American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-06-29
Henry Wilson's Letter.

AFTER four days of preparation, Senator
Wilson has published his formal accept
ance of the Philadelphia nomination to
the Vice-Presidency. The epistle is very
ingenious, and by no means ingenious.
Among the ideas which he says that the
Grant party has taken ''as objects of
Its immediate accomplishment" he men,
tions these five: Complete liberty and
equality for all reform in the Civil Ser
vice the adjustment of duties on imports
so as to secure remunerative wages to
labor; abolition of the franking privi-
lege; suppression of violence and prOtec-
ton of the ballot-boX." Complete liberty
and equality for all can he attained only
by Universal Amnesty, which the Phila-
and which Mr.. Wilson's partisans re-
Jected. Civil Service Reform has been
defeated by Grants supporters in both
Houses of Congress, and has been com
pletely ignored by Grant himself Is not
Casey still in power at New Orleans, and
Leet at New York The Tariff plank on
which Senator Wilson stands means. as
Colonel Forney has loudly proclaimed,
the perpetuatlon of the present iniauitous
system of Protection. Senator Wilson has
peeh at Washington too many years not to
+. mat that system is maintained by
me untiring efforts of the monOpolists,
who are enabled thereby to plumber their
fellow citizens, and without a thought of
its effect upon the laborer. The wording
of the resolution is fraudulent bid for
votes, to which it is beneath the dignity
of a statesman to lend himself. AS for
the resolution against the franking privi-
lege, it is sufficient to say that, on the day
on which Senator Wilson was officially
notified of his nomination, the body of
which he is a member, and which is over
whelmingly for Grant, refused to give a
bill abolishing that privilege even the
poor courtesy of a vote. Finally, the
Grant party persisted in prolonging this
session of Congress for the sole purpose
of passing laws to encourage violence at
the polls, and take away all protection
from the ballot-boX. In the light of these
proofs, Mr.. Wilson's assertion that the
Grant party really intends to Immediately
accomplish these five objects, is seen to
be wholly unwarranted by facts. The
Senator, feeling that he has been put on
the ticket to get the Labor vote, tries hard
to paint his party as ever favOring the
working men, but is compelled to fall
back on the meaningless platitudes of the
platform. Then he says: "To woman,
too, and her new demands, it extends the
hand of grateful recognition, and proffers
its most respectful inquiry" The woman
resolution was read twice, amid storm
of yells and derisive laughter. Its recep-
ton, instead of being ''most respectful
f1atter.
When Senator Wilson transfers his ex-
plantations from the platform to himself,
he goes Tin his treatmenD from bad to
worse. He represents himself as ''acting
in and cooperating with political organi-
cations with whose leading doctrines /
sometimes had neither sympathy nor be-
lief" But one Interpretation can be put
upon this. The candidate, conscious OF
the harm that his KnowNothingism is
sure to do him, tries to escape it by declar-
ing that he had ''neither sympathy MOI
belief" with the '1eading doctrines" of
Nothing, Senator Wilson must have
sworn on the American flag and the Bi-
BILE that he would constantly oppose the
elevation to any office of any foreign
born citizen whatever. and he must have
invoked upon himself, in case he ever
swerved from that promise, a string OF
curses which would make an English
rector, used to glibly reciting the damna
tory clauses of the Athanasian Greed,
turn pale. Through this Know-NOthing
party he gained power and place, and
was finally elected to the United
States Senate, in 1866, by Legis
lature which consisted of 412 Know.
Nothings and four others. Does Senator
Wilson mean to say that he voluntarily
took this oath when he had "neitheT
sympathy nor belief" in it Did he de
liberately conceal his disbelief in Know
Nothingism, and, by pretending to give ii
his hearty adherence, delude its real sup
porters into making him United States
Senator? Certainly, hitherto, no enemy
of his would have brought forward the
charges which he has now made against
himself. The frantic desire for the Vice
Presidency seems to have turned his head.
If he has been in the habit, as he himself
says, of acting in and cooperating with
political organizations with whose lead
ing doctrines" he had "neither sympathy
nor belief" what guarantee have his sup
porters that he believes in the leading doc
trines of their party now? He may say
so, perhaps, but he swore adherence to
Know Nothingism. He has, however
always remained firm to the party which
would put him in power, SO that, as his
Senatorial term does not expire until 1877
he may be considered as safe up to that
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