The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-07-23
SENATOR A. G. THURMAN.
II am now FIRMLY Resolved TO.
work with EarnestneSs and
Zeal for the Election of Greeley
and Brown"
A letter with TDe True Rina

A letter with The True aiEg
The following letter from Senator
Thurman to gentleman i'll Cleveland
has been furnished for publication:
WASHINGTON, July II, 1872
Col, T. P Spencer, Cleveland, Ohio: i
Ny DEAR SIR: l assure you that it is
not from want of respect that l have
not written to you sooner. Your letter
of May 18th was duly received, but as
you did not ask for reply, | thought
that yoq would not feel hurt at my 81
lenco. / shouId have written you, how
ever, but for the following considera-
tons: l have been of the opinion for
more than year that to give us any
chance of success in the election next
fall, the movement indicating the poll
cy and the man must come from the
people, and not from the politicians,
and, especially, that tie Democratic
members Of Congress should abstain
from entering into any coalitions, and
from everything that might look like
debating the course of the party. And
this was the view very generally taken
by the members. individually, I pre-
ferred fighting under the Democratic
banner, with straight Democratic tick
ct but could not shut my eyes to the
fact that great many good Democrsta
were of different opinion. Aud TO
me il seemed clear that any course that
did not emanate from the masses Of the
party would surely fail Acting on this
principle, ! have not answered single
lone of, the many letters that / have re,
ceived upon the subject. Not that L
| was unwillingito express iiy opinions,
or to take my share of the responsible
fity; but because, occupying the position
Fl do, | thought it the part of wisdom.
fand patriotism not to interfere with the
formation Of an opinion by the people
1.-The only opinion that could be safely
followed by the opponents of the Rad
cal party. ] condemn no man who.
took other views of his duty, but ].
think that time and events have shown
I that mine was correct. The nomina
ton oil Greeley and Brown, by the Bal
timore Convention, was the work of the
fpeople. Yhe politicians had very little,
Tor nothing % do with it. 1t. was q tidal
wave that swallowed up everything in
its way. The true explanation of it lis,
that the people mean to have. q change
of administration; and they will not let
pride or prejudice stand in the way of
success. Not that Tue Democratic party
4 abandons its principles; Cor it 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, threat
ems TO destroy all constitutional and
democratic government--it is bound by
its principles to seek the overthrow Of
those leaders. And if it cannot over
throw them in precisely the mode it
would prefer. it is but common. sense to
take the next best mode. Therefore,
although / would have been better
pleased had our party unanimously re-
solved to make q straight Democratic
fight, am now (sinee the party has so
/ willed it, and believing that the welfare
and liberty of the country require the
d defeat of the present ADMINISTRATION
firinHresolved to- work WITH Tearnest
ness and zeal for the election of Gree
Hey and Brown. What else can Dem
ocrat do, who believes what he has been
saying for years, that the continuance
in power OF Grant and the Radical major
itv in Congress would endauger the
very existence of constitutional govern
ment7 What if Greeley has opposed
a the Democratic .partY-is it not better
to elect a man who has frankly and
openly opposed us i'll times past, but
who now. in many things, agrees with
us, than to help to elect a renegade
Democrat Ike Grant, who was once
with us, but IS now opposed to US in
everything? We have to choose be
, tween these Two men, or throw away
our franchise by refusing to vote. But
who is there willing to throw his fran
chise away? Who is there that places
so little value upon it that he will not
exercise it9 Who is there ready to ac
e knowledge that he is so weak that he
cannot make up his mind, and therefore
will not vote at all? ! trust that nc
Democrat will be found in any such cat
egory. Let every man who hssitates
reflect that any change Of administra-
ton is likely to be for the better, and
that certainly it can not be for the
worse. ghl
l am your friend truly, I f
J A. e. THURMAN,