American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-01-27
Letter from Hon. Geo. II. PendletOn.

The following letter from the Hon
George H. Pendleton, of Ohio, was reaC
at an eighth of January gathering AT
! Wooster, Ohio, in response to an invita-
| ton to be present:
CINCINNATI. December 30 1871
/ Messrs. Eshelman Feristone, Baughman, Commit
tee of Invitation:
GENTLEMEN l regret that cannot &C,
/ cept your invitation to. be present at the
next annual celebration of the Sth of Jan
uary. 1t 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 found
| ers of our party.
Two great dangers imperil free institu-
tions under the policy of the party now
in power. The spirit of centralized mill
tary government attacks everywhere the
Constitution, and corruption in Office de
stroys the civil administration. | do not
speak merely or chiefly of special defalca-
tions, however startling, but of the gen.
cral degradation of the standard of official
integrity, until the offices in both the civil
and military service seem to be considered
the property of the party to be dispensed
grandlZement or personal profit.
The dangers grow out of and are insep.
arabic from the present organization of
the Republican party. Its foundation,
its philosophy, its history and its leaders
recognize military power and the corrupt
ing use of money by official patronage as
legitimate forces in ordinary civil admin
istration, and now more than ever they
are brought into active exercise.
The Democratic party confronts this
theory and denounces these practices.
| Founded upon the idea of local govern
ment, jealous of power granted to author
ity, taught that simplicity and economy
/ are essential to the honesty necessary in
republican institutions, ii maintains with
more determined purpose that the mill
! tary must be more subordinate to the civil
| authority, and that offices are a trust for
the people, and not spoils for the victOrs
Its powerful organization enters every
/ village in the land, and numbers among its
| adherents nearly one.half the people-as
pure, as patriotic, as unSelfsh, as any of
/ their fellOw-citizens. They are too nu-
merous to be cowardly; they are too pa
triotic 10 he lukewarm; they are too
sincere in their purposes and convictions
to be driven to dependency by ten years
of reverses; they have shown consiancy
in defeat as well as wisdom iR victory.
If ! understand their feelings, theywill
neither disband their organization nor flee
the field before the contest commences.
Either course, they believe, would Weld
undisputed sway TO the present Admins
tration, which could then give undivided
attention TO the deserters from its ranks.
An advancing army, with the enemy either
dispersed orin fight, never loses divisions
or regiments, or even companies, and is
generally able 10 pick of OF pick up
treacheTous or thOughiless stragglers.
If there be, as is claimed, many mem
bers Of the Republican party who disap-
prove the ideas which dominate the Ad-
ministration Of President Grant, and are
prepared 10 oppose his reelection, they
should declare their purposes, organize
their party, develop and manifest their
strength, and, il may predict the future,
they viii have no Just cause, even the
most sensitive and timid among them. for
refusing % cooperate with the Demo
cratic party.
When its authorized convention shall
speak Il viii remind lis adhcrenis that
the ultimate and highest purpose Of IT,
existence l. 10 secure the greatest pros
periiv, in is best sense. 81 every human
being in the land. that princirlcs Il gov
eminent are true or untrue, as they cYn-
tribute 10 this result, that parties and
politics and ufliccs arc but mems b. this