The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-12

gBxt Tho UHatfkutaatf s. "a.
The Hon. George 81. Pendleton sent The
following letter Iii; repl to q committee OF
Democrats OF oosfer, o., who Invited hin
to attend their celebration of the anniyersary
Of the battle of New orieaisi Hts points
against the corrup ion Of tile Admin ton
and its centralized military eharacte as also
bis opinion Of the passive policsI and of the
duty Of the dissatisfied Republ Leans to organ
lie an opposition against Grant in co5pela-
ton with the Demo will be received
with the attention they deserve.
CINCINNATI, December 30, ISL.
Aessrs Eshelnae,,, Teristone, Baagtn,an,
Committee Of Inuitntion::S s. 7s:
Gentlemen, Il regret that i cannot accept
your invitation to be present at the next nm
ntial celebration Of the Sth OF january. It
would have given me great pleasure to meet
and take counsel of those who are so well
grounded In the faith and the practice Of
Democracy as the men Of Wayne county,
and with them to recall the principles and
example Of the founders of our party.
Two great dangers imperil free institutions
under the policy Of the party now in power.
The spirit of centralized military government
attacks every where the Constitution, and
corruption in Office destroys the civil admin
istration. do not speak merely, or chiefly
of special defalcations however startling, but
of the general degradation of the. standard
of official integrity, until the offices in both
the civil and military service seem to be con-
sidcrcd the property Of the party, to be dis
pensed and administered primarily for party
ggrandizement or personal profit.
These dangers grow out Of and are insepa-
rable from the present organization of the
Rnr11th1iroy, nh
losophy, its history, and Its leaders, recog-
nize military power and the corrupting use
of money by official patronage as legitimate
forces in ordinary civil administration, and
now more than ever are they brought into
active exercise. The Democratic party con-
fronts this theory and denounees these prae-
tees. Ei
Founded upon the idea of local govern
ment, jealous Of powers granted to au-
thority, taught that simplicity and economy
are essential to the honesty necessary in re-
publican institutions, it maintains with
more determined purpose that the military
must be subordinate to the civil authority,
and that offices are h tfust for the people, not
spoils for the victors. +.
Its powerful organization enters every vii
lage in the land, and numbers among its adj
herents nearly one-half the people as intel
lectual. rs pure, as patriotic, as unselfsh, as
any of their fellow-citizens. They are too
numerous to be cowardly. They are too
patriotic to be lukewarm. They are too sin
cere in their purposes and convictions to be
driven to dependency by ten years OF re-
verses. They have shown constancy in defeat
as well as wisdom in victory. If l under
stand their feelings, they will neither disband
their organization nor flee the field before
the contest commences. Either course, they
believe. would give undisputed sway to the
present administration, which could then
give undivided attention to the deserters
from it's ranks.
An advancing army, with the enemy either
dispersed or in flight, never loses divisions OF
regiments, or even companies, and IS gene
rally able to pick off or to pick up treachc-
rous or thoughtless stragglers.
IF there be, as is claimed, many members
of the Republican party who disapproVe the
ideas which dcnominate the administration
Of President Grant, and are prepared to OPP
pose his reelection, they should declare Their
purposes, organize their party, develop and
manifest their strength, and, If may predict
the future, they will have 10 just cause, even
the most sensitive and timid among them, for
refusing to cooperate with the Democratic
party. When its authorized convention shall
speak it will remind its adherents that the
ultimate and highest purpose Of its existence
is to secure the greatest prosperity, IN It's
best sense, of every human being in the land /;
that principles of government are true or
untrue rs they contribute to this result; that
parties and politics and offices are but means
to this end; that principles are of different ap
plcation, and questions lose their importance,
in the cver-shifting changes Of human affairs;
and discarding all narrow ideas, abandon
inc the consideration of all questions which
have been decided or buried by the events
which have passed recognizing the accom-
plshed facts Of the present and approaching
the dangers of the future, it will invite, both
by words and by deeds, both by resolutions
and by nominations, the Jealous, hearty co.
operation of all men who believe that the
Constitution is better system of govern.
ment than martial law, and that reform in the
civil service is higher duty than rewarding
prospective partisan effort by distributing
spoils.
BY this course the party, I should hope.
would attain success. If it should once
more fail, as an honest, faithful, patriotic mi.
nority, it will hold an important position and
exert an immense moral power over the ma
iority and it may well wait with faith the
inevitable hour which will crown its fidelity
and patience with the success which it will
have deserved.
am, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
GEORGE II. PEEDLEToN.