The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-07-31
LETTER FROM MIR. DOOLITTLE.
The Duty of Conservative RepuSI leans --
why all Patriotic Men without
Distinction of Party, Should
support Seymour and
Blair.
WASHINGTON, July 13, 1868.

WASHINGTON, July 13, 1868.
O. II. OStrGnCler, Esq, DanUiUe, Pa:
DEAR SIR: l am in receipt of your
letter Of the 10th inst, in which, speak
ing for yourself and a number of other
Conservative Republicans of your town
you express a "sense of disappoint-
ment and regret that no better names
had been offered by the Democratic
party to lead the conservative and pa
triotic masses of the people to victory,
and the Radical Republican party to de-
serving and merited defeat. AS gen
tleman and statesman Mr.. Seymour
holds our respect, but as Peace DEM
ocrat we are indisposed to vote for
him :" and you are pleased to say,
that, if my name, among others, had
been placed at the head of the ticket, "all
would have gone we'll and victory
would have been certain" You de-
sire my opinion upon the situation and
"the prospects of third party"
thank you for the confidence thus
reposed in me, and shall not shrink
from the responsibility of stating frank
ly my opinion.
I do not think the organization of
any third party is wise, or can work
any practical good to the great cause
in which we are engaged. In the very
nature of things, when great principles
are at stake, there are, and there can be,
but two effective political PARTIES
''He that is not for me, is against me"
in politics as we'll as in religion, is a
truth upon which every wise man is
compelled to act.
What, then, is the great and para
mount issue? What is that great and
objectionable wrong for which the
Radical party is now arraigned and
should be overthrOWn?
It is substantially this:
In violation of the CONSTITUTIONAL
violation of pledges made and often re-
peated, from the first battle of Bull
Run to the end of the war +; pledges to
the North to get men and money ;
pledges especially made to the Democ-
racy to get their support in the field
and in the elections pledges made to
the South to induce them to lay down
their allegiance, and pledges to foreign
powers to prevent intervention-in vi
olation of all these solemn pledges, up
on which we invoked the blessing Of
Almighty God upon our cause, and by
which alone we gained strength to mas
ter the rebelliOn-in violation of the
natural and inalienable right of the
civilized men of every State to govern
themselves, and in violation of the
clear provisions of the Constitution
which leaves to each State for itself
the right to regulate suffrage, this par
ty has, without trial by &c post fnctO
laws, disfranchised hundreds or thou
sands of the most intelligent of their
citizens, and has forced upon ten States
and six millions of our own Anglo Sax
on race the universal and unqualified
suffrage of sever hundred thousand ig-
/ norant and in the main, halfciviiZcd
negroes.
This is the great wrong for which
that party is arraigned at the bar of
public judgment, and for which it
should be OVerthroWn.
TO consummate that great wrong, they
have abolished all civil government
and civil liberty, even in these ten
States;
They have established five absolute
military despotisms, wherein all rights
to life, liberty, and property, are sub
ject to the will of one man;
They have kept the Union divided
They have prevented the restoration
of industry;
They have kept down the credit of
the Government, during three years
of peace, to point so low that, to the
shame of every American, the six per
cent. bonds of the United States sell for
only 70 in gold, while the bonds of Bra
zil, bearing only four per cent. interest,
bring over 80 in gold.
They have encroached upon the just
rights of the Executive;
They have threatened the indepen-
dence of the Supreme Court;
They have unjustly, and withoutcause,
impeached and put upon trial the Pres
ident himself, and, by every species of
| donupoiatiOn and oven NV thraatc of
assassination, have endeavored to force
the Senate to convict him, in order to
place in the executive chair one who
will use all its power to consummate
that gigantic wrong against the Consti
tuition, against our plighted faith, a
gainst civilization, and against our own
race and kindred.
! The Convention in New York met for