The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-05-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHISGroN, ID. C.
April Il. 1869.
J. N. ASHLEY is APPOINTMENT.
Correspondence JcilcrSonian.


and "quantity,'' may be appropriate
ly employed to represent the great
differential peculia,ities of the Re
publican and Democratic parties
The former is aassemblage al of indi
viduals brought together by com
mon oil ject, but never coalesced -
Democrats sink their individualities
and merge themselves undistingulsh-
ably into one adhesive mass which
gives the impression OF bulk or guam
tity, to be measured, not counted.
Separable it may be; but Into parts,
members not into complete indl-
viduals. The Republican party is,
IN politics, what the Protestant de-
nominations are in religion. The
Democratic party corresponds to the
church OF Rome. The Republican
party is an army Of officers, all Oi
equal rank, with nobody to command
and nobody to obey, and who will
all 60 together when they are all
agreed and ieel like it. The Demo
cratic party is an army.
| will not stop to moraliZe or phil
osOphiZe on these characteristic df
ferenccs. / only speak of their ex-
istence as tact important to the
consistency and endurance of the
parties respectively, as | have been
reminded of it by the case of Gen
Ashley's appointment to the Govern
Orship of Montana. The Governor,
one would think, had earned the re
spect and liking, il not the gratitude,
of all tie Republicans. From his
earliest manhood he was. an anti
slavery man, constant, active, vlgor
Gus, able and efficient. In his Con
gressional District in Ohio, he had
to convert, l think, every county
from Democracy before he could be
elected; and he did it, where ali had
failed before. Ten years he has
been in Congress and he leaves it
poor man. No one doubts that the
opportunities for making money were
numerous and inviting, in all those
Years. But he had not an itching
palm. Even the little ready money
his salary afforded, above his neces
sary expenses, he has uniformly held
obedient to thescall OF any good fel
low who needed it worse than he did.
Moreover. he is in the proudest sense
a self-msde man. As an example
and inspiration to the youth of the
Republic, such a mans life is iuval
liable. Without influential friends,
without means or leisGe for educa-
ton; the brave-hearted, hopeful, as
piring, strong-limbed hoy, was father
of the honorable useful man we see
him. In the House, when the assem-
bled big men of the nation were pay
ing their tributes OF rssp pect to the
memory of the .sGreat Commoner,'
Thad. Stevens, no other speaker of
them all made so profound an i'm
preston upon that audience.
But James M. Ashley is too we'll
known to the country to need any
introduction. Yet this is the man
whom Republicans, even, have taken
pleasure in slandering, by repeating
with false significance lhe tact that
his nomination was confirmed by
majority of only one and later, and
worse, by fabricating, and industri
ousIy circulating, the report, to be
taken in connection with the first,
that the President was still undecid
ed about the prOpriety OF the ap-
pointment, and was debating the
question of abrogating it.
The simple truth concerning the
confirmation is this; the vote was
taken about o'clock in the morn
ing. Mr.. Ashley's friends in tie
senate had no suspicion OF any oppo-
sition to the nomination existing
and, as my memory serves me, up
wards Of twenty Of them were absent
ct that sleepy hour when the vote
was taken. Their presence would
have given him about a two third
yote. | will not particularize the
occasion, or occasions, of the oppo
sition. They do not touch the char
acter of the man. They were mere
personal considerations of interest
and feeling, which could have had