Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-06-04
coxxUxrcArED.
To my Fello,c- CSt;srns efAe Sizsh Con-
syession0l Diaricf If Adrslosd.

IN abuOuneikss myseu ~ C1uot01tes
~ nov do, to represent this distriot h
the next Congress. carry out purpose
formed during the last Prcsidestial and
Congressional campaign and frequssely
expressed since that time.
The National Democratic Convention
which convened in Baltimore in 1872 nm
derfook. in the face Of their former pro-
LESSONS. the desperate experimeat Of rad
icalising the masses Of our party. They
sat up Greeley sgainst Grant. They de-
mauded that We shosld vote for Greeley
upon Grants radical platform. and against
Grant upon Greeley's no less radical plat
form. and then dubbed their portion -
the least Of evils, in order that the people
might be deceived into support Of Il and
thus throw away al the great distinguish
ing principles ofthe party. This. ! thought,
was asking too much Of men Of common
sense. and. in my opinion. nothing bat
the prevailing idea that the action Of .
Conventions. however absurd. vas binding
upon the party. could have induced any
large portion Of it to swallow what they cal
led 'rhe bitter pin." prepared for them BY
the learned Doctors. Frequently in my
dcnunciation Of Greeley have been met
by men Of Intelligence with the declara-
ton, that IL the Convention had no6ipated
. negro instead Of Greeley that the Dem
ocratic party would have been bound 10
support him-and though shocked At the
declaration. yet according tdthe ideathat
the power of Convention was despotie.
the conclusion vas inevitable-and mas
much rs this Convention itself in its worry
6rst resolution "Recognised the equality
Of all men b.tore the taW." it is clear that
the Democratic candidate for the Presiden-
cy might With - much propriety have been
. negro as Horace Greeley. The day has
passed. l hope. when Conventions called
to represent our party and advance its
principles shall desert the men and aban-
don the principles Of that party and ex-
poet or hope for success. We have good
and great men in our ranks to choose
from. and our principles must be estab-
lishcd or a" curse will light upon the
limbs Of men,"
Then let our principles be asserted clear
" and distinctly. and let the man from
our own ranks be chosen with care aud
judgment and God will protect the right.
Why the Convention Of 1872 did not thus
act. is to me inexplicabls.
For one it is known, I believe. that I
could not and would not obey the man.
date of that Convention. did not take
either of the evils. Greeley or Grant. and
feel confident that most Of those who
submitted so unwillingly to the dictation
of that conclave. rejoice with me and 9TH
| crs who would not submit and who would
not vote for either of those radicals, at the
result between the two. If Greeley had
been elected with the consent and support
of our party. the great distinc q; shing
principles of our party would have been
overthrow forever. His defeat. I trust.
takes with it the "shadcs of night" which
would have envcloped our whole country
! if he had been successful. Better great
deal that Grant should have been elected
with our opposition than that Greeley
should have been elected with our consent
and BY our support. From defeat. the
Democratic ranks might rally. as l think
they will. but a surrender, such as the
Convention of 1872 advised, would have
been fatal to our hopes forever.
] have said thus much in regard to the
action of that Convention in order to jus
tify my course in refusing to vote for its
nominee and in nov nominating myself
as candidate COR Congress and appeal
ing directly to the people for their support.
| Ny platform is built Of good American
material, and is one which should appeal
directly to the hearts Of the mhite people
of this country aud cannot fail. consider.
ing the rights involved, to have the sauc-
ton Of their Judgment. common sense and
patriotic feelings. hold and will main
tain that the 14th and 18th so-called
amendments Of the Constitution. Of the
United States are utterly roid and not good
American law. having been avowedly and
VIGOROUSLY adopted in consequence Of
force and duress upon the Southern States
Of this Union, without which it is clear
they could never have been adopted.
When swear to support the Constitution
| Of the United States, swear not to sup
mort the said 14th and 18th amendments,
and in every case in which / may come
in contact with them or any offspring from
them, whether as q private citizen or pub
lie servant. shall invariably maintain
those views.
The force bill under which SO many Of
our citizens have 81 severely aud illegally
suffered; the Ku. Klux bill under which q
reign Of terror prevailed among the white
people ofsome Of the Southern States, aud
in consequence Of which 50 many have
been so unjustS and illegally imprisoned;
the Civil Rights bills by which negroes
are forced as it were upon an equality with
white people in all public institutions, EN-.
bracing public schools. juries. tar courts,
etc., etc. etc., in which the radicals have
determined the black anG white races shall
commingle and shall have eqaal chance
for powcr-tbese and other acts of oppres-
sion which are in reserve for Us. rs If 10
try how bascly No can submit. are all the
regular descendants of these two amend
ments. Wherever and whenever any head
Of this venomous Hydra shall appear,
Hercules must boldly and strongly strike
until the whole cursed brood shall be ex-
tirpated. Of course nothing can be done
to relieve us Of these outrageous acts Of
oppression unless genuine and firm demo-
Gratis shall be a majority in Congress or in
one House thereof ut least. II we shall
then exercise the power We shall then le-
gally have with unfaltering decision. We
shall be able to place our government in
the true position in which it was Intended
by QUE forefathers to stand. IL shall