The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-07-16
Blair's Letter. !

Blair's Letter.
The following letter written by
Gen. Bleipto Col. Broadhead, was
spred6 broadcast through the Conf
vention, and doubtless contributed
| mainly to make him tho democratic
candidate for Vice President.
We earnestly desire all law-abiding
and pcace-loving citizens to read il
carefully, and then to deliberately
mako up their minds whether or not
they are willing tovotc ticket where
there is nothing but tho ffail tenure
of Horatio Seymour's life between
tho Presidency and this man Blair,
who openly advocates the dispersion
! Of Congress, and tho overthrow Of
tho news State. Governments, lust now
90 successfully established, by the
power Of the sword: ~
.ltsk ttttft
.,t.,,t,, WAsHIEdTeN, Juno 30.
~, =. !, P,oo,s.,,, s.
oos' 0u0' - = q 0''~'''"'
DEAR COLONEL: In reply to your
inquiries, / beg leave to say that I
leave to you to determine, on consul
tation with my friends from Missouri,
whether my name shall be presented
to the Democratic Convention, and
to submit the following % what l
consider the real and only issue in this
contest.
The reconstruction policy Of the
Radicals will bo complete before the
next election; the States, 80 long ex-
cluded, will have been admitted !; me-
gro suffrage established and tho car
pet-baggers installed in their seats in
both branches Of Congress. Thore is
no possibility Of changing the politi-
cal character of the Senate, even if
the Democrats should elect their
President and majority of the pop-.
ular branch of Congress. We cannot.
therefore, undo the Radical plan of
reconstruction BY Congressional, ac-
ton; the Senate will continue a bar
to it's repeal. Must wc submit to il?
How can it be ovcrthrownP It can
only be overthrown bv the authority
Of the Executive who is sworn to
maintain the Constitution, and who
viii fail to do his duty if he allows
the Constitution to perish under q
series Of Congressional enactments
which are in paipable violation of it's
fundamental principles.
Ifthe President elected by the De-
mocracy enforces or permits others
to enforce these reconstruction acts,
the Radicals, by the accession of
twenty spurious Senators and fifty
Representatives will control both
branches Of Congress, and his admin
istration will be as powerless as the
present one ofMr. johnson.
There il but one ,gsi1 to rcstoro
the Governmcntand the Constitution,
and that is for the President elect to
declare these acts null and void, COM
pei the army to undo its usurpations
at the South, disperso tho carpet
bag State governments; allow the
white people to rcorganize their own
governments and elect Senators and
representatives. The House OF Yep
resentatives will contain 2 majority
Of Democrats from the North, and
they will admit the Representatives
elected BY the white people Of the
South, and with tho cooperation Of
the President It will not be difficult
to compel the Senate to submit once
more to the obligations OF the Con-
stitution. 1t will not be able to with
stand the public judgment, if distinct
" invoked and clearly expressed on
this fundamental issue, and it 10 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 control u.s. Shall we submit to the |
usurpations by which the govern
ment has been overthrown, or shall
we exert ourselves for its full and
complete restoration? II is idle to
talk of bonds, greenbacks, gold, the
public faith and the public credit,-I
What can q Democratic President do |
in regard to these, with q Congress
in both branches controlled by tho
carpet baggers and their allies He