Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-07-17
General Frank r. Blair Defines his posi-.
ton

WASHINGTON, June 3d. 1868.
Colonel James 0. Broadhead:
DEAR COLONEL: In reply to your inquiries, / 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 Demo
cratic Convention, and to submit the following,
az to what consider the real and only issue in
this contest.
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 in
stalled in their seats in both branches of Congress-
There ls no possibility of changing the political
character of the Senate, even il the Democrats
should elect their President and ajority of the
popular branch of Congress- We cannot, there
FORE undo the Radical plan of reconstruction by
Congressional action; the Senate will continue a
bar to its repeal. Must 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 al ows the Constitution to perish
under series of Congressional enactments which
are in palpable violation OF it's fundamental prn-
ciples.
If the Presi lent elected by the Democracy en-
forces or permits others to enforce these recon-
struction acts, he Radicals by the accession of
wenty spurious Senators and fifty Representa-
tlves, will control both branches of Congress, and
his administra ion will De as powerless as the
present one of MIR. Johnson.
There is but way to restore the Govern
ment and the Constitution, and that is for the
President elect to declare these acts null and
void compel the army to undo it's usurpations at
he south, dispense the carpet-bag State govern
nents, allow the white people to reorganize their
'wn governments, and elect Senators and Repre-
natives. The House of Representatives will
contain majority of Democrats from the North,
md they will admit the Representatives elected
y the white people of the South, and with the
-operation of the President it will not difficult
compel the Senate to submit once more to the
obligations of the Constitution. It will not be able
o Withstand the public judgment. if distinctly
INVOKED and clearly expressed Oh this fundamen-
al issue, and 1t is the way t. avoid all future
trife to put the issue plainly to the country.
repeat that this is the real and only question
which we should allow to control Shall we
ubmt to tie usurpations by which the Govern
ment has cen overthrown; or shall We exert cur
selves for its full and comp etc restoration? It is
die to talk of bonds gre nbacks, gold the public
faith and the public credit What can Demo
ratic President do in regard to any of these with
Congress in both branches controlled by the
arpet-bage ers and their allies? He will be DOW
riess to stop the supplies by which idle negroes
trmy Is maintained to protect these vagabonds in
nelr outrages upon the ballot. These, and things
ike these. eat up the revenues and resources of
the Government and destroy its credit-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 tramp
ling into dust the usurpations of Congress, known
as the reconstruction acts. wish to stand be-
which embraces everything else that is of va]ue
i n its large and comprehensive results It ia the
one thing that includes all that ia worth contest
and without it there's nothing that gives dignity
honor, or value to the struggle
Your friend, FRANK P. BLAIR,