The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-01-18
Letter from Mr. Pendleton.

tory of the Battle of New Orleans, by
a grand banquet at Arcadome Hall, in
Wooster, on the Sth inst, Among the
other interesting proceedings, the fol-
lowing able, eloquent and patriotic
letter from Hon. George III. Pendle-
ton was read:
CINCINNATI, Dec, 80, 1871.
MEssRs. EsHELMAN, FERIsToNE,
BAUGHMAN, Committee ofinvitation-
GENTLEMEN / regret that 1 cannot
accept your Invitation to be present
at the next annual celebration of the
Sth of January. 1t would have given
me great pleasure to meet and take
counsel of those who are SO well
grounded in the faith and the practice
of Democracy as the men of Wayne
County, and with them to recall the
principles and examples of the fOun-
ders of our party.
Two great dangers imperil free in
stitutions under the policy of the
party now in power. The spirit of
centralized military government at
tacks everywhere the Constitution,
and corruption in Office destroys the
civil administration. l do not speak
merely or chiefly of special defalca-
tions however startling, but of the
general degradation of the standard
of official integrity until the Offices in
both the civil and military service
seem to be considered the property to
be dispensed and administered Pri-
marily for party aggrandisement or
personal profit.
These dangers grow out of and are
inseperable from the present organic
zation of the Republican party. Its
foundation, its philosophy, its history
and its leaders recognize military
power and the corrupting use of men-
ey by official patronage as legitimate
forces in ordinary civil administration,
aud now more than ever they are
brought into active exercise. The
Democratic party confronts this theo-
ry and denounces these practices. =
Founded upon the idea of local gov
ernment, jealous of powers granted to
authority, taught that simplicity and
economy are essential to the honesty
necessary in republican institutions,
it maintains with more determined
purpose that the military must be sub
ordinate to the civil authority and
that offices are trust for the people,
not spoils for the victors. :
Its powerful organization enters
every village in the land, and num-
bers among its adherents nearly one
half the people--as intellectual, as
pure, as patriotic, as unselfish, as any
of their fellow-citizens. They are too
numerous to be cowardly. They are
too patriotic to be lakewarm. They
are too sincere in their purposes and
convictions to be driven to despon-
dency by ten years of reverse. They
have shown constancy in defeat as
well as wisdom in victory. IF I un-
derstand their feelings they will nei-
ther disband their organization nor fee
the field before the contest commences.
Either course, they believe, would
yield undisputed sway to the present
administration, which could then give
undivided attention ste the adeserters
from their ranks. An advancing ar
my, with the enemy either dispersed
or in Hight, never loses divisions or
regiments, or even companies, and is
generally able to pick off or pick up
treacherous or thoughtless stragglers.
If there be, as is claimed, many
members of the Republican party
who disapprove the ideas which dom
mate the Administration of President
Grant, and are prepared to oppose his
reelection, they should declare their
purpose, organize their party, develop
and manifest their strength, and If
may predict the future they will have
no Just cause, even the most sensitive.
and timid of them, for refusing to CO.
operate with the Democratic party. =
When its authorized Convention
shall speak it will remind its adher-
ents that the ultimate and highest pur-
pose of its existence is to secure the.
greatest prosperity, in its best sense,
Of every human being In the land j
that principles of government are true
or untrue, as they contributel to this
result; that parties and policies and
Offices are but means to this end; that
principles are of different application,
and questionsi lose their Importance
in the ever-shifting changes of human
affairs and discarding all narrow
ideas, abandoning the consideration of
all questions which have been. decided
or buried by the events which have
passed recognizing the accomplished
facts of the present and appreeiating
the dangers Of the future, it will in
'vite, both by words and by deeds,
both by resolutions and by neInina-l
tions, the Jealous, hearty cooperation
of ali men who believe that the Com.
stitution is better system Of govern
ment than martial law, and that re-.
form in the civil service is a higher
duty than rewarding prospective par-
tisan effort by distributing spoiIs. q;
by this course the party, z should
hope, would attain success. ,igIf it
should once more fail, as an honest,
faithful, patriotic minority it win hold
an important position and exert an
immense moralpower over the maj or
ity ;and il may well wait the inevlts
able hour which will crown its fideli-l
ty and patience with the success which
it will have deserved. I am, very
respectfully, your obedient servant, oi
.ss's5i 81 CT ~ GEO. III. PENDhKFoN. a
Radical Ma tionaI Convention.
nt 3 aflaA