Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-07-28
Letter from Gen. George Ii. Nc
ClellaM.

DEAR SIR: have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt Of the invitation to meet
with the Tammany Society upon the occasion
OF the celebration of tbs approaching Inde-
i'pendence Day.
| regret that circumstances will not per-
nit mc to be in the city then
At tine like the present it is right to
express once more my deep and abiding in.
tcrest in the great principles advocated by the
Democratic party; and remembering the for.
mcr relations between the party and myself,
perhaps it will not seem oflicious it, in accor-
dance with your requests, | proTer few
words to those who honor me SO highly in a
season of difficulty
Although have retired from public life,
it has been impossible to avoid forming opin.
ions upon public affairs, and what | have to
say must be regarded simply as the scnti-
ments of private citizen.
The Presidential campaign, so soor to be
opened, is destined to be one of the most i'm
portant of all that have been conducted
trust that every Democrat will recognize
the magnitude of the issues at stake-no less,
1t would seem, than the very existence of the
free institutions our fathers gave us, the true
foundations of peace, happiness and prosper
ity-to bequcath which to our children we
should be ready to make any honorable sacri.
fce
trust that when the moment for action
arrives, there will be found none in the Dem
ocratic ranks who will for moment hesitate
to sacrifice personal advantage or private feel.
ing for tho public good for our obi ect should
be not mere party triumph, but the rescue
OF the country from the hands of those with
whom personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT and party
ends outweigh all reverence for the vital spir
it of onr institutions and desire for the real
good of the entire nation.
| trust that our leaders clearly see which
of the issues that have so long agtated the
country arc irevocably settled, and that we
corpse.
Let US leave behind us the dead issues of
the past, and look only to the present and the
future.
Slavery is dcad-dead let it remain forcy
cr, and let no one disturb its grave
The negro has the right to vote--lct him
keep it; but strive to educate him to fitness
for the high privilege conferred upon him
Show him who his real friends are, and we
will eventually turn in our favor the weapon
so carefully forged for our destruction.
Let us hope that the enunciation of the e
nan cial principles of the party will be SO
clear that no one can cast shadow of doubt
upon our intentions as to fulfilling in the
broadcast sense all the obligations of the ma
ton; rather than indulge in abstract discus
sions as to the meaning Of this or that obli-
CATION, let us advocate, and when in power
pursue, such policy as will make the paper
dollar as good as t he gold dollar, so that the
question will practically settle itself.
10 secure this result it must be clearly un.
derstood throughout the world, that every
dollar of the principal and interest of the
national debt will be fully paid when due
the expenditures of the general government
must bo confined to the sums requisite to
meet the interest upon the dobt and the ex.
penses necessary to maintain the efficiency
aud dignity of the government the sums
drawn from this generation by the tariff and
internal taxation should be limited to the pur.
poses just mentioned and the effort to reduce
prematurely the principal Of the debt at the
expense of the general prosperity Of the ma
ton should be abandopcd.
We have borne the burden Of the recent
war, and should be called upon to do no more
than meet the full interest on the debt; ON.
other generation, more wealthy and numer-
Gus than this can readily take care of the
principal.
The issues of the present and the future
are distinct enough, and afford us the most
ample and best battle, field for the approach
ing contest.
Universal amnesty and suffrage the pres.
ervation of the rights of the States as guar.
anteed by the letter and true spirit of the
Constitution, once held so sacred the pres.
ervation of individual liberty the inv;iola.
blity of the right of the habeus corpus the
maintenance Of the purity and of the rcla.
tive powers of the three great branches of the
general government; strict economy in tho
administration of the governm ent; the relief
of the business interests of tho country from
the ruinous pressure of all unequal, ill.ar-
ranged, and unnecessary burdens these con.
stitutc some of the main issues upon whirh
we may confidently hope to rest our chances
of success.
With the hope that the principles publish.
cd to the world ninety five years ago may
throughout all time guide the action and COM
mand the reverence Of the American people,
and apologi2ipg for having trespasscd SO
long on your time and patience, | am, with
great respect, very truly yours,
GEORGEB. MCCLELLAN.
GW- mombcr Of tho Arkansas Legisla.
ture, who goes for economy in public expen.
ditures, in speaking Of an extravagant appro,
priation, Indignantly exclaimed ''Gontle.
mon, talk about adequate compensation OF
SrFt