Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-07-28
Ratification meeting in Baltimore-Letter
from Hon. A. H. H. Stuart.


On Thursday night last, large and enthu-
siastic Democratic ratification meeting was held
in monumental square in Baltimore. Resolu
tons were adopted endorsing Seymour and
Blair, and the Tammany Hall platform. The
meeting was addressed by Hon. Charles E.
Phelps, Hon. VIM. Pinkney Wythe, Governor
Swami, Hon. c. A. Eldridge of Wisconsin,
and others. Letters were read from George
II. Pendleton, VIM B. Reed, Hester Clymer,
Montgomery Blair, Senator Hendricks, A. H.
Ell. Stuart, and others. The following extract
from Mr.. Stuart's letter embodies sound poll
teal doctrine and will be read with interest:
Mr.. Stuart fully endorses the nominations
made at New York, and highly approves ofthe
platform of principles there adopted. He then
goes on to say:
"All governments, whatever may be their
form, WELD substantially the same aggregate
amount of power, and over the same subjects
All claim control over the life, liberty and pro-
perty of their citizens or subjects. The character
of government, therefore, is not determined
by the amount ofpower which it possesses. The
true test is to be found in the concentration OF
all power in one man, or body of men, or in its
distribution among coordinate departments
Wherever all power is concentrated in one man,
or body of men, call the government by what
name you may, it is essentially despotism.-
And converso, whenever the powers of govern
ment are divided and distributed among the
three great departments, which reel procally act
as checks and restraints on each other, the
elements of freedom will invariably be found
The framerS of the federal constitution were
deeply impressed with these great truths, and
hence they divided the powers of government
between three separate and coordinate depart
ments-the legislative, executive and judicial
and ordained that they should be kept separate
and distinct, neither department exercising
powers confded to the others.
'Unmindful of this fundamental principle of
free government, the Republican party in Con-
tablished by the constitution, and usurped a
large portion of the powers confded to the ex-
ecutive and judiciary. To this extent they have
converted the government into despotism, and
unless arrested in their mad career by the strong
hand of the people, they will soon absorb not
only all the powers delegated by the constitu-
ton to the federal government but also all those
that were reserved to the States and the pto.
pie.
1.-The issue in the coming contest is between
freedom and despotism, between government
of delegated powers, limited and restrained in
their exercise by constitutional provisions and
the lawless domination of congressional oil
garchy, which claims to be a law unto itself,
and acknowledges no limit to its power but its
own arbitrary will.
cit is time, therefore, that the people should
assemble and take counsel together how they
can best arrest the revolutionary measures of
the party in power 1t is especially incumbent
on the members of the old Wing party, the
followers of Henry Clay, to dismiss from their
minds all prejudices against the name Of De-
mocracy, and to lend their aid in the good work
of constitutional restoration. The Wing party
had its birth in resistance to what it regarded
as usurpation by the Executive. Its vital prin-
ciple was and is resistance to tyranny. But
what were the usurpations of 1888 to those of
1868? They were as a grain OF sand to a
mountain! The principles of the New York
Convention are in fact Wing principles, and all
Wings who value consistency and constitutional
liberty should rally with enthusiasm to the sup
port Of the platform and the nominees Of the
New York convention. Who can doubt where
Clay, Webster, Crittenden, Clayton, Corwin
and Rives would stand in the approaching
election, if they were among the living?
'Old party prejudices and animosities should
now be forgotten, and all good men-all friends
of the CONSTITUTIONAL lovers Of liberty regu-
lated by law, should now stand shoulder to
shoulder and register a solemn VOW never to re-
lax their efforts until the party now in power
shall be elected from the high places which
they have abused and polluted, and the true
principles of the constitution shall have been
firmly re-established in the administration of
the government.