Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-09-12
O'COnOr's Letter.


the recent National Democratic Conven-
tion in session at Louisville, KY:
| New YORK, August 81, 1872.
| To the National Democratic Convention appoint
ed to assemble at Louisville September 3,
| 1S72:
GENTLEMEN: representative Democracy
must be necessarily degenerate in practice
and become at last an intolerably mischiev-
Gus domination if its official corps be allow
ed to WELD without effectual restraint those
powers correctly denominated regal, by which
from the very beginning, and in every cline,
civil society has almost invariably hitherto
been made the prey of its rulers. When
| founding our institutions, the fathers were
impressed with this belief, and in order to
curb the tendency of power to aggrandiZe
itself they introduced regulations of uneX-
ampled compleXiJy. Rejecting two funda-
mental bases of the pre-existing system,
they yet adopted the English policy of
checks and balances. However useful it
may be in land of three estates, Kings,
Lords and Commons, experience has shown
that this policy is inadequate to the main
tenance of public order where absolute
| equality is recognized. With us it has proven
exceedingly mischievous. By its enormous
multiplicity of offices alone, it affords no per-
manently effectual restraint on power. To the
query how such restraint can be imposed
in our country, politicians have responded,
''By the virtue and intelligence of the peo-
pie" But this delusive speech. Labori-
| Gus attention, constant watchfulness, and
combined action are necessary to practical
results, and are attainable. If our
| people were placed upon sterile soil,
their perpetual hand-to-hand conflict for
subsistence with niggard nature might
qualify them for resistance to the official
plunderer. Their poverty would diminish
his temptation and invigorate their defense.
| But, in great and prosperous country, such
popular guardianship cannot be had, and the
only efficient protection against official mis-
rulei in totally prohibiting those powers
/ oh hn tod hr-1
This fact was asserted in the public councils
which gave birth to our Constitution. But
its recognition was prevented by the want of
prior human experience under just systems
of Government. History furnished no pre-
else parallels, and consequently that patriot
ism which saw and appreciated the light was
unable to prove its statements, or maintain
its arguments by convincing illustrations
| Failing to engraft on the written law the
limitation deemed necessary, the Demo
cratic fathers sought practical establish
ment of them by advocating strict construc
tion of this doctrine, which was never thor
oughly enforced by any party, and is now to-
tally disregarded; hence, in our present po-
litical condition, far-reaching changes are
needed to obviate it's evils. 1t is only by
such changes that we can successfully inau-
gurate the second stage in that grand social re-
form which was initiated by the Fathers. A
free and enlightened people, with capacities
matured under the benign influence of their
experiment, we can now detect and remedy
those defects in their glorious, though un-
finished, work, which experience has devel-
oped.
Upon us is devolved the duty of complet-
ing the superstructurc.
The enormous growth of official malversa-
tion in this city and State, which was
brought to light during the last year, invited
good men to action. The discoveries made
afforded an opportunity of stirring the gen.
eral mind to persistent effort for reform.
The opportunity was improved, and except
for the inopportune recurrence of a Presi-
Dental canvass, the current of popular senti-
ment has ever since moved steadily in the
right direction. The desire has been eXten-
sively entertained that this movement, which
originated in the national metropolis, should
|, | be permitted to run its natural course, and
draw into harmony with itself the honest
, masses throughout the country, and thereby
, lead to the establishment of efficient, self
, sustaining, and permanent barriers against
; prevalent evils. The facts, however, warrant
3 an apprehension that the pending conflict
e for the control of the Federal power has
broken in on the tendency to reform, and
may completely reverse it. Governmental in
termeddling with those concerns of society
! which, under judicious laws, might beneh
: cially be left to individual action, is the only
: real evil actually developing in our system
This eminence is assigned to it because it is
- the fruitful parent of all others existing, and
Z because the measures required to correct il
= are precisely those which would extirpate
:, the understandable power now so mischiev
5 ously exercised by our officials. If, instead
!, of prohibiting or diminishing these viciou:
q practices, our people would impart to it new
. sanctions and greater vitality, reform mus
5, become impossible.
\. Of this practice, above all other livins
" Americans, Mr.. Greeley is the recognized
10 champion, and nobody of organized op
,e ponents to it has ever existed in the countr.
If except the Democratic party. Yet by a de
f. cree of Convention assuming to represen
le that party, Mr.. Greeley has been gazetted a
If its standard-bearer. Opposition to tina
20 proceeding has, in my mind, far deepe
r, source than mere attachment to party. Tha
,e |, at least, am unduly influenced by tha
II. sentiment, may appear by the measure
,r adopted against the recently detected mum
il cipal Indicators. In organizing the force
m employed, equal opportunities for purgins
ot itself from completely were conceded to eac
as of the great political parties and to ever
ne class. Thus innocence has been shielded
n. from the discredit of evil associations, in
X advertently formed; official villaiDy stand
in literally defenseless under actual or impend
ot ing judgment, and all honest men in thi
Mt great city and State are united as a brother
m hood in common defense. Looking as l dc
nt then, from party sentiment, my views G
nv the public interests and Of existing publ
necessities, compel me to repudiate tn
bo Baltimore nomination of Mr.. Greeley. WheI
in in ever speaking or writing on the subject,
- have uniformly condemned it, and declare
IL
~ didate. This circumstance has led to SUI
-, posal in some quarters that had aspiration
of to office, and it has been suggested that m
~ name be offered to your acceptance as cal
20 20 didate The object of this letter is to avoi
- mlsapprehension on that point.
ce If compelled to decide between Gener;
of Grant and Mr.. Greeley as candidates for th
ef Presidency, the Democratic elector must r.
on ly very much upon mere conjecture. Thos
who incline to the latter as choice of evi
hot % csrr1f 4
he the South would result from his success
is There may, however, be equal ground
ess hope for that good result in either issue
m this rivalry. Once his second term sha
de have been secured, General Grants only m
SO tive for infcting misery on that portion
A his countrymen will cease. An effort to S
di- cure third term or to establish dictate
are ship cannot reasonably be apprehended, al
are consequently a comparison of probability
ers offers us merely blank. Olympiad on ol
-. hand, or four years of undetinable activi
oe tbe on the other. That wise people whose us
is, ges we have generally followed. had occasit
to pass through a transitional period som
We, what similar to that now affecting Southe
wn interests. In their action at that time v
ais could find safe precedents for course
the policy which would promptly reinsta
but Southern prosperity, but if there be O
t. among the master spirits of the age VIII
13, even if inclined, could not adopt that polio
it is Mr.. Greeley. The success of Genel
lis Grant might involve no important con-
ice, quences, put that OF MI. 9reeiey wouio &C
ing secrate tne practlces referred 10, whlcn
Wit my opinion are absolutely incompatible wi
nd the permanency OF repuDncan institutions
like In saying this it is not intended simply
lcts pronounce for anti-protectionist ideas. I'll
the question is left untouched. If the suppt
lief of our home manufactures against forei
'nly competition is 10 De regarded as sounu pc
,y', cy, it can be afforded as needful by mu
ted simpler, less expensive and far less
ssly moraliZing process than even governs C.
,sti toms establishments. The true policy is
ZEN tlonal regeneration IL Is iar more conn
Mr.. henslve than mere free trade. lts ann is
l of break the scepter OF the tradlng pontlc
the and emanclpate the masses. fouf-nIIhs
orts the Governmental Intervention now practi'
Con- in carrying on the affairs of society sho
Mr. be dispensed with. EXlstlng mdeoteun
l, to should, indeed, be neld sacred, ana 10
ne eQ.