The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-08-04
Gen. Blairs Letter of Acceptance.

Gen. Blairs Letter of Acceptance.
We copy the following article from the Salisbury
North State, able supporter of the Democratic
,cket 1t expresses our views exactly:
"a short time before the meeting of the New York
Convention, Gen F. p Blair wrote letter political
affairs Mr. Broadhead which was very generally
copied by the Southern Democratic press, and with
which most reading are familiar We did not
Publish the letter for the that we could
approve Of the propositions which it contained and
because regarded it mischievous in its tendency.
The proposition that it would be the duty of the
President elect to declare the Reconstruction Acts of
Congress null and void-compel the army to undo
its usurpations at the South and dispense the exist
ing State governments there was, to our mind, revo
lutionary The consequences Of such action would
certainly be worse than the evils suffer-
ing and could net think of giving it sanction.
We are anxious be relieved of the existing State
governments at the South any man can be, bat we
re opposed to any but Constitutional means of re-
dress If the recommended in that letter
should be adopted it would certainly result in the
discrimination Of the Southern States if not in
something worse. 1t would be a precedent which
would be resorted to by the Republican party when
again acquired power, and between the two parties
Anarchy, boodshed and civil war would be the order
Of the day until constitutional liberty would disap-
pear forever from this continent. These PROPOSE
ons seem to be too clear for argument, and we do
not hesitate say that if the New York platform had
endorsed that letter it would have split the Conser
vave party in twain and ensured the triumphant
election of Gen Grant.
But fortunately for the country that body was too
.,L ofio 10 tb; tbo
kind. So far from endorsing the doctrine therein
set FORTH the Convention by its action did in fact
repudiate it. The doctrine of the Conservatives is
that the Supreme Court alone can determine the
Constitutional validity of acts of Congress, and that
until that tribunal decides that such acts are uncou-
sutional the Executive is bound to execute them.
This the view taken by President Johnson Of
these Reconstruction Acts; consequently not
wthstanding his firm conviction of their unconstitu
tonality, he executed them This is just the oppo-
site of the doctrine advanced by Gen. Blair, in his
letter to Mr. Broadhead that the President elect
mast decl0ye these acts null and void and compel tie
army d:per<e the existing State governments. And
the Convention sustained Andrew johnson by pass
ing vote of thanks to him, and having sustained
opposite policy of course, in effect repudiated that
proposed by Gen. Blair. Nor does the platform
holds no such doctrine, know from his Cooper
Institute speech. 1t is that the Convention
nominated Gen. Blair for the vice-Presdency. but it
nominated him upon its platform, and upon that
platform we support him. We observe that some of
State exchanges continue to publish extracts
from the letter of which we have been speaking and
they could not do any thing better calculated to de-
feat our ticket in North Carolina If the letter to
Broadhcad understood to be n part and parcel
of the New York platform there many thousands
Of white men in North Carolina who voted the Con-
scrvarive ticket at the late election who would not
support Seymour and Blair, but who will support
them on the platform upon which they stand.
Such being views of Gen. Blar's letter to Mr.
Broa'Ihead, We have been waiting anxiously to see
his letter of acceptance. That letter publish to-
day and after reading it cannot but believe that
the first one written hastily and without due re-
Election. in the letter which publish to-day he
accepts of the nomination with the platform, which
be cordially endorses. He opposes every thing like
revolution. He recognizes the high functions of the
Supreme Court in the premises, and says that it is
not revolutionary 20 execute the Judgment of that
Court He proposes TO remedy the evils under which
The country is suffering by peaceful means, and says
The appeal to the peaceful ballot attain this end
Is not war, is not revolution Upon the whole the
Tone of the letter is widely different from the first one
and will, we hope, remove the apprchensions of many.
FOR we know that many able men in North Carolina
who arc constitutiOnay conservatives and who have
heretofore acted with the Conservative party would
prefer the election of Gen. Grant any attempt to
carry out the proposition contained in Gen. Blair's
letter 10 Mr. Br0adhead.'