Middletown transcript., 1868-08-01
Letter frona General Frank r.. Hair ,Aceept-
Ing the Democratic Nomination for
81 tf IiE) III SVtce-President. q ~

Letter from General Frank II. Hair Accept-
Ing the Democratic Nomination for
81 ttYt1 III vice-President. / fk
The following is copy of General
Blair's letter Of acceptance of the Demo-
cratic nomination for Vice-President:
General @. W. lIoryan, Chairmas Of the
Committee ofthe National Democratic
C0ayeati0s. s5e .,a rs -
GENERAL: take the earliest opportu-
nifty ofreplying to your letter notifying me
Of my nomination for Vice President of
the United States by the National Demo-
cratic Convention, recently held in the
City of New York. Iaocept, without hes
itatiion, the nomination rendered in man
ner so gratifying, and give you and the
committee my thanks for the very kind
and complimentary language in which you
have conveyed to me the decision Of the
Convention. have carefully read the
resolutions adopted by the Convention, and
most heartily concur in every principle
and sentiment they announce. My opin-
ions upon oil Of the questions which dis
criminate the great contending parties,
have been freely expressed on all suitable
occasions, and do not deem it necessary
at this time to reiterate them. The issues
upon which the contest turns are clear,
and cannot be obscured or disturbed by the
sophistries of our adversaries. They all
resolve themselves into the old and ever
recurring struggle of few men to absorb
the political power of the nation. This ef-
fort, under every conceivable name and
disguise, has always characterized the op-
! ponents Of the Democratic party, but at
no time has the attempt assumed shape
so open and daring as in this contest.
The adversaries of free and constitutional
government, in defiance of the express
language of the Constitution, have erected
military despotism in ten of the States of
the Union have taken from the President
the powers vested in him by the supreme
law, and have deprived the Supreme Court
, Of its jurisdiction. The right of trial by
, jury and the great writ of habeas corpus,
} shields Of safety for every citizen, and
which have descended to us from the car
liest traditions of our ancestors, and which
our revolutionary fathers sought to secure
f to their posterity forever, in the funda-
| mental charter Of our liberties, have been
: ruthlessly trampled under foot by the frag-
! ment Of a Congress. Whole States and
q communities Of people Of our own race have
been attainted, convicted, condemned and
s deprived of their rights as citizens, with
S out presentment or trial or witnesses, but
by Congressional enactment ofe post fac
n to laws, and in defiance of the constitu-
: tional prohibition denying even to a full
, and legal Congress, the authority to pass
9 any bill Of attainder or er post facto law
a The same usurping authority has substi-
e tuted rs electors, in place Of the men of
our own race, thus illegally attainted and
8 disfranchised, host of ignorant negroes,
: who are supported in idleness with the
= public money, and combined together to
j. strip the white race of their birthright,
j. through the management Of the Freed
l. mems Bureau, and the emissaries of con-
spirators in other States, and to complete
d the oppression the military power of the
j. nation has been placed at their disposal
e In order to make this barbarism supreme
d the military leader, under whose prestige
# this usurping Congress has taken refuge
since the condemnation of their schemes
}. by the free people in the elections of last
e year, and whom they have selected as their
II candidate 10 shield themselves from the
II result Of their own wickedness and crime
N has announced his acceptance of the nomi.
nation, and his willingness to maintain
Ne their usurpations over eight millions oi
n white people at the South, fixed to tn,
IS earth by his bayonets, he exclaiming '.Le
!. us have peace. i" .'Peace reigns in-War,
saw" was the announcement which heral
r ded the doom Of the liberties of a nation
+ 1.-THE Empire is peace, exclaimed Bona
Is parte when freedom and its defenders ex
pired under the sharp edge of his sword
in The peace to which Grant invites us, i
m the peace Of despotism and death. Thos,
who seek to restore the Constitution b,
Mt executing the will of the people, condemn
ing the reconstruction acts already pro
ty nounced in the elections of last year, anc
Is which will, / am convinced, be still NOR,
emphatically exercised by the election O
the Democratic candidate as the President
Of the United States, are denounced a,
" revolutionists by the partisans of this win
. dictive Congress. Negro suffrage, which
the popular vote Of New York, New Jer
= sey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Con
y nccticut, aud other States, have condemn
p = ed as expressly against the letter of tn
~ Constitution, must stand because thei
=. Senators and Representatives have willie,
- - it. II the people shall again condemn
u u these atrocious measures by the electio
~ ]. of the Democratic candidate for President
y, they must not be disturbed although deci
" ded to be unconstitutional by the Suprem
y; Court, and although the President
~ sworn to maintain and support the Con
- stitution. The will of Congress rein
" y. forced with its partisan emissaries sent t
10 the South and supported there by the sol
III =, diery must stand against the will of tn
=. =. people and the decision of the Suprem
''' Court, and the solemn oath of the Pres
dent to maintain and support the Consti
tuition. 1t is revolutionary to execute th