The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-11-16
Letter from Mr.. Blaine.
His Position ON the senaiorship Question.
AUGUSTA. Nov. II. 1874.

AUGUSTA, Nov, ii, 1874.
To the Editor Of the Press:
A paragraph originating, 1 believe, in your
paper, has gained considerable currency, to the
ehect that L am in some way attempting to
be Mr. Hamlin's successor in the u. s. Senate.
Permit me to say through your columns that
such is not the fact. have engaged, by an
accepted candidacy and election, to serve the
people of the Kennebec district as Represen-
tative in the 44th Congress, aud from that duty
could not be turned. even were the Senator
ship offered me, and of that have seen no in
dication.
In making this correction you will allow me
to add that an impression prevails Tin which
cannot share) that in your opposition to the
election of Mr.. Hamlin you are ready to coun.
sci an abandonment of the time-honored usage
of the Republican party, by which its nomina-
tons for Office have been settled by a majority
vote in free, fair and open caucus / cannet
believe this is true, and yet think you owe it
to the party OF whose principles you hare long
been an honorable and able exponent, to mako
frank declaration on the subject
Mr.. Hamlin has been many years in public
life. He has served his state with ZEAL dis
cretion and devotion that has never been sur
passed-and rarely equalled He has never
given vote that was not in harmony with
Maine's best interests; he has never swerved
from the strictest line of principle; he has
never failed in any emergency to be present ut
the post OF duty; he has never broken faith
with any man; he has never proved false to
any obligation; he has never been touched
even by the shadow of a suspicion of his high
personal honor and purity. In his party rela-
tons, from the hour of his brilliant triumph in
the Gubernatorial campaign of 1856, by which
Republi'anism was firmly established in Maine,
he has been, at home and abroad, in the na-
tional and state councils in peace and in war,
in prosperity and in adversely, very tower of
strength to the good cause. To deny to such
man the ordinary courtesies and usages Of the
party he has done so much to strengthen and
maintain, would be to proclaim the end of all
party organization among Maine Republicans
and to hand over the state to our opponents L
refuse to believe for one moment that you
could countenance such destructive course.
Do not understand that am questioning, in
the remotest degree, your perfect right as Re.
publican to oppose Mr.. Hamlin's return to the
Senate. That is a fair subject for the exercise
OF discretion, and if you prefer any one of the
excellent and honorable gentlemen who haye
been named for the place, it is not only your
right, but your duty, to advocate his election.
For myself, and for all good Republicans with
whose views am acquainted, 1 can frankly
say that if any one of the able gentlemen men
toned as Mr.. Hamlin's competitors should be
designated by the Republican Legislative
caucus, it will not only be my highest duty, ,bu.
my greatest pleasure, to urge his election.
A great deal has been said in certain papers
about Mr. Hamlin being the candidate of the
office e-holders-impying that he is to be forced,
by some indefinite power, upon the people of
Maine against their will. / do not pretend to
speak with absolute accuracy but l have the
impression that. if not in numbers, yet certain
ly in emolument, the majority of the office
holding influence in Maine to-day is against
Mr.. Hamln The federal officers in my dis
trict are few in number, and there is not one Of
them of any grade from whom the slightest
duty or labor in regard to the Senatorship has
been exacted,-nor is there one wto does
not feel perfectly free to go for or against Mr..
Hamln as he chooses, without in any way en-
dangering his tenure of Office. Several of
them are known to me to be opposed to Mr..
Hamlin-two of them, holding lucrative places,
are conspicuously So But into this subject
do not care to go at any length, because my
knowledge of the people of Maine has given
me very high estimate of their intelligence,
their manhood and their Independence, and 1
am confident that the custom house officers,
revpnue a ,ts and poctal elarko ranrad On
the one side or the other, will not be very
large element in deciding the choice of U. s.
Senator. ..- ..--.-- ..-.....-f..
But l think the efforts and interference of
these officers may have been greatly exaggerat-
ed. judge so because in the same papers that
parade it and denounce it, constantly see my
self mentioned as engaged in desperate efforts
to manipulate votes for Mr.. Hamlin. A casual
reader would infer from these papers that since
my return from Washington, have been en-
gagged in little else except plotting and plan
ming to promote Mr. Hamlin's reelection. And
yet as a-matter of simple fact, have, up to
this day and hour, spoken ON the subject to but
two members of the Legislature, and to them on
ly by chance meeting, nor have written to q
single one, nor sent word or message of any
kind to one. have not even spoken to my
near neighbor and old friend. Hon. James w.
North, and I do not at this moment know what
his views on the Senator question are, nor how
he will vote in the Legislative caucus. At the
same time have never concealed, nor on prop
er occasions failed to frankly express, my delib
crate judgment, here and now repeated, that
Maine would best consult her highest interest
and honor by returning Mr.. Hamlin to the Sem
ate. And see nothing in the recent political
reverses elsewhere to weaken that conclusion,
but much to strengthen and confirm it.
Very truly yours,
..-.. J. G. BLAuSE.
Nnrs and nthor Ttau,s