The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-09-23
JACKSONIAN VIEWS ON THE
CAMPAIGN.
n v-OFCE FROM THE TOMB
LETTER FROM AMOS KENDALL.
KENDALL GREEN, Aug. 20, '69.

Alecander Rutherford, Chr'mn, &c.
DEAR SIR-I duly received your
letter of the 18th inst, as chairman Of
q committee of jackson Democratic AS
sociation, inviting me to attend at the
dedication of their hall on the evening
of Thursday next, and expressing the
belief that my association with General
jackson will enable me, "to add to the
interest of the occasion.
In reply, have the honor to thank
you and your committee for remember.
ing me in my seclusion and to inform
you that my duties elsewhere on that
evening, aud my disincliuation at the
age of seventy.nine years TO mingle iE
political excitements, forbids an accept.
ance OF your kind invitation. But re-
cognizing the duty Of every living mau
to do what he can to serve his country
in times of danger, | have no hesitation
in communicating to you and your asso-
citation the views | entertain upon the
issue involved in the election of this
year.
OF the men who are candidates have
nothing to say. 1t seems to me the
duty Of every true patriot in this mo-
mentuous crisis to think only of the
great principles and results involved,
and overlooking all that is merely per-
sonal in the candidates, consider them as
merely instruments in maintaining those
principles and affecting those results.
A vast majority Of our Northern people
went into the war for the preservation
of the Union. The war was successful
and the Union was preserved. The
rebels everywhere laid down their arms
and pease was restored throughout the
land. All that was needed to make
that peace perpetual was State officers
in all the seceediug States sworn to
support the constitution OF the United
States.
Trr, every man who had born arms
against the United States, and every one
who had given them aid and comfort
had, under the constitution and existing
laws, incurred the penalties of death
and confscation. From these penalties
they could be relieved ouly by the con-
stitutional pardoniug power, or by trial
and acquittal in the courts. The SUBJ
ject was exclusively executive and ju-
dicial, and alt together beyond tho right.
ful jurisdiction of the legislative power.
Now, who does not know that had the
amnesty proclamations of the President
been allowed to have their legal effect,
and the Southern States been permitted
to reorganize themselves under officers
sworn to support the constitution of the
United States, we sh ould long ago have
had peace and comparative prosperity
throughout our borders? Why is it not
so? 1t is attributable entirely to the
usurpations of Congress. That body
began by adopting the absurdity that
the successful war for the preservation
Of the Union had in fact destroyed the
Union /; that in compelling the seced.
ing States to remain in the Union ouI
armies had in fact thrust them out and
that however anxious the Southern
people might be to stay in or get in they
could not do so without asserting tc
such conditions as Congress might pre-.
scribe. If the success of the war puI
the Southern States out of the Union
would its failure have kept them in
On this absurdity was based the entire
reconstruction legislation of Congress
They assumed that the seeding State.
instead of being portions of our great
republic were altogether foreign, anG
that their people, instead of being re-
pentant rebels. were conquered enemies
Upon these pretexts they took them ou
Of the constitutional supervision of the
executive and judicial departments o
the government and subject them t.
the unlimited power of Congress, irres'
pectiye Of the constitution. Instead o
leaving them to be pardoned under tn,
Jaws in existence when their crime
we're committed, they passed eT pos
fdcto laws, imposing upon them new
and unheard of disabilities, from whiel
their victims could, according to thei
theory and practice be relieved only b,
the usurping and absolute power whicl
had imposed them; and when the Pres
ident and judiciary indicated disposi-
tion to exercise their constitutions
rights, they sought to deprive them 0
their rightful powers of Legislation ant
BY threats of punihsment by impeack.
ment' Thus practically has Congress
subverted the constitution, and, on thi
subject taken into their own hands al
the powers of goveTnment-legislative
executive and judicial. If their theor,
were true, instead of being false, as it is