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


The Hon. Geo. II. Pendleton sent the
following letter to committee Of Demo.
Gratis at Wooster, Ohio, who invited him
to attend their celebration Of the anniver.
cary of the battle Of New Orleans His
points are well taken. aud bis letter will
be read With interest by our readers:
CIscISSArl. Dec. 80. 1871
u.ssrs. Eshrlmen. Fsristone. Bauyhmun,
Goam,tsr u lacitution:
GrsYLgMES: regret that | cannot ac-
cep, your invitation to be present at the
next annual celebration Of the 9Th Of Jan
usry. 1. would have given me great plea.
sure To meet and ,ukc counsel Of those who
are 50 we'll grounded IN the faith and the
prac,iccof the Democracy as the meu Of
Wayne county aud with them to recall the
principles and examples Of tho founders Of
our party.
Two great danger. mporil free ius'isu.
.ious uuder the policy Of the party in pow
or. The spirit Of centralized military
government neutrality-suspicious. the Con-
st'u,ion. and corruption 10 office destroys
the civil administration. do not speak
merely or chiefly Of special defnlcalions
however startling. but Of the general de.
grada,iou ofihe standard Of Official integ.
rity until tic Offices in both the civil and
military service seen TO be considered the
property Of the party, TO be dispensed and
administered primarily for party aggrau-
dizemeu, or personal profit.
These dangers grow out Of and are in
separable from tho present organization Of
the Republican party. Its foundation,
its philosophy. its history, aud it's leaders
recognize military power and the corrupt
ing use fmouey by Official patronage MS
legitimate forces in ordinary civil admin
istration. and now more than ever brought
into active exercise. The Democratic
party confronts this theory and deuounces
these practices.
Founded upon the idea Of local govern
ment, jeslous Of powers granted to author
ity, tuugh, that simplicity aud economy
are essential to tho honesty necessary in
Republican institutions, II maintains with
more determined purpose that the military
must be subordinate to the civil authority.
mud that Offices are a trust for the people,
not spoils for the yic'ors
Its powerful organization enters every
village in the land. aud numbers among
It's adberents nearly oue.half the people
Us intellectual, as pure. as patriotic as un.
'elG.b a, any of their fellow citizens =
They are too numerous to DO cowarlly -
They are too patriotic to be lukevarm Il
They are too sincere in their purposes to
be driven to dependency BY ten years Of
reverscs. They have shown cons,ancy in
defeat as we'll as wisdom in victory. III
understand their feelings they will neither
di.band their organization nor Zee the
field before the contest commences Eth
or course, they believe. would give uudis-.
puted 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 off or to pick
up trsacherous or thoughless s,ragglers
lfthero be, as is claimed, many mem
bers Of the Republican party who disap-
prove the ideas which dominate the admin
istratiou 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 if may predic, the future
they will have no just cause. even the
most sensitive and timid among them. for
refusing to cooperate with the Democratic
party When authorized conventions shall
speak it will remind its adheronts that
the ultimate and highest purpose Gifts e1.
isteuce is to secure the greatest prosperity,
in its best sense, Of every human being in
the laud, that 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.sbiIting
changes Of human affairs. and discarding
vi narrow ideas, abandoning the consider
alton Of all q,es'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. 1t 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
ernmrnt than martial law, and that reform
in the civil service is higher duty than
rewardiug prospective partisan effort by
distributing spells. pgt
Nv this corsc the marty, I should hone