Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-01-29
THE POLITICAL STTUA TIoN.
An Open Letter from vice President
Wilson.

hnd in vnnr inurnaI -. stnto,n,,t that I
agree with Won that tho republican Marty 10
dead" / beo leave io saw thnt I Gn ynaI
agree with t6e Renubliciu. or win anv
man or any set of mon. in lie ouiniou ,hoi
il is dead or honelrssly nelaaicI On tho
contrary. I believe Thai tho renni,tiro,, ,,n ~
ty has ii in its power 10 recover what il bne
lost, and TO elect lbe ne XII n,ositlent
In SAYING This. 1 am moi unnimdrnl ,r
the grave questions at Issue. md which are
pressing for solution; Of the disasters ihni
| have fallen upon it: non of the homes. nv
pectations and strength u, tIe democrat,
nartv-a partv whose strcngth and nn"er
/ hal @ never underated. | believe Il can
recover ali il has LOST. win bark its iormer
prestige, and still retain lis pDwor i'm the
government. And believe this breanso
| I believe il to he a necessity Of Inc cu,Iutrv.
| The grand work of liberty and palriotism
/ il has performed inner ltiyc'y demnnd,
| that il should continue to ruidc the p"liGv
| of the nation. Lihcrly, law, order. nrolrc.
! ton and civilization cannot otl.,rd in bovo
| il permanently derented.
saw quite us early as any one The rprils
of the republican party, and. more lb,n
| thirteen months since, warned NV poiit-
| ioal friends OF the danger of ln.ino tba unyt
House Of Representatives. The party ba;
made mistakes aud is now piying the
penalty of those mistakes. Bui is IDEAS.
principles, general policies have not been
condemned. 1t has been taught by recent
disasters that it is mortal aud, il ii is wise.
II will heed those lessons. II would seem
that neither Selfishness nos stupidity could
fail to understand them, or could misin-
tcrpret their import. II the republican
party now dies, ii will die by the hand of
the suicide; for there is no arm other than
its own, potent enough to strike it down,
1t cannot, | think, hone 10 recover its
lost prestige aud power by policy of re.
wards and punishments, or by party disci-
pline. There are hundreds OF thousands
in the republican party, to-day, who spurn-
ed the brides and frowns or power, and
left the whig and democratic parties for the
sake of principles deemed by them impor-
tlnt and sacred. These men cannot be Sc
duced by the Establishments of power nor
greatly moved by threats of discipline,
Mere politicians, who think they can gov
ern by the whip of party discipline, will
find that they cannot thus reach or control
the thoughtful and independent men who
struck the lash from the hands of the
slave masters,
Nor can we recover what is lost in Mass
achuselts, or in the country, by the imper-
tinent intermeddling Of oflice-holders in
nominations and elections. Office holders
should learn from recent elections that
they can serve the republican party best
by performing their official duties with
scrupulous fidelity. The people should be
left free to manage, in their own way and
without official Interference, their primary
meetings and elections; for, IightIully or
wrongfully, they have been compelled to
believe that there arc those holding office
in Massachusetts, in tho country, and es-
pecallY ut the South, some of them in i'm
portaut positions, VINO do not fitly reDrc-
sent the desires and wishes of their local
lilies, and who have not the public conf
denCe. The party, burdened by such. is
not likely to be led TO victory by their OBJ.
trusivo interference, either in Massachu-
sets, or in the country, North or South.
The disastrous division il the republi-
can party in 1872 was 10 me distressing
event. 1t seemed to me to be the unnec-
essary separation of comrades who had
toiled together for so many years for noble
purposes and glorious cause. l did all
! could, by remonstrance and appeal, 10
prevent it, and have since sought TO re-
unite what was then so disastrously and
unnecessarily broken. Aud l now would
throw the doors wide open for the return
of those who voted for Mr.. Greeley in 1872,
and earnestly invite them to reunite again
with their old associates. Indeed, at any
moment since that election. would have |
pursued generous and maguanmous
policy toward the men who then left us.
And now, without the loss of a single hour. |
/ would, in all sincerity, extend The hand |
of reconciliation. / would appeal TO you,
sir, and your associates of the press in that |
unfortunate division, to unite with the |
great party which, with all its errors, faults |
and mistakes, has made glorious record |
for country, freedom and progress. do not |
ask you TO refrain from criticism, nor to |
leave unnoticed its mistakes for party |
that cannot tolerate that is already in lis |
decadence.
There has been, and now is, class of |
men in the South, Douglas democrats aud |
old-line national wings, who were dragged |
into the rebellion, but who have very lit |
tie sympathy with the democratic party. | |
have believed, aud now believe, that these |
men should be invited TO co operate with |
the republican party, and share in its re- |
sponsibilities and honors. believe that |
peace in the South, The blottng out OF di- |
visions on the line of race, the advance. |
ment of real reconstruction, permanent !
southern presently and the success of the |