Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1872-08-14
Letter from Senator Thur
man.
v WASHINGTON, July 12, 1872,

| AOOUOA AAVA hoNAA&OOA AAuI
man.
WAsHNeToN, July 12, 1872.
Col. T. p. Spencer, Cleveland, ohio
MY DEAR SIR:-I assure
you that it is not for want Of
respect that | have not written
to you sooner. Your letter ot
May 18th was duly received,
but as you did not ask for a
reply, Thought that you would
not feel hurt at my 81.
lence. | should have written
to you, however, but for the
/ following consideration: ! have
been ofathe opinion forl.- more
than a year, that to'give US any
chance of success in the elec-
tion next fall the movement
indicating the policy and the
man must come from the peo-
pie, and not from the politi>
clans and especially, that tn e
Democratic members of Con-
greSs should abstain from en-.
tering into any coalition, and
from everything that might
look like debating the course
of the party. And this was
the view generally taken by
the members. Individually, I
preferred fighting under the
Democratic banner, with a
straight Democratic ticket; !;
but | could not shut my eyes
to the fact that great many
good Democrats were of a diff.
ferent opinion, And to me it
seemed clear that any course
that did not emanate from the
masses of the party, would sure
ly fail. Acting on this princi-
pie, | have not. answered a
single one of the many letters
that I have received upon the
subject. Not that 1 was un-
willing to express my opinions,
or to take my share of the re-
sponsibility; but because, 90.
cupying the position that I do,
I thought it the part Of wisdom
and patriotism not to interfere
with the formation Of an opin-
ion by the people-the only
opinion that could be safely
followed by the opponents of
the Radical party. / condemn
no man who took a different
view of his duty, but I think
that time and events have
shown that mine Was correct.
The nomination of Greeley and
Brown, by the Baltimore Con-
vention, was the work Of the
people. The politicians had
very little or nothing to do
with it. 1t was a tidal wave
that swallowed up hing
in its way. The true explana,
tion of If is, that the people
mean to have a change Of ADJ
ministration /; and they will
not let pride or perjudice stand
in the way of success. Not
that the Democratic party
abandons its principles for 1t
does nothing Of the sort. On
the contrary--alleging as it
truly does that the course Of
the Radical leaders, in the
White House and In Congress,
threaten to destroy all cousti.
tutional and democratic gov
epnment--it Is bound by Its
principles to seek the over
throw Of those leaders, And
II IL cannot overthrow them In
precisely the mode it would
prefer, 1t is but common sense
to take the next best mode
Therefore, although I would
have been better pleased had
our party unanimously resolved
to make straight Democratic
fight, I am now (since the par.
ty has so willed it, and heliev.
ing that the welfare and liberty
ofthe country require the. de-
feat of the present administra'
tion, firmly resolved to work
with earnestness and zeal for
the election of Greeley and
Brown. What else can a
Democrat do, whol believes
what he has been saying for
years, that the continuance in
power of Grant and the Rad.
ica1 majority in Congress- would