Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-07-18
Frank Rlair's Platform.

The following letter from Gen. Frank P.
Blair, Democratic candidate for the Vice Presi-
dency, contains the platform on which lie
stands, whatever may be the platform on which
the convention ought to place him. 1t was
written just previous to the Convention:
WASHINGTON, June 80 6S.
COLONEL JAMES o. O.,,BRoADHEAD-Dear
Colonel In reply to your inquiries L
beg leave to say that l leave to you
to determine, on consultation with my
friends from Missouri, whether my name
shall be presented TO the Democratic
Convention, and to submit the following,
as what consider the real and only is
sue i'll this contest.
"The reconstruction policy of the Rad
icals will be complete before the next
election; the States, SO long excluded
will have been admitted; negro suffrage
established, and the carpet baggers
installed in both branches of Con-
gress. There is no possibility of chang
ing the political character of the Senate,
even if the democrats should elect their
President and majority of the popular
branch of Congress. We can not, there
fore, undo the Radicals pain Of recon-
st,atctiOn by Congressional action the
Senate will continue bar to it's repeal.
Must are submit to it9 Hou can 1t be
ouerthrown? 1t can only be ovelthrown
by the authority of the Executive,
who is sworn to maintain the C0nstitu-
tion, and who will fail to do his duty if
he allows tho Constitution to perish I'M
der series of Congressional enactmsnts.
which are in palpable violation of its fun
damental princip pies.
''If the President elected by the De.
mocracy enforces, oripermits others to
enforce, these reconstruction acts, the
Radicals, by the accession Of twenty
spurious Senators and fifty Representa-
tives, will control both branches OF Con.
gress, and his administration will be as
powerless as the present one ofMr. John.
son.
"There is but one way to restore the
Government and the Constitution, and
that is for the President elect to declare
these acts null and void, compel the
army to undo its usurpations at the
South, disperse the carpet bag State
Governments, allow the white people to
reorganlze their own governments, and
elect Senators and Representatives,
The House of Representatives will con
tain majority of Democrats from the
North, and they will admit the Repre-
resentatives 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 obligation of the Constitu-
tion. l. will not be able to withstand
the public Judgment, if distinctly in
voked and clearly expressed OH this fun
damcntal issue, and it is the sure way to
avoid all future strife to put this issue
plainly to the country.
| repeat that this is the real and only
question which we should allow.to con
troll us. Shall we submit to the usurpa
tions by which the Government has beer
overthrown, or shall we exert ourselves
for its full and complete restoration
1t is idle to talk Of bonds, grsenbacks
goId, tue public taith and the p,c6lic
credit. What can a Democratic Presi
dent do in regard to any of these, wifi
a Congress in both branches controlled
by the carpet-baggers and their allies
''He will be powerless to stop the sup
plies by which idle negroes are organized
into political clubs-by which an army is
maintained to protect these yagabonds
in their outrages upon the ballot. These
& things like these eat up the revenues 8
resource of the Government, destroy its
credit, and make the difference between
gold and greenbacks. We must restore
the Constitution before we can restore
the finances; and to do this we must
have President. who will execute the
will of the people By tr'anapling into oaes
the ,es,apations Of Congress-, kpoDn as
the reconstruction acts. Iaoish to stdto
before the Convention upon this issae
but it is one arAich embraces eUeyy thing
else that is Of value in its large and com
prehensive results. 1t is the one thing
that includes all that is worth a contest
and without it there is nothing tina,
gives dignity, honor or value to the
struggle.
Your friend, FRANK P. BLAIR"