Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-11-19
Letter from M Blaine. on the Seua-
torship Question.
AUGUSTA. Nov. II. Is.

To the Editor Of The Portland Press
\ paragraph originating. | b. Iieyc in your
paper. has gained considerable currency In
the effect That am in some way att.mptiny In
b. Nj. Hsmlin's successor in The L. 5 senate.
Permit me To say through YOUR column. tha,
such i not the fact. | have engaged by sn
accepted can iidacy and election 10 serve The
people Of the henn bee district a, "A Repre SEN
taiINe IN III ith Congress. and from that ,ury
! could not be turned. even werr the Senator
ship offered me, aud Of that have seen no in
dirstiou.
In making this correction you will allow me
10 add that an impression prevail. On which |
cannot shlre.) that in your oppo, ition 10 I'M.
election oil Mr.. Hamin You are ready TO eoun-
sci an lband )Hment Of the time-honorrd usage
OF the Republican parry. by which it, uouina-
ton for Office haye been settled by n fn,iority
vote in free. fair an op IN caucus cannot
believe this Is true and Yet think you owe it
10 the party of W nose principles YOU bay, Ion,
been an honorable and able exponent 10 make
frank declaration on the subject
Mr.. Ianlin h a. been may years in public
life. lie has served hi, state with . zeal. di..
erection and devotion that has never been sur
pa-sed-and rarely eqlalled. He has never
gwen vote that WIS hot in harmony with
Names best Interests; he ha, never swetyed
from the strictest line Of principle he ha,
never failed in any EN- .rgency 10 be presen, AZ
the post OF duty; he has never broken faith
with any man; he has never proved f,I,e In
even by the shadow of suspicion of his hlgh
personal honor and purity. la his party refs-
ton, from the hour Of his bril- liant triumph in
the uubernatorial campaign of 1856. by which
Republlcanlsm Was firmly established in
Maine, he has heen, NJ home aud abroad in
the national and state councils. in peace and in
war, IN prosperity and in adyersity very
tower OF strength to the good cause. To Je,.y
10 such man the ordinary courtesies and
u.ages Of the party he ha, done 80 much ~
strengthen H.
claim the end of all party organic alton amono
Maine Repub leans and to hand over the .t.te
TO our opponents / refuse to believe for one
moment that you could countenancs such
destructive course.
Do not understand that am questioning. in
the remotest degree, your peri ct right a, a Re.
publican To oppose Mr.. Hamlin's return 10 tho
senate That l. fair subject for the exerris,.
OF discretion. and II you prefer any one of the
excellent and honorable gentlemen who have
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 witb
whose views am acquainted, l can frankly
say that If any one Of the able gentle men men.
toned rs pr. hamlln's competitors should b.
designated by the Rep Iblican Legislative can
Gus, 1t will not only be my highest duty. but
my greatest pleasure, to urge MS election
gaeat deal has been said in certain n.ners
about Mr.. Hamiin being the candidate al the
once neutrality-suspicious. that he is to be forced.
by some 1ndehnite power, upon the people of
Maine againsttheir will. 1 do not pretend -, -,
speak with absolute accuracy, but [ have Tho
impression that. If not in number. yet certsin.
ly in emolument, the majority of The ofYice.
holding influence in Maine to-dtv i, agains,
Mr.. Hamlin. The federal officers in INV d..
trict are few in number, and there is nat one
Of them OF any grade from whom the slightest
duty or labor in regard to the SenstOr,hin has
been exacted.-nor is there one who doe, NOT
feel perfectly free TO 90 for or AGAINST M
Hanlin as be chooses. without 10 ssy way en-.
dangering his tenure Of Office. Seyera. of
them are known to me to be opposed 10 NJ
Hamlin-two ofthem, holding lucrative places.
are conspicuously so. But into this subject /
do not care to go at any length. becau se nv
KNOWLEDGE Of the people Of Maine has given
me a very high estimate Of their intelligence
their manhood and their independence and
am confident that the custom house oiic ara
revenue agents. and postal clerks. ranged on
the one side or the other, vii. not be very
large element in deciding the choice Of U. s.
Senator.