ed by principle, and gradually became
sectiOnRliZed. The declaration of Jack
son-''The Federal Union, 1t must and
shall be preservedn--Was discarded,
and a Southern Confederacy openly ad-
vocated and threatened. Sectionalism
assumed the phase OF, and was substi-
tuted for, patriotism.
Regardingas always have my party
obligations as OF less binding force than
the obligations owe to my country, /
have often subjected myself to the
charge of Inconsistency. To occupy
such a position is no light or trifling
matter. 1t requires much more moral
courage to subject oneself to such n
charge, and to the denunciations and
IL al Q a Z
first blush may be supposed necessary.
The. action OF the Secession Convention
in Virginia, and the results that fol-
lowed Immediately upon the adoption
of the ordinance of secession, exhibited
fearful want of moral courage.
believed then, and still believe, that
il a dozen members of that Convention
from as many different sections of the
State had taken the course, and labored
as / did, the State could have been
saved from the terrible effects of seces-
sion. As it was, my section alone was
saved, and is now a State in the Union.
In that trying hour / adhered to my
motto, and as / was the first in the
Virginia Convention to openly and
boldly denounce the heresy of seCes-
sion, SO was the first in Congress to
denounce the policy of Congress that
was subsequently adopted, when it was
foreshadowed by a Senator who has
no traveller returns" NV remarks
upon that occasion are reported in the
Globe of the 10th Deem Der, 1861.
My opposition TO Radicalism is we'll
known. That I would have saved the
Union party from it, if it had been in
my power, is also well known. So
great was my opposition to the ultraism
of Congressional legislation, and SO sim
cere my convictions, that rather than
abate the one or surrender tue other /
Il, - trs
for a time lost the confidence of my
Union friends. 1 had hoped and ex-|
pected that the action of the New York
Convention would have entitled its
nominees to the support of
Conservative Union men. Had
its members pledged themselves
to the maintenance of the right oflocal
self.Royernment in the States, as Be-
cured by the Constitution, and nomi-
mated as their Presidential candidate
man of undoubted Unionism, who be-
lieved in the right of the Government
to protect itself and enforce its lawful
authority, ] should have voted for its
nominees. This was otdone. On the
contrary, it was my opinion that Hen
bricks was defeated because he is not
believer in the right of secession. The
war record of Hancock defeated him.
Mr.. Vallandigham's patriotism nOmi
mated Seymour and crushed the aspira-
/
of the ttlost causen triumphed over the
Unionfsm of the Convention, and the
strife of the battlefield IS to be renew
ed, to be fought out at the ballot box.
As much as am opposed TO the Radi-
cal legislation of the last six years, 1
am more opposed to disunion, So long
/ as we are one people vicious legislation
| may be corrected, even constitutional
amendments may be abolished, and
constitutional liberty preserved but
once divided into separate States, under
different governmental liberty and pros
Pertty, peace and good government
are lost forever. Grant Will receive
no support from secessionists or their
sympathizers; they are all to be found
| in the ranks of the party supporting
Mr.. Seymour. The conservatism of
Republication nominated Grant. The
radicalism of Democracy nominated
IL the Supreme Court shall decide, as
the Democracy hold 1t Will decide next
\ winter, the reconstruction legislation
OF Congress unconstitutional, 1t will
doubtless be for the reason among 9TH
ers that the State has the right, free
from Congressional interference or Ex-
ecntive dictation, to form for itself its
own Constitution. provided it be re-
| publican in form. If this be SO. the
Governments created by The G0nstitu-
/ tions of the seeded States, under the
laws OF Congress, are null1tleS ana
have no legal existence; the Govern
ments created under Executive dictn-
ton must share thesame fate, and these
States will be remitted back TO the gov
eTnments created by the constitutions
adopted by each after the passage of
their several ordinances OF secession
and the reputation of their allegiance
| to the Constitution of the United States.
In this situation, with an Executive
who thinks, with the late President
Buchauan, that the Government of the
United States cannot use force against
the people OF seeded State to COM
pei obedience to its lawful authority,
will not disunion be a fact accom-
| plished, and will BOT the war have been
| fought in vain It is not possible in
the limits allowed by the press TO COM
munications of this sort, 10 do more
than briefly refer 10 a few cOnsIdera-
tons that have brought my mind 70
the conclusion to which have arrived.
may have occasion, before the cleo
ton, to enter fully upon the yindica-
ton of my proposed action. This II
done, / shall do before the people who
have heretofore honored me with their
confidence. JOHN S. CARLYLE.
OLD wEHlNE IN NEW BoTTLEs-The
spirit of the rebellion IN The modern
Conservatives, who used to be for the
CONSTITUTION, the Union, and the en-
tforcement of the laws.n
THRRBare more things in heaven and
i aorFh EJorayiS .I,0,, ara dreamed of in