Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-10-30
Extracts from a Letter Of Ex-Gov.
Bigler to Disaffected Democrats.


addressed letter to Ex-Gov. Biglcr,
in relation to the Presidential question.
We are permitted to make tho follow
ing extracts from his answer, which
10 our mind, suits this latitude as well
as Tennessee 1921 HHaHlN .tss
f* *8l* You are mistaken
as tothc 9th Resolution of the State
Convention Of 1871 and the Cincinnati
Platform being Identical The com
paint against the former was not that
IL asse<ted TO the amendments, bat
tiiht it assefted that thoy had been
adopted by the proper authority and
in the proper manner Whereas, the
Democratic party had held that the
proper authority 10 regulate suffrage
'eds IN The States, and that the man.
ncr of adopting the Amendments had
had been deceptive, If not fraudulent,
in many of the States, and especially
in Pennsylvania,
dismiss all else you say about the
Amendments TO the Constitution with
the remark that obedience to law is
an elementary principle of the Demo
cratic party. However earnestly il
may have resisted tho enactment of n
given proposition into law, whenever
such matter receives tho forms of law
that resistance ceased. SO it must be
now and in the future.
have great respect FOR the concern
you manifest for the good name of the
Democratic Party but we must not for
get that its good character sprung from
its past works, and that its reputation
in the future will be shaped by the
results it may produce. Processing
special devotion TO the welfare of the
country, nothing could be moro dam
aging to its reputation than thai, hay
ing the opportunity, it should, on
insufficient grounds, refuse to carry
ont that profession. For many years it
has been in the minority, and has wit
messed tho most fragrant wrongs in
the practice of government, without
being able to interpose effective resis-
tance.
But when an organized body Of
men, dissenting from the ruling party,
appeared in the field, declaring in
favor of the principles and measures
to which the Democracy stood plcdgc
already, The auspIcioas opportunity
was presented. Such was the outlook
when the Democracy of the several
States were called upon to select dele
gates 10 the National Convention
And now | ask you, with what show
OF devotion to the principles and
measures we had been advocating,
could we withhold the hand of fellow.
ship from body of men who had
cspoused, in all essential things, the
same cause ? And how shall we ever
become minority, if we refuse the
cooperation Of those who agree with
US, on the ground that they differed
with ushcretoiore. And how shall the
band ofnoblc men who have dissented
from tie Radical organization because
Of its Unjust measures, accomplish the
good work they have undertaken, if
they refuse to cooperate with mon
engaged in the same cause? And how
could these organizations get together
without mutual concessions To each
othery Nor, my dear sir, will il do
formcrrrofcssiny devotion to country,
TO hail 10 do it a great good, simply
becausqthey could not do it alone and
theirown way; nor TO neglctt to
do all tic good they can, because they
cannot 90 all they would
| In oler words, shall the Demo
cratic mrty refuse to bring about
great ard good things for the country,
simply because IL has not the power,
of itself and through the agencies of
its old tavorites, to accomplish what
il would regard as political perfection,
Theb were the considerations
weighed by thoughtful men, North
and South, and that led to tho sending
OF Delegates to tho National Conven-
tion, with scarce u dissenting voice, TO
rapfy bonds of fellowship between
twp patriotic Organizations, to the end
that tbcirunitcd numbers might rescue
ths country from present evils aud
impending pcris.
! The action Of the Baltimore Conven-
tion was far more than he nomina-
tioa of candidates in the usual way
Tbs 604 votes cast for Mr. Greeley on
the first ballot, not so much signify
that ho should be our nomince,as It
did the assent oe the Party to thccom-
ing together OF conservative men,
from all sections, irrespective of past
difference, to accomplish tho great
and good purposes TO which all stood
pledged,
Aside from these considerations. -
Mr. Greeley could not have received
one vote out of tho C9i, nor would his
friends have desired that ono should
be cast for him. But tho Convention
believing that he would, in good faith,
and with courage stand by the prici-
piles II had enunciated, made him its
unanimous pomIcp. And, now allow