Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-07-11
General Frank p. Blair Defines
His Position.
WASHINGTON, June 80, 1868

Colonel james o. Broadhead
Dear Colonel-In reply to your inquir-.
les, beg leave to say that leave to you
to determine, on consultation with my
friends from Missouri, whether my name
shall be presented to the Democratic Con-
vention, and to submit the following as
what consider the real and only issue In
this contest. ttg f ~ "
The reconstruction policy of the Radicals
will be complete before the next election;
the States so long excluded will have been
admitted negro suffrage established, and
- the carpet baggers installed i'm their seats
: in both branches of Congress- There is no
possibility of changing the political char
acter of the Senate, even if the Democrats
of the popular branch of Congress. We
cannot, therefore, undo the Radical plan of
reconstruction by Congressional action !;
the Senate will continue a bar to its repeal.
Must we submit to it? How can it be
overthrown? 1t can only be overthrown
by the authority of the Executive. who is
sworn to maintain the Constitution and
who will fail to do his duty If he allows the
Constitution to perish under a series of
Congressional enactments which are In pal
pable violation of its fundamental pri-u
ciples. r,.. -..-.-..,. 1s,.l 3. "a. t--r
If the President elected by the Democ-
racy eDforces, or permits others to enforce,
these reconstruction acts, the Radicals, by
the accession of twenty spurious Senators
and fifty Representatives, will control both
branches of Congress, and his administra-
ton will be as pOwerless as the present one
of Mr.. Johnson. = 1 f.s
There is but one way to restore the Gov
ernment and the Constitution, and that ia
for the President elect to declare these acts
null and void, compel the army to undo its
usurpations at the South, disperse the car.
pet-bag State Governments, allow the white
people to reorganize their own Govern
ments and elect senators and representa-
tives. The House of Representatives will
contain majority of Democrats from the
North, and they will admit the representa-
tives, elected by the white people of the
South, and with the cooperation of the
President it will not be difficult TO compel
the Senate to submit once more to the obli-
cations of the Constitution. 1t will not be
able to Withstand the public judgment, il
distinctly invoked and clearly expressed
on this fundamental issue, and it is the sure
way to avoid all future strife to put this is
sue plainly to the country.
repeat that this is the real and only
question which we should allow to control
us: Shall we submit to the usurpations
by which the Government has been over.
thrown, or shall we exert ourselves for its
full and complete restoration 1t is idle
to talk of bonds, greenbacks, gold. the pub
lie faith, and the public credit. What can
a Democratic President do in regard to any
of these, with a Congress in both branches
controlled by the carpet t-baggers and theil
allies? He will be powerless to stop tn,
supplies by which idle negroes are organ
lied into political clubs-by which an
Amy is maintained to protect these vaga.
bonds in their outrages upon the ballot
These, and things like shese, eat up tn,
revenues and resources of the Government
and destroy its credit; make the difference
between gold and greenbacks. We mus
restore the Constitution before we can re-
store the finances, and to do this we mus
have President who will execute the will
of the people by trampling into dust the
usurpations of Congress known as the re.
construction acts. l wish to stand before
the Convention upon this issue, but it is
one which embraces everything else thai
is of value in its large and comprehensive
results. 1t is the one that includes all that
is worth contest, and without it there i;
nothing that gives dignIty, honor, or value
to the struggle.
Your friend, FRANK P. BLAIR.