The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1872-01-18
VIEWS OF MIR. rENDLLTON.

The Hon. Geo, H. Pendletop sen, The
following letter ,o.a committee Of Demo
Gratis at Wooster, Ohio, who invited bin
to attend their celebration Of the anniver'
sary Of the battle Of New Orleans Hi'
points are well taken, and his letter will
be read with incres, by our readers:
CIycISsAn. Dec, 80. 1871
N.,us. Esheln,ea. F.ristone. Baughman,
COMMITTEE Of Inritutim:
GrSrLxNEM Iregret that | cannot ac-
cep, your invitation to be present at the
mex, annual celebration Of the 9Th Of Jan.
nary. 1t would have given me great plea.
sure tn meet and take counsel Of those who
are 50 we'll grounded in the faith aud the
practice Of the Democracy as the men Of
Wayne county aud with them to recall the
principles and examples Of tho founders Of
our psr'y.
Two great dangers imperil free ios'i'u'
,ious uuder the pOicy of tho party in pow.
err, The spirit Of centralized military
government attacks everywhere the Con.
s,itution. and corruption in Office destroys
the civil administration. DO not speak
merely or chiefly Of special defalca'ions
however startling. but Of the general de-.
rrsda,icp ofihe standard Of Official in.eg.
rily until the Offices in both the civil aud
military service seem TO be considered the
property Of the party, to be dispensed and
administered primarily for party aggEsu-
dizemeu, or personal profit.
These dancers grow oul Of and are in.
separate from the present organization Of
the Republican party. Its foundation.
its philosophy. its history, aud its leaders
recognize military power and the corrupt.
ing use ofmouey by official patronage rs
legitimate forces in ordinary civil admin
i.traliVn, and now more than ever brought
into active exercise, The Democratic
party con'ronts this theory aud deuounces
these practices.
Founded upon the idea Of local govern.
ment, jeslous Of powers granted 'oau'hor-
i,y, taught that simplicity aud economy
are essential to the honesty necessary in
Republican institutions. il maintains with
more determined purpose tina, the military
must be subordinate to the civil authority,
and that Offices are a trust for the people.
not spoils for the vic'cs
Its powerful organization enters every
village in the land, aud numbers among
its adhercnIs nearly ous.half the people-
Us intellectual. as pure. as patriotic as un.
seldsba as any Of their fellow citizens =
They are too numerous to be cowardly =
They are too patriotic to be lukevarm =
Tbey are too sincere in their purposes to
be driven to dependency by ten years Of
reverses They have shown cons,ancy in
defeat as we'll as wisdom in victory. II |
understand the feelings they will neither
di.band their organization nor fee the
field before the contest commences Eth.
CT course, they believe, would give uuds-
pn'ed sway to the present administration,
which could then give undivided attention
to the desertcrs from its ranks.
An advancing army, with the enemy
either dispersed or in fight, never loses
division or regiments, or even companies,
aud is generally able to pick of or to pick
up ,rsacherous or thoughtess stragglers
lf,herc be, as is claimed, many mem
bers Of the Republican psrty who dsap-
prove the ideas which dominate the admin
is.ratiou Of President Grant, and are pre-.
pared to oppose bis reelection, they
should declare their purposes. organize,
their party. develop aud manifest their
strength, aud il | may predict the future
they will have no just cause, even the
mos, sensitive and timid among them. for
refusing to cooperate with the Democratic
party. When authorized conventions shall
speak it will remind its adheron,s that
the ultimate and highest purpose ofi's e1.
i.tence is to secure the greatest prosperity,
in its best sense. Of every human being in
the laud, tina, principles Of government are
true or untrue. as they contribute to thi,
result; that parties and politics and Offices
are but means to this end; that principles
are Of different application, and questions
lose their Importance in the ever.shlItlng
change. Of human affairs, and dscarding
III narrow ideas, abandoning the consider.
alton Of all qles'ions which have been de.
cided or buried by the events which have
passed; recognizing the accomplished facts
Of the present. aud approaching the dan.
gers Of the future. it will invite, both by
words and by deeds. both by resolutions
mud by nominations, the Jealous, hearty
co operation Of all men who believe that
the Constitution is better system Of gov
ernmcnt than martial law, and that reform
in the civil service is a higher duty than
rcwarding prospective partisan effort by
distributing spells sYi