The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1871-10-13
Communications.
HARTFORD Co., Oct. 9th, 1871

hartford Co., Oct. 9th, 1871.
Mr.. EDITOR: After your lucid and com
prehcnsive statement which accompanies
the card of my colleagues on the late Ex-
ccutivc Committee, and which is published
in your paper of the 9th inst, little is left
for me to say that would be of any impor-
lance or have amy bearing upon the sub
lect under consideration. The paragraph
which reads as follows, evidently written
in rather an unamable mood, perhaps
ought to be noticed by me-
You and Mr.. Walsh were Jealous sup
porters Of Judge Maynadier; we as decid-
eddy preferred his competitor. We do not
question your right to judge and act As you
think proper, but we do claim that as Dem
ocrats and as men, each of us has in the
party and the community as fair a stand
ing for intelligence, impartiality and con-
scientious discharge of duty as either Mr.
Walsh or tho Editor of the LBgis"
In reply to the above, / will observe that
the preference was always acknowledged
and understood. The right to Judge and
act" was always supposed to be naturally
unqucsti0ned, and the claim, as men, to
equal intelligence, impartiality and con-
scientiousness in the discharge of duty "
was never disputed. AS to Democracy,
that is as to fidelity to the principles of
the Democratic faith, let us be judged by
our acts, and not by our declarations, and
let the People be the tribunal that shall
pass judgment upon the equality of our
claim, as supporters and defenders Of those
principles which Democracy has ever aim,
ed to perpetuate, as the only safeguard of
the liberties of our common country, and
to its verdict, will, if against me, most
humbly bow.
1t may not be amiss, us the opportunity
is here presented to do so with propriety,
to disabusc the public mind of be-
lief which an effort has been made, with
what degree Of success cannot say, to i'm
press il with, that because l was opposed
to IA radical change being made in the mode
OF selecting candidates, necessarily deeply
affecting the entire organ ization of the
Democratic party in the county, unless the
party declared in an unmistakable manner
that such change was desired; and believ-
ing that the proper mode of ascertaining
the true wishes of the party was by con-
vention direct from the people, and not
merely by instructions or recommendations
emanating from Committee appointed
for no such purpose. For not acquiescing
in the views of the majority of the commit
tee as to its powers, have been erroneous
ly charged with being opposed to all or
any change in the mode of nominating can
didates which was said to be so obnoxious
to majority of the party in Hartford. I
said then, and now reiterate it, that any
change the party in this county may desire,
when the wish to do so is properly express
ed, no one will yield more ready obedi-
ance to than myself
My action at the meeting of the Execu-
tive Committee held on the 9th September,
for the purpose of receiving the returns of
the primary election, as far as stated in the
card of the Committee, is substantially cor
rect; but it omits to allude to the distinct
and positive, and may say honest, decla-
ration l made, that my course was actua-
ted by no feeling of hostility towards Mr..
Walters, the favorite candidate of a major
ity of the Committee-who was present at
the time-but unpleasant rs the duty was,
l felt compelled to object to the reception
of the mutilated returns from the 4th and
9th districts, because it was imperatively
necessary that no precedent should be set
that would, in the future, render it an easy
matter if followed for dishonest. corrupt or
partial Judges, at succeeding primary cleo
tions, to make just such returns as would
suit their own purposes. The answer at
the time to this, by one of the members of
the Committee, was, " that perhaps we may