Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-07-05
ADDRESS TO THE coUTRY.

A, Bally, OF Louisiana.
ADDRESS TO THE CoUTRY.
The democratic Senators and members in
Congress at caucus held last night agreed
upon an address, which was to. day signed and
issued as follows:
To our fc1loIo>citizens Of the United Suites,
friends Of constitutional economical and hon
est government:
The undersigned beg leave to call your at.
tention to the peculiar Importance Of the cleo
tons which take place this year, and respect
fully to submit some suggestions for your con-
sideration. BY the State Legislatures to be
elected nearly one>third of the United States
Senate will be chosen. Nearly all of the men,
bers of the next House of Representatives
are to be elected next FALL Upon the coming
elections, then, depends the question whether
the democratic and conservative element in
the Senate shall be increased, and whether
that element shall have majority in the
House of Representatives and, as a conse>
quence, whether we shall have constitutional
economical and honest government, a con-
tinuance of revolutionary, extravagant and
wasteful partisan rule; whether we shall have
general, uniform, just and constitutional leg
islation, with reasonable taxation and frugal
expenditure, or unconstitutional, partial, I'M
just, class legislation, with oppressive and I'M
equal taxation and wasteful expenditure.
That we have strong reasons to hope for
favorable result is plainly apparent. The
elections already held clearly show that the
tide of reform has set in with power that
cannot be resisted if no bunders be committed
by the friends of reform. If they do their
duty and act wisely, if they throw off all APP
athy and act with vigor and steadfastness,
there is every reason to hope that there eff
I'LL I II.
be no discussions about minor matters to time
lost in the discussion of dead issues, no mani.
festation of narrow or proscriptive feeling, no
sacrifice of the cause to crafty personal am
bition or resentment, and let the best men be
chosen for candidates, and we may hope to see
our country redeemed from misrule. And,
in this connection, We beg leave to say a word
to our tellow>citizen of the Southern States.
Do not risk the loss of Senators or Reprcscn-
tatives by electing men who cannot take the
test-oatE, or who are under the disability i'm
posed by the fourteenth amendment.
Whatever may be said as TO the validity Of
that amendment or of the test>oath act, you
may rest assured that Senators elected by the
votes of members of Legislatures who are
held by the radicals to be thus disqualified
will not be permitted to take their seats, and
that members of the House of Representatives.
thus disqualified will also be excluded. 1t is
the plainest dictate Of practical wisdom not to
incur any such risks. We hope soon to see
the day when all disabilities will be removed;
but, in the meantime, do not, we entreat you,
lose the opportunity to strengthen the demo.
cratic and conservative force of Congress, and
the possibility, nay probability, of obtaining a
majority in the next House of Representa-
tives, by putting it in the power of our adj
versaries to overthrow or disregard your cleo
tions. Signed by
A. G.. Thurman, of Ohio
William, T. Hamilton. of Maryland.
John W. Johnston, of Virginia.
Garrett Davis, of Kentucky.
George Eickers of Maryland.
John p. Stockton, of New Jersey.
T. F. Bayard, of Delaware.
+. CasserIy, of California.
Thomas G. McCreery. of Kentucky.
Willard Salisbury, of Delaware.
Daniel S. Norton, of Minnesota, of tie
United States Senate and by 81 members of
the House of Representatives