Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-02-10
VIEWS OF NIB. PENDLET0E.
New York Hcrald.1

New York Herald
The Hon. George Pendleton sent the
following letter in reply to committee Of
Democrats Of Wooster, Ohio, who invited
him to attend their celebration of the bat.
tie of New Orleans. His points against
the corruption of the Administration and
its centralized military character, as also
his opinion of the passive policy and of
the duty Of the dissatisfied Republicans to
organize on opposition against Grant in CO.
operation with the Democrats, will be re.
ccivcd with the attention they deserve:
! CINCINNATI, Dec. 30, 1871.
Aiessrs. EsAclmcn, Fcristone, Basghman,
Committee Of Irritation:
GENTLEMEN.-I regret that cannot
accept your Invitation to be present at the
next annual celebration of the Sth Of jan
uary. 1t would have given me great
pleasure to meet aud take counsel of those
who arc so we'll grounded in the faith ard
the practice of Democracy as the men of
Wayne county, and with them to recall
the principles and example Of the founders
of our party.
Two great dangers impcril free inst..u.
tion under the policy of the party now in
power. The power of centralized military
government attacks everywhere the Cons
titution, and corruption in office destroys
the civil administration. do not speak
), merely or chiefly of special dcfalcatious
however startling. but Of the general deg
radiation of the standard Of official integ-
rity until the Offices in both the civil aud
military service seem to be considered the
property of the party, to be administered
primarily for party agsrandizement or
personal profit.
These dangers grow out Of and are in-
separable from the present organization of
the Republican party. Its foundation, its
philosophy, its history, and its leaders rec
ognizc military power and the corruptiss
use of money by official patronage as Iegit-
innate forces in ordinary civil administra-
tiou, and now more than ever arc they
brought into active exercise. The Demo-
cratic party confronts this theory and de-
nounces these practices.
Founded upon the idea Of local govern
ment jealous Of powers granted to author
ity, Taught that simplicity and economy arc
essential to the honesty necessary in Re.
publican institutions, it maintains with
more determined purpose that the military
must be subordinate to the civil authority,
aud that Offices are trust for the people,
not spoils for the victors.
It's powerful organization enters every
village in the land, and numbers among it's
adherents nearly one half the people as
intellectual, as pure, as patriotic, as unself-
ish as any of their follow citizens. They
are too numerous to be cowardly. They
are too patriotic to be lukewarm. They
are too sincere in their purposes and con-
victious to be driven to dependency by
ten years of reverses. They have shown
constancy in defeat as well as wisdom in
victory. If l understand their feelings
they will neither disband their organizations
nor flee the field before the contest COM
meuces. Either course, they believe, would
give undisputed sway to the present
administration, which could then give
undivided attention to the dcscrters from
its ranks.
An advancing army, with the enemy
either dispersed or in fight, never loses
divisions or regiments, or even companies,
and is generally able to pick off or to pick
up treacherous or thoughtless stragglers.
IF there be, as is claimed, many members
of the Republican party who disapprove
the ideas which dominate the administrations
of President Grant, and are prepared to
oppose his re election, they should declare
their purposes, organizetheir party, develop
and manifest their strength, and IL may
predict 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 its author
lied convention shall speak it will remind
its adherents that the ultimate and highest
purpose of its existence IS 10 secure the
greatest prosperity, in its best sense, ofevery
human being in the land that principles
of government are true or untrue, % they
contribute to this result; that parties and
politics and Offices are but means 70 this
end that principles are Of different aps
plication, and questions lose their import
ance in the ever shifting changes Of human
affairs, aud discarding all narrow idsas,
abandoning the consideration ef al quess
tions which have been decided Of baRied
by the events which have passed recoG
nizing the accomplished facts ofthe present
and approaching the dangers Of the future,
it will invite, both by words and BY deeds,
both by resolutions and by nominstionss
the scalous, hearty cooperation of oil mon
who believe that tho Constitution is
better system Of government than martial
law, and that reform in the civil service II
higher duty than rewarding prospective
partisan effort by distributing spoils.
BY this course the party, Ishould hope,
would attain success. IF it should oncs
more fail, as an honest, faithful, patriotiG
minority, it will hold an important position
and exert an immense moral power over
the majority; and It may we'll wait with
faith the inevitable hour which will crown
its fidelity and patience with the success
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