Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-30
GOV, PALMER.
Remarkable Letter of the Illinois
Liberal to the Democratic
State Committee.

RadIeaIIsm Rotten Beyond RedenaP-
tIOn-What the Opposition Ought TO
BE, and the Democracy Will BE, If
True 10 Itself.
CHICAGO, July 29.-Ex-GOv. Palmer, in
letter to T. l.. Merritt, Secretary of the
Democratic State Central Committee, says
though il is impossible for him to be in
Chicago on the 10Th, he will take the liber-
ty to make few suggestions. He says the
party which now holds possession Of the
Government is so completely under the
control Of mere political managers and their
adherents that hereafter its formal plat
rorrns will declare any form of political
doctrine 10 be RepublicahsSm which will
repudiate the sOundest and besJ established
truths whenever and wherever they may
happen to DE unpopular.
The letter continues: II cannot and will
never again submit to the country an hon
est, frank and well defined platform Of
principles. It would have gone to pieces
during the last session Of Congress, but for
an agreement that everything in states
manship and politics should thencefOrth be
regarded as nOn-essential, and it must be
apparent that what is known as the OppO-
SllAOh AlAC dc fNl bAA AAD NoAAA-
mon grounds of action. nor do l suppose il
to be possible 70 present TO the country 4
declaration Of principles upon which all
opposed TO the party III power can
agree. Its true, every citizen must perceive.
in the reckleSSneSs and extravaganza Of
COpyress and in the cOrTuptiOns which
disgrace almost every department Of the
public service AMI in the encrOachments OF
Congress and the Federal Judiciary upon
the people and their contempt for the limi-
tatiOns Of the Constitution are occasions
for alarm. But the difficulty to be sur
mounted is to find some basis Of union
which will enable the people to cooperate
for the public good. In my judgment this
can be secured but in one way; that is to
90 before the country upon declaration Of
principles that shall be
Frank, UneyasiVe and True.
and shall by its plainness carry the proof
with which il is presented. As the tinan-
ceS of the country is a subject Of deep in
terest, let it speak out frankly for an early
return to specie payment, for the honest
discharge Of the public debt in coin, and
denounce the specious but delusive idea Of
discharging any portion Of the obligations
Of the Government in irTedeemable prOmi-
ses. The people Of the United States
are engaged in contest with
| great corporations that have mOnop-
Olized the carrying trade, and
through appropriate asenGes the State
| Governments are attempting 10 compel
| them TO submit to the rule Of reason and
/ Justice. while the corporations have at
| tempted To escape TO the jurisdiction OF the
/ United States, weary Of the restrictions i'm
posed UpOn them b. public law, and the
| charters granted by States, and ask the in
| terventiOn Of Congress and the Federal
| Courts. If Congress can be induced by the
| specious pTeteXt Of aiding in the cOuSJruc-
| tiOn Of trunk lines, to engage in the creation
/ of railroad corporations, at no distant day,
| State charters Will he abandoned for the or
/ ganizatiOn under Federal law, and the
| whole subject Of railroad control will pass
/ beynnd the control of the States. We
| shOld reassert the right Of the States "a
/ regulate their own affairs and the authority
! of Congress TO interfere in their internal
/ affairs should be denied. Taxation is al
| once a necessity and burden Of civilized
| government. Taxation can only be justl
| fied when imposed for the public necessity
| The people Of the United States will NJ
| longer submit 10 the burdens imposed
| upon them for the sake Of what is called
protection. Il is hardly consistent with
| what | suppose 10 be the proper limits o
this communication that / should 90 fur
/ ther. But cannot fOrbear saying
that nearly 100000 cOlored voters
In the south,
and more than al equal number Of white
voters in the same States are jealous anC
! distrustful of each other. Each looks L
the central government for support agains
the other. for which support they are ready
to paw any price demanded Of them by th'
party in power, and neither has confidence
| in the opposition. The cOlOred vote dOub
their inclination, and the whites hav'
no confidence in the ability of those Op
posed to them in the Republican party L
do themselves Justice or protect them, ant
as a consequence the whole South IS at th'
feet of the administration. IL Is now de
manded, not only by q just regard for Tn,
welfare Of the people South, but by consid
erations that deeply affect the perpetulty Q
free institutions everywhere, that the dli
fereut races in the late slave States shout,
be barmOniZed and be taught e. look Z
themselves and to the influence ofjust law
and their IMPARTIAL administration for pro
lection and for the promotion Of thei
happiness. Il is to be hoped that The OppC
| sition by its caDdOr and justice will be abl
10 WIN the confidence of all classes in Il
South and by that means remove wha
seems to me to be one of the most serIOu
dangers that threaten the country. Yer
tuly yours. JOHN NJ. PALMER.
a N