The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-12

erful MfnOrfty-Martial Law vs..
the Constitution, &c.
The Hon. George II. Pendleton sent
the following letter in reply to com
mittee of Democrats o: Wooster, o.,
who invited him to attend their cele-
bration of the anniversary 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 the duty OF the dissatisfied Repub-
licans to organize an opposition against
Grant in cooperation with the Dem
ocrats, will be received with the atten-
ton they deserve.
CINCINNATI, December 80, 1871.
Messrs Eshelmsn, FsriStone, Ba"gh"an,
Committee Of Invitation:
GENTLEMEN: l regret that l 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 80 well grounded in
the faith and the practice OF Democracy
as the men OF Wayne county, and with
them to recall the principles and exam
pie Of the founders Of our party.
Two great dangers imperil free instr
tutions under the policy Of the party in
power. The spirit OF centralized mill
tary government attacks everywhere the
Constitution, and corruption in office
destroys the civil administration. do
not speak merely or chiefly Of special
defalcations 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 OF the
party, to be dispensed and administered
primarily for party ACKNOWLEDGEMENT or
personal profit.
These dangers grow out Of and are
inseparsble from the present organiza-
ton of the Republican party. Its
foundation, its philosophy, its history,
and It's leaders recognize military power
and the corrupting use of money by
official patronage as legitimate forces
in ordinary civil administration, and
now more than ever are they brought
into active exercise. The Democratic
party confronts this theory and de-
nounces these practices.
Founded upon the idea Of local gov
eminent, 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 pur-
pose that the military must be subor-
dinate to the civil authority, and that
offices are trust for the people, not
spols for the victors.
Its powerful organization enters every
village in the land, and numbers 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
lukewarm. They are too sincere in
their purposes and convictions to be
driven to dependency by ten years Of
reverses. They have shown constancy
in defeat as we'll as wisdom in victory.
If | understand their feelings they will
neither disband their organization 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
deserters from it's ranks.
An advancing army, with the enemy
either dispersed or in flight, never loses
divisions or regiments, or even compa-
MES, 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 administration of President Grant,
and are prepared to oppose his re-
election, they shonld declare their pur-
poses, 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 among them, for refusing TO CO.
operate with the Democratic party.
When its authorized convention shall
speak it will remind its adherents that
the ultimate and highest purpose OF its
existence is to secure the graatest pros
perity, in its best sense, Of every human
being in the land, that principles of
government are true or untrue, as they
contribute to this result; that parties
and politics and offices are but means to
this end; that principles are OF differ
ent application, and questions lose their
importance in the ever-shiiting changes
of human affairs, and discarding all
narrow ideas, abandoning the consider
alton of all questions which have been
decided or buried by the events which
have passed; recognizing the accom-
plished facts Of the present, and appre.
ciating the dangers of the future, it will
invite, both by words and by deeds,
both by resolutions and by nomina-
tions, the Jealous, hearty cooperation
of all men who believe that the Consti.
tuition is better system of government
than martial law, and that reform in
the civil service is a higher duty than
rewarding prospective partisan effort by
distributing spoils. -.
By thi. course the party, l should
hope, would attain success. II 1t should
once more fail, as an honest faithful,
patriotic minority, it will hold an i'm.
portant position and exert an immense
moral power over the majority; and it
may we'll wait with faith the inevita-
bic hour which will crown its fidelity
and patience with the success which
it will have deserved.
am, very respectfully, your obedi.
ent servant,
GEORGE II. PENDLEToN.