Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-10-08
I,nrsnu Snnt 0n 1R7n


Mayors and A. j. Frantz.
GENTLEMEN: BY your favor of
the l4th inst. you ask my views
on the political situation, hut par.
ticularly on the proposition "for
a meeting of Old Line Wings, at
jackson, for consultation"
The call for such q convention
was to me matter of surprise, as /
could notsee how it could result
in any good to Wings or to the
country. The criticisms which
tho proposition drew from the
public press, l had supposed, had
put an end to the project, In this,
however, l may be mistaken, and
as you ask for my "views on the
propriety of the proposition" !
proceed to give them. But my
opinions, without reasons to sup.
port them, would probably be Of
little value; | must, therefore, to
some extent, give you'the reasons
on which my opinions are found
ed.
The call professed to be for a
meeting Of the Wings of the State
"for consultation" The folly of
such meeting, merely for such a
purpose, is so manifest that we
must conclude there was some
other motive, some Interior pur-
pose other than consultation-that
consultation was but preliminary
to action. The question naturally
presents itself, what can that motive
be? The Wings, ifthey were com
pletely organized as a party,
would be in n meagre minority in
the State, and, separated from
Democrats, could not EJECT a sin.
gle State or district officer
They might possibly elect o few
Justices Of the peace, but consul
tation for such an insignificant
purpose cannot be necessary, even
ifan election were near at hand.
Then, | repeat, what can the mat
ter be?
There are now but two parties
in the State, or in the United
States-the Republican or Radical
party, and the Conservative or
Democratic party, Is it contem-
plated by such a convention to
take the Wings in q body to one
or the other OF these parties ? and
If so, to which one? 1t cannot be
to take them to the Democratic
party; for n great majority ofthem,
perhaps four-tifths, actuated by
their deep-rooted aversion to usur-
patton and mis.government, are
already cooperating with that
party, and, as far as know, are
satisfied with their utilization.
As We must judge of mems
motives by their actions, and must
suppose they intended to accom-
plish that which must necessarily
be the effect Of their actions, in
the absence Of proof to the con-
trary, | must conclude that it was
contemplated by the movement to
give strength to the Radical party,
for such undoubtedly would be its
effect; and would result in one of
three ways; First, by uniting the
Wings and taking them in q body
to the Radicals; secondly, by in
ducing them to separate them
selves from the Democratic party
and thirdly, by uniting them 50 q
body in a third party. All of these
plans would tend to the same re.
suit.
1t is not likely the first would
be successful, as it is scarcely
probable the Wings, as a body
could be induced to abandon the
great and distinguishing principles
Of their old party, and to join q
party with doctrines antagonistiC
to theirs, although some few
may have already done so. The
second would promise better sue
! cess. If they could be induced tt
separate themselves from th'
Democratic party they would b.
in a condition in which they coulC
, do nothing, and would be likely
when the trial came, TO cooperate
) with one of the parties. Having
just broken off from the Demo
e cratic party, they would not b.
likely to go back to it, and besides
they would be abundantly Courte'
by the other party, and probabl
> might be induced to act with it, o
a at least a portion of them nigh
+. be induced to do so, which woul
=. be just 80 much strength game
y by 1t.
0 The third way in which thi
r movement would strengthen th
1 Radical party is this: unite th
/. Wings as a third party, cO-Operl
ting with neither OF the others, an
Of course it would be Just 50 muo
: strength WitharaWn from the o.
position P0siy, and y Just !