The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1872-05-24
Letter From Montgomery Blair.

montgomery Blair has written the fol-
lowing letter on the Cincinnati Convcn-
ton, and the future course Of the Demo-
cratic party. 1t Is addressed to Il prom
incnt Democrat in Baltimore:
We VIII have to take Greeley or
Grant, and we will take Greeley, reluc-
'antly, o! course, but not the less GER
tainly. And he will be the more GER
tam OF election, because the Democrats
40 not wish to embrace at first. AS for
their running candidate Of their own,
that would be both disastrous and dis
graceful. They all gave in their adhe-
sion to the Cincinnati Convention, and
the most obslrcpcrouS Of Grcclcy's OPP
ponents had their candidate before that
convention. Mr.. Voorhees,. for exam
pie. was loud in his advocacy of Judge
Davis; and the world was earnest in
pressing Adams. Now there certainly
can be no greater departure from prin.
ciple ~ supporting Greeley than there
would be in supporting Davis or Adams
or any other Radical. There can he in
TACT no motive assigned for the support
OF one Of these men and the refusal to
support either of the others. but mere
personal preference. This is not states
manShip: II is mere caprice, if not some
thing worse. which men can not indulge
~ without the loss OF public confidence.
For my own part. 20 tor the move
mcnt initiated at Cincinnati to arrest the
further progress OF l.adicali,m. Ii is
the only practical way OF arrc,ting. As
for running in n Straight Democratic
ticket between Greeley aud Grant. that
is dodge that will not be allowed to
succeed. That can be done only in the
small field of local politics, where the
contest between the real aspirantS is
personal, and has become cmbilrercl.-
But the contest between the Republican
and Democratic parties has always been
sectional contest. one party represent
inc the North and the other the South I:
and whenever the contest returns to that
character, the Republican success is rs.
>urcd by the census. 1t is only BY divid-
inc the numerous North and nIlving it.
self with the more liberal division. that
the Democracy representing the South
can hope for the recovery of the right
of eIi-govcrnmcnt tor its section. The
moment that the Democracy shall set up
for itself, the North will close its ranks
again and the only effect would be to
sacrifice the leaders in the Liberal party
who had attempted to help Us. This
would disgrace us, and so help to de-
feat Us, not only now bnt hereafter.
or course there will be some honest
Democrats who will not regard the sub
iect in this light, and who will prefer.
to stand by their guns, &c. but the moi
se>t fellows will be those who are in the
pay Of the Administration. Chandler
said recently, learn on good authority.
that there would be straight Demo-
cratic ticket, and he would give $4,000
TO start it himself. There are IA good
many Democrats of the Tweed order,
ready to take his money and HELM to
keep the statn quo which is profitable to
them, fellows who understand manipu-
Iaing claims quietly: land the Admins
iralion has the public purse at its dis
posaI, and understands them and low
10 make the most of them. There were
over one hundred Office holders OF them.
Grants cmiSsaricS, in the Cincinnti Con-
vcnlion working for Adams they were
nearly all from Washington. can fur.
nish the names of about fifty of them.
The strategy OF Grnnt's friends was to
secure for him the Irish vote bv putting
AID ms on us, AMI 50 compensate for the
loss of the Liberal Republican vote; bu,
he failed. and they are furious. The
great majority Of Adams supporters
did not understand it; but the public
mind is now thoroughly aroused, and
when this is the case the power Of pur-
chasable individuals and of the vcnal
press is inconsidcrabIc."