Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-08-06
ABANDONING THE SINKING SHIP

The following letter from Colonel c. c.
Gardiner, of Elmira, Assessor for the 9th
district Of New York, to General Henry
w. Slocum, of New York, relating to the
issues Of the present political canvass, will
be read with interest. General Slocum
and Colonel Gardiner were brother officers
Of the same regiment of volunteers in the
early part Ct the rebellion. They now
stand together, again contending for an
undivided Union, not by wager of battle,
but through the constituted forms Of law,
and propose to win
ELnRA, N. e., July %, 1868.-MY
DEAR GENERAL: L have received your
reply to my letter Of of last month.
The political views which ] expressed to
YOU in my former letter | have enter
taiued for months past, although | have
not deemed il necessary to make them gen
orally known. My business is not politics.
True, am now a government officer, but
il il the first position Of the KIND ] have
ever held ] never asked for any Office,
and do not desire another.
The situation Of cur national affairs, |
regard with no ordinary degree of alarm.
The chief causes for this anxiety may be
read in the proceedings Of Congress. The
unconstitutional and revolutionary mea-
sures Of that national body should excite
the Crayest approximations of danger for
the Institutions Of our country, and Iudg-
ing from my own observations and the ex
pressions of others, ] believe this opinion,
| to be shared in by many, who like myself,
formerly supported the Republican party.
The people have the remedy, and / be-
| lieve the popular will TO be largely in fa-
| vor of a chang in the character Of our rep
resentatives. | know Of many who will
not dispute the military genius of Grant
| or the eminent ability Of Coliax, both sol
diers and civilians, who, this year, will
vote for a chdHgc-a complete change in the
| administration of our national affairs
Congress should he arraigned and que7-
toned by the people in this canvass
/ Let Congress answer for depriving ten
States Of all civil government for the last
three years
There can be no equality in the sister
hood of STATES, il conditions may be i'm
| posed upon some and not on all. We are 4
| Union of equals. No other doctrine was en-
tertained by thestatesmen f17S9. Congress
| now assumes a new wisdom, and proposes
to rebuild the superstructure Of our govern
ment, better and more enduring than our
fathers, in direct violation of an established
Constitution solemnly ratified by the peO-
| pie. Shall we surrender this priceless
heritage Of constitutional civil government,
bequeathed 10 us by a wiser generation,
without a struggle within the constituted
forms of law?
Let Congress answer for their encrOaCh-
ments upon the executive and judicial de-
partments of the national government, and
every act Of tyranny and misrule calculated
to inhame the passions of one section Of the
country against those of another
Let Congress answer for keeping down
the credit of the government, continuing a
deprecated currency, taxing the people
unequally, and sustaining prohigate and
| corrupt officials
There Is but one way by which these de-
sired changes can be brought about, and
that ia TO indOrse the action Of the New
York National Democratic Convention.
This is my candid judgment, and ! shal
labor earnestly for that end, with all Tho
| great body Of Conservatives in the country
who stand pledged for 4 CHANGE.
With a complete victory we may expec
a restored Union, with peaceful relation
between all the States, sound currency
equal taxation, industrial activity, com
mercial prosperity, and every citizen II
the enjoyment Of his constitutional rights
Sincerely your friend,
&. {. GARDINER
To Mai. Gen. w. II. Slocum, New NoTl
gifv