Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-08-19
For the Monitor.
CHARLES SUMMERS LETTER.

many and strange ldevelopements. De-
mocracy has nominated its lifelong op-
ponent for its great standard bearer.
Such a spectacle has turned the heads
of many, including some old Republicans
who ought to stand more firmly by their
principles than Horace Greeley. Charles
Sumner, the great New England Senator,
the man who has been considered as the
incarnate representative of abolitionism
in the United States Senate, and has
always been in the van everywhere that
distinctive Republican principles have
been advocated, has lost his balance on
account of personal pique, and like his
great predecessor, Daniel Webster, has
in his old age, dropped great blot on
the otherwise fair page of his life.
His recent letter of advice to the col
ored voters of the country is calculated
to exert a pernicious influence, not
among the colored voters of the South
whom it is intended to influence, but
among the white voters of the North
who are removed from personal contact
with the events and principles on which
this contest hinges. By your permission,
Mr.. Editor, 1 will note some of these
errors in Mr.. Summers letter which my
connection with Southern politics since
the war enables me clearly to under
stand.
In all the political history of this
country we have had two classes of po-
litical platforms one class told honestly
what the party enunciating it was strug
Cling for, the other held out glittering
generalities for the purpose of conceal
ing the real object. The first class is
illustrated in the Chicago platform on
which Lincoln was first nominated. The
other by almost any other National plat
form of the Democratic party for the
last twenty years. So now, whatever
else is said by the Philadelphia platform
on which Gen. Grant now stands can
-didate for reelection, the great princi-
pies on which the whole is based are
preservation of our country from all
foes, and perpetuation of those princi-
pies of human liberty which triumphed
at the successful close of our late war
The Republican party says: We adhere
to the results of the war and desire to
perpetuate them. During the war the
Democratic party used its platforms as 8
cover for operations always in favor o.
the rebellion. Since the war the whole
object of that party has, been to neutral
ize, so far as possible, all the results O.
the war. They have been beaten at ey
cry point. Now, under the ambush o.
Horace Greeley, they are fighting GOV
ert warfare for the old object. The vol
! has put on sleeps clothing because i
knows there is no possible chance TO
success if it advances boldly in its owl
proper garb; but it is the same vol
still.
The great mistake of Mr.. Sumner i
, in the assumption, on which he ha
, based his letter, that the Democrat
party has been converted to abolitionisr
3 and Republicanism. 1t is fatal mis-
! take. Should this country be so unfol
r tunate as to elect Greeley for its mex
President, Charles Sumner would bitter
o ly bewail this mistake, AS this is tn
foundation of his letter, 1 propose to re
fer to few historical facts to sustai
my position.
The Republicans Of Virginia nomin
ated Gen. Wells for Governor. Som
of the party was dissatisfied and p,
. forth Gilbert G. Walker as "True R,
publican candidate. There was but
] handful of Republicans in this Wake
$ movement in Virginia. As shown b
y the election, nine tenths Of the Repu1
e lican party voted fer Wells for governo
e But it just then suited the old reb
party of the State, which called itse
up to that time the Conservative par
ct of Virginia" to take possession of th
lie handful of self-styled True Republican
T. and changing their name they fought f
y Walker as better Republican th;
+ Wells. A large majority of their spea
ers claimed to be better Republica
% than the Republican party. Walker W
y elected. Then the cloak was thrown o
b. Nothing more was heard of ''True R
publicanism" from them; but Walk
of by very doubtful authority of law,
n not by direct violation of the Sta
n Constitution, at once turned out of off
m every man in the State who had be-
p elected or appointed by Republicans al
I'd filed all these vacant places with t
ID bitterest opponents of Republicans
no There began the most bitter polite
n prosecution of all Republicans, and
is has been continued to the present da
or Ever since that time has been heard t
n threat through all Virginia: "We'll pl
| the Walker dodge on you with our PIT
ID idential candidate, in 70" And IL
H. they are doing. sa
or The case of Missouri is more recel
or The same thing was done there in t
v. same way. Schurz and Brown were
- prominent movers in that act Th