The Cecil Whig., 1875-03-06
A POLITICAL REVIEW.

| 1hurlOw Weed has written remarkable
letter on the political review of the country
to his old friend, V. w. Smith, published
in the New York Tribune, which we in part
reproduce. Though long, it will we'll re-
pay careful perusal.
Dear Old Friend:-Harriet read to me
yesterday morning your letter to Speaker
Blaine explanatory of the causes which
have overthrown the Republican party. I
listened to every word with intense inter
est 1t is very able, and, in my Judgment
for the most part very wise. greatly wish
that the Republican city journals would
republish it, for it could not fail to do much
good. The causes you assign for our last
Falls disastrous defeat are quite sufficient
for the overthrow of the dominant party
held responsible by the people for pervad
ing financial, commercial, manufacturing
and mechanical arrangement and distress.
And yet this general stagnation in business
was inevitable, resulting as it did from the
exhaustive consequences of long and ex-
pensive war. While no Administration
could have averted the evils, ours, it must
be admitted, failed to do much that might
| nave Uceu uOIc W IellcNt anu
them.
1t might also in doing some things an,;
in emitting to do others have Gained rather
than exasperated popular feeling. The
Administration was seriously weakened and
wounded by the Congressional backy- pay
grab," by Treasury Department imbecili-
ties, by Sanborn contracts, and Washing
ton City Government frauds.
THE THIRD TERM THE GREAT STUMBLING
BLOCK.
Still another and damaging element en-
tered into the canvass of 1874. l refer to
it reluctantly, and only because if we earn
estly intend to recover our lost ascendency
we must clearly understand the causes of
our defeat, that abuses may be reformed,
errors corrected, and illusions dispelled.
When the press began to agitate about
"third term," few, if any, supposed that
such an idea was seriously entertained.
No such thought found responsible express
sion. But the agitation continued until
considerable popular solctude was awak-
ened. AS the election approached, Repub
licans grew apprehensive and anxious
Republican members of Congress not only
wrote to but visited Washington in the
hope of being authorized to contradict the
accusation. But no word was spoken, no
sign given by the only person who could by
the utterance of single sentence have dis
armed his opponents and reassured his
friends.
There has not been day or an hour since
Gen. Washington's enlightened and patr-
otc views, enforced and fortified by the
strong, clear, and conclusive arguments of
Gen. Hamilton, were submitted to the peo-
pie that any President, however wise use
full, and popular may have been his Admin
istration, could have secured or approached
an election for s'third term Nor was
it ever alleged that jefferson, Madison, or
Jackson (who served two terms) either per-
mitted their friends to entertain such an
idea, or deluded themselves with such an
aspiration. If there be any thing unalter-
ably fixed and determined in the American
mind and heart-if there be any one prin-
ciple to which our people have anchored,
it is the third term example Of Wash
ington. And l am devoutly thankful that
there is so much left of the teachings of
our political fathers to which their descend
ants cling. These things, added to the
causes which you SO clearly present, both
explain and excuse the feeling which found
expression through the ballot-bo against
the Administration.
The Republican party for the good work
it had done before and during the Rebel
lion ought to have held the Government at
least one or two, Presidential terms longer
The Democratic party, both on account of
its misrule before and its disloyalty during
the Rebellion, justly forfeited the conf
dence of the people. Nor has it evinced
since the Rebellion any thing of the wis
dom which formerly characterized that
great party. On the contrary its teachings
and tendencies justify apprehension that
malgn element, now as heretofore, exelts
preponderatng influence in its councils.
Connecticut, for example, have returned
Democratic Legislature, elects a United
States Senator whose sentiments and pro-
clivities were against the Government in its
struggle to suppress the Rebellion. l am
happy to admit, however, that our own
Legislature did not make itself obnoxious
to this charge. Its Senator, Mr.. Herman,
though always a pronounced Democrat,
was loyal to the Government and the Union,
voting in Congress with his loyal Demo-
. cratic colleagues, Ganson, Nelson, Odell,
and Steele, for men and money to prose-
cute the war. 1t will be useful in our
recuperative efforts to remember that the
Republican Administration was beaten in
1874, not by the augmented strength of its
opponents, but by alienation and apathy of
its friends.
RESUMPTION OF SPECIE PAYMENTS.
) Could you and confer personally on the
: great questions of the day our differences
of opinion now, as heretofore, would be
/ found very slight. l believe the resump-
) tion of specie payments entirely practical
} BILE within a reasonable time, and without
serious injury to the industries of the coun-
try. 1t is not so much that specie is re-
quired for general use or circulation as that
the people should be assured that specie
can be obtained when it is actually needed.
A general determination to resume would
, 60 more than half way toward its accom-
. plshment. There is more sense and truth
+ in the remark that "the way to resume is
to resume" than at first meets the eye.
/ Our real and only serious difficulty relates
to our foreign creditors, the holders of our
bonds, and those from whom we purchase
luxuries. There are modes, however, of
dealing with both of those questions. Let
Congress, for instance, pass law impos-
ing duties on silks, vevets, jewelry, wines,
&c., limited in It's operations to two years;
that would virtually prohibit during that
period their importation, and resumption
, follows without an elfolt The home Oh
stacles to resumption are largely artificial,
: | produced nv the few who Drofit at the ex