The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-02
a Gard from +. e.. bennington. ESQ

COLUMBIA, July %, 1872.
EDITORS HERALD:--I find the follow
| ing editorial paragraph in your issue of
| the 18th inst, relative to the action of
| the Tennessee Delegates to the recent
National Democratic Convention, witch
assembled at Baltimore:
1.-The proceedings of the Convention show
| that upon the vote on the adoption of the
Platform, which was the same as the Gin
| cinnati Platforln-the second Magma Charta
| of our rights,-a division occurred in the
| Tennessee Delegation. We hope to see the
vote given and the names published that the
| people may know who, among those en-
trusted as their representatives, In the great
hour of trial, proved recreant TO the trust
| rcpOScd in them"
L desire to speak only for myself, as
| the immediate representative OF this
| district, and would nave done so earlier
| but for my absence from home. / in-
| form You, therefore, with pleasure, that
| am one of the delegates who come
| within the limit of your structures, hav-
ing earnestly opposed the unqualified
| adoption of the resolutions OF the Re-
publican Convention at Cincinnati as a
| proper declaration of principles tor the
| National Democracy; and had /
done otherwise 1 would have felt much
more amenable TO the inconsiderate
charges of ''recreancy" TO the trust
| repcsod in me in great hour OF trial.
4 was not a delegate to Liberal Re-
! publican Convention nor did L represent
a Liberal Republican constituency but
went TO Baltimore as Democrat, repre-
sentiug Democratic constituency. 1
| understood the Democratic party as
coeyal with the government, consIitut-
| ing The proudest part OF its history, and
At all times capable and ready to reas-
sert its own creed, without The neceS
SiIy of borrowing from another. Nor
did | understand that il was the wish or
expectation that we were to be spouged
up by any wing of the Republican
party; but in view of the exigences of
the times, simply 10 forego making a
| nomination OF our own ana pledge our
support to the Liberal Republican ticket
IA policy consistent with truth and
honor, that would not have committed
us TO any part of the many heresies of
Horace Greeley, nor have embarrassed
MIN at the North with the character of
support he should receive from us. Those
OF uS who favored this line OF policy in
the Baltimore Cow ention believed, and
sill believe, that Democrats, without
compromising honor or principle, or
abating in the least their hostility to
many things in which they have OPP
posed the Republicans, could, as mat
ter OF expectancy, anu Tor the DeSt IN
teres;s Of the country, support the
nominees of the more liberal wing of
the Republican party; but we did not
believe that it was good policy to pursue
such a course as would subject our
action to the charge OF duplicity or self
qualification.
There are some things in the Liberal
Republican platform that Democrats
everywhere can approve. There is
enough, in my Judgment, to warrant
every lover Of civil liberty and consti-
tutional form of government in sup
porting cordially the ticket OF Greeley
and Brown. The two prominent ideas
of local self-government," or States
rights, in coutraGistinction TO Centrall-
zation, or Federalism; and OF subordl-
nation of the military to the civil au-
thorities, are of themselves moment
| sufficient to outweigh all other ques-
lions. No greater good could befalI the
| country than the reinauguration at
Washington of a party pledged to these
| fundamental ideas, and from which the
| government has SO widely departed in
the last twelve years. Upon these two
propositions National Democrats, and
| those claiming to be Liberal Republic
cans, are now in full accord. But there
are some things in their creed as set
forth at Cincinnati, and as construed by