Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-08-11


motives have been good. These must now see
that the Republican party is in that condition
that 1t cannot carry out a wise and peaceful
policy, whatever its motive may be. 1t is
misfortune, not only to country, but to go
erning party ITSELF when its action is unchecked
bby any form ofopposition. 1t has been the mis-
fortune OF the Republican party that the events
OF the past few years have given it so much
power that it has been able to shackle the Ex-
ecutlye to trammel the judiciary and to carry
out the views OF the most unwise and vloentof
its members. When this state of things exists
In any party, it has ever been found that the
sober judgement of its ablest leaders do not con.
troll. There is hardly an able man who helped
to build up the Republican organization, who
has within the past three years warned 1T against
Its excesses, who has not been borne down and
forced to give up his convictions OF what the
interests of the country called for; or, # too
patriotic to do this, who has not been driven
from Its ranks If this has been the case here
toiorc, what will be its action now, with tins
new infusion Of men who, without decent re-
spect Tor the views Of those who have just given
them their positions, begin their legislative
course with calls for arms-with demands that
their States shall be regarded rs in condition
OF civil war, and with the declaration that they
| are ready and anxious to degrade the President
OF the United States whenever they can persuade
or force Congress to bring forward new articles
OF impeachment. The Republican party, as
well as we, are interested in putting some check
upon this violence 1t must be clear to every
thinking man that division of political power
tends to check the violence of party action, and
| to assure the peace and good order Of society.
The election of Democratic Executive and
majority of Democratic members of the House
of Representatives would not give to that party
organization the power to make sudden or vio-
lent changes; but it would serve to check those
extreme measures which have been deplored by
the best men of these political organizations.
The result would most certainly lead to that
peaceful restoration Of the Union and rees-
| Enlistment of freternal relations which the
country desires am sure that the best men
of the Republican party deplore as deeply as /
do the spirit of violence shown by those recent
ly admitted to seats in Congress from the South.
The condition Of civil war which they contern-
| plate must be obvious to every right.thinking
| man. | have no mere personal wishes which
| mslead my Judgment in regard to the pending
| election. No man who has weighed and meas
ured the duties of the Office of President Of the
| United States can fail to be impressed with the
cares and tolls of him who is to meet its demand.
| 1t is not merely to float with the popular cur
| rent, without policy or purpose on the con-
trary, while our Constitution gives just weight,
to the public will, its distinguished feature is
that it seeks to protect the rights Of minoritIes;
it's greatest glory is that it puts restraints upon
| powers it gives force and from to those maxims
| and principles of civil liberty for which the
martyrs Of freedom have struggled through
ages it declares the right Of the people "to be
secure in their persons, houses papers, and ef-
| fects against unreasonable searches and seiz;
ures ;" that Congress shall make no law re-
! specting an establishment Of religion, or pro-
| ~, froo III hid
! the freedom of speech or Of the press or the
| right of the people to petition the Government
| for redress of grievances" 1t secures ''the
right of speedy and public trial by an impartial
Jury. ,.'-..t.t..
! No man can rightfully enter upon the duties
of the Presidential office unless he is not only
willing to carry out the wishes of the people ex-
pressed in constitutional way, but is also pre-
pared to stand up for the rights of minorties.
He must be ready to uphold the free exercise
| of religion. He must denounce measures which
would wrong personal or private rights of the
religious conscience Of the citizens of the land.
or nationality, all the privileges Of American
citizenship. The experience of every public
man who has been faithful to his trust teaches
him that no one can perform the duties of the
| office of President unless he is ready not only
to undergo the falsehoods and abuse of the bad,
| but to suffer from the censure of the good, who
are moved by prejudices and Misrepresentation.
There are no attractions in such a position
| When | say that great change is going on in
| the public mind, | mean that the mass of the
Republican party are more thoughtful, impartial
and just than they were during the excitments
| which attended the progress and close Of the
civil war; AS the energy of the Democratic
party springs from their devotion to their cause,
and not to their candidates, may, with pro-
priety, speak of the fact. Never in the po-
litical society of our country, has the action Of
any like body been hailed with such universal
and wide spread enthusiasm as that which has
been shown in relation to the position of the
National Democratic Convention. With this
the candidate had nothing to do. Had any 9TH
er of those named been selected, this spirit
would have been, perhaps, more marked. The
zeal and energy of the Conservative masses
litical policy, and from the confidence that they
can carry out their purpose. In this fact they
are strengthened by the cooperation of the
great body of those who served in the Union
army and navy during the war. Having given
nearly sixteen thousand commissions to the Of
fcers of that army, l know their views and
wishes. They demand the Union for which
they fought The largest meeting of these gall
liant soldiers which ever assembled was held in
| new i DIRK, anu 6QUOrS0u Inc dcClOQ OF the Ma
tional Convention in words instinct with mean
ing. They called upon the Government to stop
in it's policy of discord and disunion, and in
terms offervid eloquence they demanded the
| restoration of the rights and liberties Of the
| American people. When there is such accord
| between those who proved themselves brave and
self sacrificing in war and those who are thought
| full and patriotic in council, cannot doubt we
| shall gain political triumph which will restore
| our Union, bring back peace and prosperity to
| our land, and give US once more the blessings
| of a wise, economical, and honest Government
[ am, Gentlemen, truly yours, &C.,
HORATIO SEYMOUR.
Letter of J. Randolph Tucker, Esq.
The following is an extract from the able let
| ter of Ran. Tucker in answer to an invitation
to address the late Democratic ratification meet
| ing in Baltimore
mo man can deny that Congress has no
| power to un-State State none to call con-
venticn Of its people to frame Constitution;
| none to decide who shall speak for its people
by regulating its suffrage, against the mandate
OF its Constitution; none to suspend Its own
Legislature; none to depose its Governor;
none to appoint its Governor, judges, and other
officers; none to take its money from its treas
ury and spend it for purposes not authorized by
its laws; none to subject It's people to the abso-
Lutte dominion Of a military satrap; none to de-
clare by law that war exists when perfect peace
reigns, in order, by this false pretext, to annul
the habeas corpus none to try civilian by
IF vii al 70 VOL freedom