The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-31
Frank Blair and His Platform.
M V


The Republican party organs and stump
orators have been heaping vast amount Of
unreasoning denunciation upon Frank Blair
on account of some pretended rebsllious senti-
ments contained in his famous Brodhead let
ter, and one ingenious ally of republicanism
in this city goes into an elaborate argument
to compare the Missouri soldier with Benedict
Arnold, the Pennsylvania insurrectionists
Aaron Burr, Calhoun, Hayne, Lee, and other
persons who have figured in revolutionary
movements against the United States Govern
ment. There is no sort of analogy between
the cases cited and the position taken by
Blair, nor is there any just ground for the
charges made against that gallant leader of
the Union armies. He has never proposed to
betray his country as Arnold did, but has
risked his life in its defense when other men
who might have enacted Arnold's part have
kept themselves safely at home. The policy
he avows is neither one Of insurrection
nor of nullifcaton. The Pennsylvania insur-
rectionists committed individual acts of open
treason against the Government. The South
Carolina nulliiers clsimed that the States had
the right to disregard such ofthe United States
laws as were Objectionable to them and SO
undertook to nullify the tariffs or 1873 and
1882 and to resist the collection of United
States dues. Although Andrew Jackson with
his iron will, declared his determination to
uphold the laws, and although the "Force
BILL" as it was called, was passed to
strengthen his hands, Congress thought it
best even in that case to recede from its posi-
tion on the tariff question, and South Carolina
only repealed her ordinance of nullifcation
after the compromise tariff law had been
enacted. But Frank Blair's proposition is
altogether different thing. He declares that if
he were elected President OF the nited States,
holding the power of the Government in his
hands, he would protect the people of the re-
okn1 OF 4I,ntn ,icl,E 70 onla al
their State Constitutions if the majority de-
sired to do so, and to that end would subject
the Reconstruction laws to the test of the Su-
preme Court of the United States. In other
words, he would cease to hold the South
under military subjugation, and would afford
the people the opportunity to form their own
organic law without the coercion or interfer-
ence OF the general Government, putting them
upon an exact equality under the Federal
Constitution with all the other States of the
Union.
The attempt to classify this position with the
treason of Arnold, the whisky insurrections,
nullifcation or secession, is all balderdash, and
makes muddle of fact and law which shows
an entire ignorance OF the subject, or wilful
design to pervert Blair's meaning. If the voice
Of the people should elect him President and
give him the popular branch of Congress at his
back, it would be an endorsement of the policy
he proposes. He would then be justified in
carrying it out. And this is in fact the sum
and substance of his much-tallled.of letter.
The treason of an individual, notification by a
single State, or the secession of a combination
of States, would be very different piece of
business. In the one case it would be the
General Government acting in accordance with
the expressed will of majority of the people;
in the other it would be a minority acting in
rebellion against the general Government.
Outside the prejudices and bgotry OF party,
indeed, we believe that the generous sent-
ments of the Western soldier will meet uni
versal appreciation. 1t is probable that after
the election of Grant the Democratic party
will plant itself upon this very platform of
the abolishment or repeal OF all such parts of
the Reconstruction laws as make distinctions
against the South, the remodelling of the
Southern negro State governments and the
future perfect equality OF all the States in the
Union. We should not be surprised to find
Frank Blair the successful candidate Of the
Democratic party on just such principles in
1872, if, indeed General Grant, backed by the
conservative Republicans, does not himself
adopt them as the policy of his administration
and thus give true peace and stability to the
oOuntrV.