Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-02-26

His Position on the Pending Presidential
Canvass.
And His Views upon lac Political sItua-
ton.

And His Views upon lac Political Sltua-
ton.
The following card appears in the
Knoxville Press and Herald of We'd
nesday, the 2lst instant;
Although / was, to some extent, en-
gagged in every presidential canvass in
this State, from 1910 TO 1850, both in
elusive, and have not, since the war,
been an Indifferent observer of public
affairs, it was not my intention to
take any public or active part in the
political contests Of this year. The
! reasons for this determination are pri.
vate, and would be uninteresting to
the public. Had ii been otherwise, /
would not have hesitated to address
the people, as / have often addressed
them, either in public assembly or
through the press, or by means OF a
circular.
A PRIVATE LETTER
addressed by Colonel John Baxter
and myself to various persons through
out the State, and to some citizens Of
other States, has, without any procure
men5 of mine, found its way into the
newspapers and become the subject Of
unfaVorabie comment, and, although
1 did not write or originate it, l signed
1t after due deliberation; am fully
responsible for its contents and feel
reluctantly constrained to assign, very
briefly to the public, some OF the rea-
sons which influenced my action.
HIS REASONS FOR ACTION.
The idea of "disintegrating'' the
Democratic party is not of very 70
cent origin. 1t prevailed so extern
sively in 1866, that n of the ablest
bodies of men ever assembled in the
United States convened in Philadel-
phia and virtually gave expression to
it in recommending the formation of
a national Conservative party. That
convention was composed of those
who had been Democrats, Wings, Re-
publicans and rebels. / may be mis-
taken in the opinion, but have ever
since believed that if its action had
been cordially adopted and followed,
a Conservative would have been
elected President in 1868. But the
Northern Democracy refused to wheel
into line and were worse beaten, in
the State elections that loon followed,
than they ever were before OF since, |
except in the memorable contest OF
1910.
IN A FREE GOVERNMENT,
like ours, it is scarcely possible for any
man who is accustomed to think and
act for himself, to find any party
with whose doctrines and practices he
agrees in every particular. No one
man can control public opinion. Po-
litical platforms, as well as political
parties, are the result of compromise
and concession on the part of individ-
uals who compose the respective par
ties. AS it seemed to be impossible to
get the Democratic party to give up
its organization, and as there was no
other organization opposed to Radi-
calism, it became necessary for those
who opposed the Radical party to
act, il they acted at all, with the De-
mOcracy. The old issues which divI-
ded the Democratic and Wing parties
before the war-bank, tariff, interna-
tlOnal improvements by the general
government, and distribution of the
proceeds of public lands-seemed to
been swallowed UP in the vortex
of revolution, and the most absorbing
questions that agitated the public
mind grew cut Of the reconstruction
Of congress.
THE OLD WINGS.
Such of the old Wings who were
opposed to that policy had no other (
than to join the Democracy in
effect to their opposition. But
of that number, it was my Individual
opinion that President johnson, who
had stood almost SOLITARY and alone"
in opposition to the reconstruction
measures, was the representative man
in the contest, and as chairman of the /
delegation, I nominated
him as a candidate for the presidency
in the New York convention Of July,
1858; but the nomination was not
adopted, and Nj. Seymour, whose
name had scarcely been mentioned in !
that connection, was selected as the {
candidate. 1t may be a delusion, but {
[ believed then, and still believe, that
If Nj. johnson had been nominated
by the Democracy, and a vigorous !
canvass had been made in his favor. !
he could have been elected. He was |
self-made man, and had nobly stood !
up for the rights OF the Southern !
States and had calamity withstOod |
tyrannieal and unconstitutional 1
measures of congress. No other man, '
1t that day, in my humble judgment. s
combined in his own character the c
same elements of success. General |
5rant's nomination seemed, at first, s
have fallen still born upon the Re 1
publican party, but the action of the '
New York convention gave il liieand 3
uccess. i
THE SENATORIAL CANVASS, :
The Democracy of Tennessee had an r
opportunity, afterwards, to retrieve a
blunder, in part, by electing him Il
D the Senate, but some Of them could q
.Ot forgive the harsh measures which n
had thought it necessary to adopt P
uring the war as military governor, a
Though he as president had forgiven ii
heir opposition to his Union prin- o
iples and measures, and had ultimate 81
granted, as the browning glory of al
is life, universal amnesty and pardon. b
Lad President Johnson been placed Ii
the senate, it is not probable that n
e could have carried any measure in II
1ngress as at present organized, but OF
18th his Roman firmnesS and famil- h,
II knowledge of public affairs, he es
)uld have made such exposures of n,
le cOrruptiOns that have crept into st.
ie administration OF the government M
would have materially aided his in
IN reelection to the presidency or W
election Of any other conservative ",
an, who may be the choice of the nc
1nservative party. ri
2EJUDICEs AGAINST THE NAME OF III
DEMOCRACY. in
1t is not to be expected that the Re. ma
party car be defeated in the "a
preaching election without the aid II
persons who have voted and acted Ia'
I'll that party. Many old line Wings pr
d, as / hope, many honest Republi- TO
rs + opposed to the reconstruction ne
Icy of congress and to the stupen. co
us frauds upon the public treasury pa
lich have been committed under d
publican rule. But they have been on
lined to oppose the Democratic VIZ
rty and to hate the very name of DT
imocrscy. Many of them are de. WI
red from acting with that party by ret
sir ancient political antsgonisms WI
q prejudices. II a new party were PEI
med, with a new name and q new ma
such a was contemplated
the Philadelphia convention, then 7
the friends of the constitution and ds,
an honest and economical admin. of
alton of the government, whether seJ.
y are Wings or Democrats, Re. der
1licans or rebels could, and, proba. Law
d, would rally around its standard ths
.hout feeling that they could be sen
.rged with changing their princi- fro,
3 or going over to the camp Of their tina
itical adversaries. mo
NATIONAL CONSERVATIVE PARTY rieI