The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-06
General Frank Z. Blair Defines his
Position.
WASHINGTON, June 80, 1868.
alonel James o. Br0uGhead

Ghloael James 0. BroudheGd:
Dear Colonel,--In reply to your inqui-
| ries, 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 Democratic Con-
yention, and to submit the following as
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 installed in their seats
in both branches Of Congress. There is no
7 possibility of changing the political charac
ter of the Senate, even if the Democrats
should elect their President and ma
jority Of the popular branch of Congress.
We cannot, therefore, undo the Radical
plan of reconstruction by congressional
action; the Senate will continue bar to
its repeal. Must we submit to it How
can it be overthrown? 1t can only be over
thrown by the authority of the Executive,
who is sworn to maintain the Constitution,
and who will fail to do his duty if he
allows the Constitution to perish under
series of congressional enactments which
are in palpable violation of it's fundamental
principles. ss.
If the President elected by the Demo-
cracy enforces, or permits others to enforce,
these reconstruction acts, the Radicals, by
the accession of twenty spurious senator's
and fifty representatives, will control both
branches Of Congress, and his administra-
ton will be as powerless as the present one
Of Mr.. Johnson.
There is but one way to restore the Go
yernment and the Constitution, and that
is for the President elect to declare these
acts null and void, compel the army to undo
its usurpations ct the South, dispense the
carpet-bag State governments, allow the
white people to re0rganize their own Go
yernments and elect senators and repre-
sentatiyes. The House of Representatives
will contain majority Of Democrats from
the North, and they will admit the repre-
sentatiyes elected by the white people OF
the South, and with the cooperation OF the
President it will not be difficult to compel
the Senate to submit once more to the obli-
cations of the Constitution. 1t will not be
able to withstand the public judgment II
distinctly invoked and clearly expressed
on this fundamental issue, and IT is the
sure way to avoid all future strife to put
this issue plainly to the country.
l repeat that this is the real and only
question which we should allow to control
us; Shall, we submit to the usurpations by
which the Government mas been over
thrown, or shall we exert ourselves for its
full and complete restorationy Ii is IDLE
to talk of bonds, greenbaeks, gold, the
public faith, and the public credit. What
can Democratic President do in regard to
any of these, with o Congress in both
branches controlled by the carpet-baggers
and their allies? lie 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 yaga-
bonds in their outrages upon the ballot