The Van Buren press., 1872-02-27
NO Al.
The Liberal usy0mt--Ieetg 1esa
Judge Driukorho1.

gurated in Missouri The Cincinnati
Commsrcia! in printing the letter says;
Judge Br;aksrhef is well knows
throughout the State as one Of the ablsss
and purest men, who for fifteen ysass
was eminent as one Of the judges u our
Supreme court, and during the last Ave
years before his voluntary rstirement ~
chief justice. y i4
Hon. j. b. SrALIo, Cincinnati:
My DEAR Sm-I have observsd with
pleasure the card OF Messrs. Cox, Mat.
thews, Hoadly and yourself pnblishsd u
Ing Ing tie caIi 81 lbe late Missouii ceavss
ton for the national mass convcattsu os
Liberal Republicans at Cincinnati, 90 the
lst of May next. Being with you tn
sentiment and opinion, will sndsavos
to be there with you in person.
1t seems to be foregone conclusion
that Gen. Grant is to be the nominee Of
the Republican convention, to be held
in Philadelphia in June next. Consid'
ering the vast official patronage pertain
ing to the Office Of President, and ths
manner in which the patronage has been
employed, this foregone conclusion V
not a matter Of wonder, although 1t y
to me, and doubt not to thousands OF
others, hitherto members Of the Rspub.
lican party, matter Of deep regret and
dissatisfaction. As for me, whatever
else may have been, hare not been.
nor do intend to become, the slave OF
any political organization. Born, 90 20
speak, member OF the old Democratic
party, continued to act with It until !
thought, and still think, that 1t had de-
generated into mere subserviency to
slaveholding interests and aspirations.
For this reason, and this only, and fail
ing to find any indications Of reforms-
ton in this respect, l left the party
thereby, as to myself, abandoning every
prospect and hope Of political prefer.
ment in the future; and thenceforward !
co-opcratcd with the Freesoil party IN
til It was merged, on the basis Of its own
principles, in the Republican party, and
with that I zealously acted until after the
Inauguration Of Gen. Grant, and up to the
developments Of his personal and politi
cal administration, which are the foun-
dation Of my objections to both.
Under republican government atten-
ton TO politics, in the higher and proper
sense oi the word, is personal duty, and
every citizen, ifhe would work erectual-
ly in politics, must work through the
medium of parties. But parties are made
for men, not men for parties. They ara
instrumen,alities--not dictators. uh no
oshe~ erenn,i than this can the existence
of political parties be justified; and the
man who adhercs to 4 party when 1t has
ceased, in the main, to represent, or has
become antagonstic to, his own convtc.
tions as to what 10 just and wise, aban.
dons alike ais freedom and hts duty, and
voluntarily assumes the position OF .
slave
As TO the personal administration Of
Grant lido not like his acceptance, pt.
or to the Inauguration, of munidcent
presents from men distinguished tor
nothing but their wealth, and then aT.
pointing those same men to office. lido
not like his shameful and shameless nsp.
otism; his apparently intimate and con
tinuous associations with stock 1obbers |;
his project for the purchase OF San Do
minpo; his ostracism Of such men -
Sumner, Hoar and Cox, and the substi.
tuition rs his confidential advisers, OF
men in whose ability and political purity
discriminating public has far less con-
fldencc. do not like his official profes-
sions in favor of civil service reform
when contrasted with the fact that he
made the places Of the only members Of
his cabinet who seemed to be heartily
and practically in favor Of such reform.
too hot for them; nor do ] like the
revelations recently made, through tho
medium of a reluctant COMMITTEES, as to
the character Of tie administration OF
the New York custom house. nor his ful
some Endorsement Of its late chief. i,
Nor is the legislative policy Of those
who assume to be the special friends OF
the President more acccptiblc to me. l
do not like tariff of duties on imports,
which, while it takes money from one
mans pocket and puts it into the pocket
of another brings little OF no revenue 10 :
to the public treasury, and which, while
it ostensiby adds to the wages OF some
manufacturing laborers, takes more than
that increase from all laborers by means
Of the increased cost Of living. Nor do
/ like the apparent effort and disposition,
to wards the assumption by the general
government Of powers and functions
properly appertaining 10 the States.
II there ever was party formed Win
an honest view to the realization OF
system Of just legislation and purity OF
executive administration, it was the Rc
publican party; and it is grinding to the
sensibiIities Of those who participated In
its formation to find so many men who
had no sympathy with the principles on
which it was based, but who jumped
aboard OF it when they saw that its toy
age was likely to be successful one
now assuming both the office OF captain
and the responsible labors OF the helms
man. The disruption Of long accustom-
ed political associations is always pain
ful. and il was not for such results as We
now see that such men as Todd ana
Brough, among the dead, and Matthews
aud Hoadly. and thousands OF others
among the living, stepped out from the
ranks Of old affiliations and fell into line
with the cohorts of Republicanisn.
The great battle against slAveholding