Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-08-13
VIRGINIA POLITICS - LETTER
FROM DIR. g. K. GILMER.

VIRGINIA POLITICS - LETTER
FROM DIR. g. K. GILMER.
The comments of the New York
Times on the letter of DR.. G. K. Gill
mer, of Richmond, Va, the latter being
reply to Col. Jenkins's proposition to
"unite the two wings of the republican
party in Virginia" has elected a long
communication from DR.. G.. which APP
pears in the Times of Tuesday. Among
other things be says:
." We put Colonel Walker up as a
republican, on platform thoroughly
republican Yhe people accepted him
as republican, elected him as a repub-
liean, and SO far as l know and believe,
no one has even, either during the
canvass Or since the election, spoken of
his success as any other than a republic
can victory, What right has any one,
therefore, to assume in advance of any
public expression of opinion on their
part, that the people who supported
our candidates are not republican in
sentiment and feeling, if not by profess
sion? Are men to be restricted forever
to the same set of opinions For is there to
be no change in sentiment except upon
permission ....
IF what / have written Of these
people, then, be true, could I have, i'll
honor, answered Colonel Jenkins letter
in any other manner than did ? Would
it not have been, indeed, the very worst
of bad faith and dishonor to have au-
swered it in any other manner? Time
enough for division III our ranks when
there is cause for it. We should not
court it by bad faith and haste to make
enemies of those who have so recently
shown disposition to be our friends.
But the head and front of my offending
is that do not admit division in the
republican ranks, and prefer Iepen-
dence upon democratic support to the
support which reunited republican
party would assure The first I must
unequlvocally reafh.m. There is no
SUCH division, or Mr.. jenkins and his
special friends are not republicans, which
| they will be 10th to admit
g The true republican creed is the
creed of the great national republican
! party, with General Grant at its head
Is this the creed of Jenkins and his
friends, or is it not Ifit is their creed,
then there is no difference between US.
If it is not, then, as have before said,
l., II RI |, ;a fr.o do III
cans. l acknowledge that the party
was divided few weeks ago-even d.
vided on priaciple. One party was
supporting Walker on a liberal republic
can platform, of which the test~oath
and disability clauses of our State con-
stitution formed no part, while the
other party was supporting Wells on a
proscriptive republican platform, of
which those Objectionable clauses form
ed apart.
"Wells is no longer before the people
for their suffrage and support. He has
no longer party, or any right to the
separate support of any party. AS a
candidate he is dead. and should be
buried out of sight. l cannot consent
that dead candidate should be the
cause of any division in living party.
! We are republicans. Jenkins says be
is a republican. Are he and we to be
forever at loggerheads because we were
once divided? No. Wells is out Of
the way, there is no longer any division
in the republican sentiment of the
ts,-~--~, Ipn arton,p. 70 90
appear is gross perversion of fact. If
Jenkins and the one hundred thousand
friends of whom be boasts are in earnest,
then let them cease their opposition on
mere fancy grounds-come forward like
true men and aid us in carrying out
true republican principles. We assure
them they will receive a cordial well
come into our ranks, and we shall
never afterwards remind them of the
wrong they attempted in forcing Wells
upon an unwilling people.
| But the second Cause OF offence is
that l prefer dependence upon demo-
cratic support to the support which a
reunited republican party would assure.
Now this would be gross offence, if
true; but, fortunately for me, it is not
true. But who is republican? Is it
not the man who votes for republican
men and measures ? | can know no
other as such, and all such are welcome
to fall into line in our ranks, whether
they have heretofore acted with us or
not, or, as Colonel Jenkins has it, have
been buttoned in the gray or the blue.
Respectfully yours,
&c. K. GILMER,
"Chairman True Republican Executive
| Committee"