Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-07-17
Blair Revolutionary Letter Grant
for PeaCe-BIair for War.

The following is the letter written by
F. P. Blair just prior TO the Democratic
Convention and to which hew was mainly
indebted for the nomination for which
it was evidently bid
WAsHINaToN, June 80, 1868.
Colonel James o. Broadhead:
Dear ColOuel-Iu reply to your in
quiries, / beg leave to say that leave
to you TO determine, on consultation
with my friends from Missouri, Wheth-
or my name shall be presented to the
Democratic Convention, and to submit
the following as hat 4 consider the
real and only issue IN sn1s CONTEST: 81
The reconstruction policy OF the Rad
icals will be complete before the next
election the States 50 long excluded
viii have been omitted, negro suffrage
established, and the carpet baggers in
stalled in their seats in both branches
of Congress. There is no possibility of
changing 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, therefore, undo the Radical
plan of recOnst ructiOn by Congressional
action the Senate will continue a bar
to it's repeal. Must we submit to it?-
How can it be OYeEthrOWn? It can on
ly be overthrOwn Oy the authority of
the Executive, who is sworn to main
tain the Consul uLlODs ANA VINO VIII 1al1 TO
do his duty if he allows the Constitution
to perish under a series of Cougression-
al enactments which are in palpable
violation of its fundamental principles.
If the President elected by the Demo-
cracy snforces or permits others to en-
force these Reconstruction acts, the
Radicals, by the accession Of twenty
spurious Senators and fifty Reprssen-
tatiYes, will control both branches of
Congress, and his ADMINISTRATION will be
as powerless as the present one of Mr.
Johnson.
There is one way to restore the Gov
ernment and the Constitution, and that
Is for The President elect to declare these acts
null and Coid compel the 0rDlto to undo It's lsltr-
pQtlons at The SotIth, dispeySe The cdTpet-b00
State gOUeT7nlel1ts, 0tLotU tte 1Cite people to
organize their oICll governments and elect Send
tors and Representatives.. The House of Rep
resentdttUes S0iu co11EGis a majority Of Demo-
eTatS from the North, and thely sOiW admit the
REPRESENTATIVES elected 6I tie t5ite men oT ne
SOi5th and sUith tbe co-o1erdto7l ofthe Pyesyeglf
70 1CiT0t be difficult to compel the Senate to sub
nit once more TO the obligations Of the Constitlt
tiOn.
It will not be able:to withstand the
public judgment, if distinctly invoked
and clearly expressed, on this funda-
mental issue, and il 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 usur-
pations by which the Government has
been overthrown, or shall we exert our
selves for its full and complete restOra-
tion :? It is idle to talk of bonds, green
backs, go Id, the public faith and the
public credit. What can a Democratic
President do in regard to any Of these
with Congress in both branches con-
trolled by the carpet-baggers and their
allies He will be poWerless to stop
the supplies by which idle negroes are
organized into political clubs-by
which an army is maintained to protect
these vagabOnds in their Outrages upon
the ballot. These, and things like
these, eat up the revenues and resoure-
/ es of the Government and destroy its
credit, make the difference between
4 gold and greenbacks. We must restore
the Constitution before we can restore
/ the finances, and to do this we must
| have a President who will execute the
win of the people by trampling into
! dust the usurpations of Congress,
known as the Reconstruction acts.
i0iSh to stand before the CO9lUe7lti0R upon
this issue, but it is one which embraces
every thing else that is of value in its
/ large and comprehensive results. It is
4 the one thiug that includes all that is
/ worth a contest, and without it there is
nothing that gives dignity, honor or
value to the struggle. Your friend.
FRANK r. BLAIR,