, 1868-08-14
Frank Blair. Letter Of Aocsptanos.

General George w. Morgan, Chairman
of the Committee of the National Demo-
cratic C0nvention GENERAL: take the
earliest opportunity Of replying to your let
ter notifying me Of my nomination for Vice
President Of United States by the National |
Democratic Convention recently held in the |
city of New York.
accept, without hesitation, the nomina- |
ton rendered in a manner so gratifying, aud |
give you and The committee my thanks for
the very kind and complimentary language
in which you have conveyed to me the de-
cision Of the convention.
l have fully read the resolutions adopted
by the convention, and most cordially concur
in every principle and sentiment they au-
nounce. Ny opinion upon all of the ques-
tions which discriminate the great contend
ing parties have been freely expressed upon
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 distorted by
the sophistries of our adversaries. They all
resolve themselves into the old and ever-re-
curing struggle of a few men to absorb the
political power of the nation. This effort,
under every conceivable name and disguise,
has always characterized the opponents 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 Ian.
guage 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 right, the habeas corpus
,, shields of safety for every citizen which have
descended to US from the earliest traditions
of our ancestors, and which our revolutionary
3 fathers sought to secure to their posterity
forever in the fundameAtatal charter of our
, liberties have been ruthlessly ly trampled under
l foot by the fragment of Congress. Whole
4 States and communities of people of our own
: race have been attainted, convicted con.
demned and deprived of their rights as cit-
zcns, without presentment or trial or witness
ses, by congressional enactment of er post
a facto laws, aud in defiance of the constitu.
5 tionaI prohbitim, denying even to a full
5 aud legal Congress the authority to pass any
Q Ulll VI dlbdluuSI VI cJL DOSC JuCCO law.
). The same usurpiDg authority has substit-
J, uted as electors, in place of tSe men of our
b own race thus illegally attainted and disfran
a chised, host of ignorant negroes who are
d supported in idleDess with the public money,
o and combined together to strip the white
" race Of their birthright through the manage
ment of freedmen's bureaus and the emissa-
n ries of conspirators in other States and, to
,r complete the oppression, the military power
If of the nation has been placed at their dispos
:. al in order to make this barbarism supreme.
The military leader under whose prestige
:. this usurping Congress has taken refuge since
the condemnation of their schemes by the
- free people of the North in the elections o.
l. the last year, and whom they have selected
T. as their candidate to shield themselves frou
lie the result of their own wickedness and crime
le has announced his acceptance of the nomina'
lie tion, and his willingness to maintain thei
of usurpations over eight millions Of white peo
e. pie at the South fxed to the earth with hi
il, bayonets He exclaims, "Let US have peace.
as "Peace reigns ir Warsaw" was the announce
c. ment which heralded the doom of the liber
in ties of nation. 1.-The Empire is peace,
of exclaimed Bonaparte, when freedom and it
is defenders expired under the sharp edge of hi
sword. The peace to which Grant invites u
90 is the peace of despotism and death. Thos
:. who seek to restore the Constitution by exc
n' ' cutting the will of the people condemninl
the reconstruction acts, already pronounced
in the elections of last year, and which will
- am convinced, be still more emphaticall
su expressed by the election of the democrati
st candidate as the President of the Unite,
Ay States, are denounced as revolutionists b
al the partisans of this vindictive Congress
n, Negro suffrage, which the popular vote o
20 New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio
re Michigan, Connecticut, and other States hav
ol- condemned as expressly against the letter G
; the Constitution, must stand, because thei
25 Senators and Representatives have willed il
rs If the people shall again condemn thes
:. atrocious measures by the election Of tn
O0 OO democratic candidate for President, the
y must not be disturbed, although decided t
90 be unconstitutional by the Supreme Cour
cd and although the President is sworn to main
he tain and support the Constitution. The wi
of fraction of Congress, reinforced wit
its partisan emissaries sent to the South, an
supported by the soldiery, must stand againi
NJ the will of the people, and the decision {
ny the Supreme Court, and the solemn oath {
'u' the President to maintain and support th
be Constitution. 1t is revolutionary to execut
md the will of the people. 1t is revolutionar
'Ok to execute the Judgment of the Suprem
The Court. 1t is revolutionary in the Presiden
sis to keep inViolate his oath to sustain th
the Constitution.
,ur This false construction of the vital prime
are pie of our government is the last resort c
are those who would have their arbitrary recon
| is structiOn sway, and supersede our time-hor
lus ored institutions. The nation will say th
n;' oi' Constitution must be restored, aud the wi
lut of the people again prevail. The appeal I
II the peaceful ballot to attain this end is M
ec- war-is not revolution. They make war an
or revolution who attempt to arrest this quit
u ,ul mode of putting aside military despotism an
y. the usurpations of fragment of Congres