Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-19
GOV. PALMER SPEAKS.
The Governor Of Illinois Defines His
Position in the PresideR-
tial Question.
His Opposition to Grants Reelection
Stated in UmequivOcal Terms.

Gov. Palmer, of Illinois, has addressed
the following letter to the Carlinville Demo
crdt, published in the county in which he
lives:
Such of my old friends as may have
heard the announcement you were author
lied to make, that would not be candi-
date before the Republican State Conyen-
ton for denomination, no doubt felt some
curiosity TO learn the reason for my con-
duct, and know Of no medium so proper
for giving them the information as the
columns of the newspaper established by us
in 1856, when the Republican strength in
Macoupin county amounted 10 eight hun
dred votes out of voting population Of
nearly four thousand.
The State Convention, which has been
called to meet at Springfield on May %,
will be controlled by men whose leading
object viii be to secure the denomination
and election of President Gront, and they
viii make all the nominations of State Off
GERS subordinate to that object, and will
have q right to expectthat the candidate for
Governor they select win sympathize in
their favorite object, and undertake the
canvass of the State to promote its success.
do not believe President Grant should be
renominated by the Republican party, and
viii not say so, nor will consent to can
vass the State to promote his re- election,
unless the candidate placed in the field
AGAINST him is more Objectionable. sup
ported Gen. Grant in 1868 with great
cheerfulness. Then the issues which fol-
lowed the war were of transcendant i'm
portance. 1t was then necessary to pro-
vide complete guarantees for the liberty,
equality and protection of all, and in COM
parison with the perfect accomplishment of
these fundamental objects of government
measures of administrative reform were of
small Importance, and, in fact, from the
state of the public mind, were then impos-
sible. Now the most important public
questions are such as relate to the enforce
ment of the laws, the administration of
public provision for the care of the helpless
classes, the reduction of the burdens of
taxation, the enforcement of official honesty
and responsibility, and the prosecution of
the liberties of the people.
As all who are familiar with my opinion
know, l believe that all reforms and i'm
prOvements in the direction indicated must
begin in the State, and the first step toward
success must be to win back to the Govern
ment of the States the confidence and affec-
ton of the people. No man need expect
reforms in the administration of the Fed
eral Government until the people assume
the government of the State and enforce
honesty and good government there. The
President and Congress are too remote from
the people to pay any great degree of atten-
ton to their wishes. They must be i'm
pressed by the action and example of the
States. With these views l cannot defend
or Justify the opinion acted upon by Gen.
Grant when he ordered four companies of
infantry into this State to act as police,
and that dictated his approval of the acts of
Gen. Sheridan in raising troops by his own
authority in this State subjecting Chicago to
military rule, whereby peaceable citizen
of the State was unlawfully killed. These
lawless and dangerous assumptions of au-
thority cannot be defended or apologized
for by me while the obligations of an oath
to support the constitution and enforce the
laws of this State rest upon me. If the
powers claimed and acted upon by the Pres
ident in these instances exist in him, the
State of Illinois is but dependency of the
Government at Washington, and the lives
and liberties of the people are subject to the
will of the President. To defend these
acts of the President, is to cOncede that the
power he claimed exists. Such a conces-
sion by the Governor would be crime
against the people of the State. Nor could
l, if a candidate for Governor, say to the
people that President Grant has the incli-
nation or ability to enforce economy aud
reform in the government; nor viii | sub
init my judgment on these points to con-
vention that will be dominated by his ap-
pOintees and partisans.
JOHN NJ. PALMER.