New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-28
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
INDEPENDENCE AND PARTY ALLEGIANCE
EDMUND BURKE CITED IN SUPPORT or SENATOR
THURMAN.

EDMUND BURKH CITED IN SUPPORT or SENATOR
THURMAN.
TO the Editor of The Tribune.
SIR: Your criticisms upon the course OF Sen
a.or Thurman in the Ohio campaign, which You charao
terize as melancholy display Of moral cowardce'
are not sustained by the highest authorities upon tne
subject OF party allegiance and political connections
While there is some plausbtyn the criticism you make
yet the following citations from Edmund Burkcs
"Thouchts on the Cause OF the Present Dscontents viii
show that Senator Thurman has the very highest author
ity for the he has seen proper to pursue:
Where men are not acquainted with each others prin
cjpes nor experienced in each others t'rns nor ~ m
pactice in their mutual habitdes and Inspections 10y
Ss efforts in S%snf1 n,:r. NJ s Scns
il ia evidently impossible that they eau act ponic par
with uniformity perseysance OF srf ny adding to the
weight Of the whole has hs value aDt ms use o ho " mn
the greatest talents ere Wholly Of trust in the
commonwealth, that man means Wei "a ms oo ar
NOT @ that in 1d his aaSrns 70 lis
and harangned against every design W. he connry
ne.es to % be p is nTno 10 m aS os pr"
situation doing his duty with effect IT. y an o,S ,"
a as ' he haa formally sT snI very
rational account OF mans ire, ,at nc ,s , manner
that his encavOrs could MOI 2s6 10 Ssnmyior
any Consequence DO not woT % pcan n Of tender and
sc11ulcus virtue hat out OF h'inor WIN a sur
OF o"nnfE sna cpnfceraccs narrow eis and
scripvc spirit; that they are apt to snX inc ,c u wy
general good in this circumstance m ,'.' rccssorv
one it IL our business TO keep free from ecvis
upon il; and TO fy from the sihation l,Se ,,,
Party IL body Of united for promoting ny tneir
Joint enleavors the national inifFcs upon spine fr'
lar principle in which they are all asI.'d. ,ou,a o.
Without n prescription OF others, they are nounu w
give to their party the preference ID al ing s
by 40 means, for private considerations 10 hccp, any
cffers Of power in which The whole body Is not IN
ciaded suffer themselves 10 be lod or TO DC cor
tr0lled or 70 overbalanced, IN ohcc or IN council ~
those who contradict the very nntiheai i.nn i Oh
every fair connection must stand Suoh generous con-
ten,ion for power, such manly ana h''o4do i'in
is will easily be distinguished from t'o M u anu III
tn,.sted s.rrgs lie for rlace aud enoi,bnaDt
Men thinking freely. Will, in pirlicH:Hr distance
measures which arise in the COURSE Of pubic bns'ncss
are related TO, dependent SOME greet oih< t;l-
eral principles IN government man PHI, W. "a ~
does not agree with them ut least nae thcs - ieh u
does not concur in these SencIa il' " IN w'en
tla party founded, and which n"c' .Sift INV on u
concurrence in their application. o 90 from tc DC
ginning to have chosen other moro con!Oin"Dc 10
hs opinions. When The question: Ii n IA nhsiie
or MOI very material tho mOdeSy winch Dnc"cs an l.,-
yidual ana On spite OF cur conrt ihotii', i. p,' @
ity which becomes wcilchoson iiieilah.it VIZ ir'
uentiy bring an acqniescenee III Ut" t'hc'h ~" ~
inent Thus the Disagreement viii DC ra; u VIII $50
only enough 20 indulge FREEDOM without Nio ltlnS CON
cord or disturbing arrangement. And ths IL ali u ~
ever was required FOR Character of the gfcant ui-
fOrInty and s;cadlncss IN conirc ON. "oi'
9TH edition. vol. /. pages SO, o2o' 1oo' "''''
Thomas Jefferson acted upon tina st.o p1nGipeS I"i
he declared when III Congress thai he occasionally vote"
for measuros which did not command the APPRECIATION
of his Judgment rather than separate hiEseif from ms
poitcl associates. such separation Invariably de
stroys the just and proper influence % public man "I
Ills party The srea. defect i'll the Hon. Can Scirz as
sa;cs;nal WIS, that ne too much Of " speculative
pooa philosopher to adjust himself with facility to
the e5isencies OF practical satcsmaIls.ip. H. Y. r.
Lebanon, Tenn, Aug H. 1873.