The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-21
y,e...,,e..ss.s wilson's Views.

beg leave to sayi hat dc. not sgree Wtththe
RepFblicdn, or with any man Or any SET o.
men, In the opinioa that It Is dead or hope
lessIy defeated. On the contrary. / believe
that the Republican party has 1t in its power
to rec,ver what 1t has losthnd to elect the
next President. In saying this am not un.
mindful Of The grave questions at issue and
which are pressing for solution, Of the dis
asters that have fallen upon it, nor of the
hopes, expectations, and strength of the
Democratic partg-a party whose strength
and power I have never moderated.
I believe 1t can recover all it has
lost. win back its former prestige and
still retain its power in the Government, and
/ believe this because believe it TO- be
necessity of the country. The grand WORK
OF liberty and patriotism 1t has performed
inpefativey demands that 1t should continue
to guide the policy of the nation. Liberty,
law, order, protection, and civilization can
not sfford to have it permanently defeated.
/ saw quite as early as any one the perils
of the Republican party, and more than thlr-
teen months since warned my political
friends Of the danger of losing the next
House OF Representatives.
The party has made mistakes, and.is now
paying the penalty of those mistakes; but
its ideas, principles, and general politics
have not been condemned. 1t has been
taught By recent disasters that it Is mortal.
and if it is wise it will heed those lessons.
1t would seem that neither selishness nor
stupidity coudfail to understand them. or
could misinterpret their import. If the Re-
publican party now dies, 1t will die by the
band Of the suicide, for there is no arm other
than its own potent to strike it down. Ii
cannot, I think, hope to recover its lost pres.
tige and power by policy of rewards and
punishments, or by party discipline.
There are hundreds of thousands in the
Republican party to-day who spurned the
brides and frowns Of power and left the
Wing and Democratic partiesfo the sake OF
principles deemed by'them important ana
sacred. These men cannot be scduced by
the Establishments OF power nor greatly
moved BIZ threats of discipline. Mere poll
ticians who think they can govern by the
whip of party discipline will find that they
cannot thus reach or control the thouShtfui
and independent men who struck the iash
from the hand of the slave masters. Nor
can we recover what is lost in Massachusetts
or in the country by the impairment
intcrmeddlipg of office-holders in nomIna-
lions and elections. Office-hoders should
learn from the recent elections that they
can serve the Republican party hest by
performipg their official duties with scrupu-
ious fidelity. The people should be lett Tree
TO manage in their own way and without
official interference their primary meetings
and elections; for, rightfully or wrougfuiiy,
they have been compelled to believe that
there are tbose holding office in Massachu-
sets. in The country, and especially at the
south OF them in important posi-
tions-wbo do not fifty represent the desires
and wishes of their localities, and who have
not the public confidence. The party bur-
dened by such is not likely to be led to vic.
rory BIZ their obtrusivc interference either in
Massachusetts or in the country North or
South.
The disastrous division Of the Republican
pa,ty in 1872 was to me distressing event.
r seemed to me to be the unnecessary sepa.
ration of comrades who had toied together
for so many years for noble purposes and
Glorious cause. l did all could by remon.
STRANGE and appeal to prevent it, and have
since sought to rCtioite what was then so dis
as,rously and unnecessarily broken; and
would now throw the doors wide open for
the re,urn of those who voted for MIR. Gree
lev in 1872, and l earnestly invite them 10 re-
mite acan with their cid associates. In
decd at any moment since that election
would have pursued generous and magnan-
imous policy toward the men who then left
lis. and noE. without the loss OF single
hour, l would in sincerity extend the
hand OF reconciliation. I would appeal
TO YOU, sir, and to 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 glo.
riou, record for country, freedom, and pro-
rress. q 90 not ask you to refrain from crit
cism nor leave unnoticCt its mistakes, for
party that cannot tolerate that is already in
its decadence. There has been, and now is,
a class of men in the South-DOuglas Dem.
ocrats and Old-Liue National Whigs-who
were dragged into the rebellion, but who
have very little sympathy with the Demo-
cratic party. I have believed, and now be.
lieye. that these men should be invited to
co0perate with the Republican party, and
share in its responsibilities and donors. l
believe that peace in the South, the blot
ting out of divisions on the line Of race,
the advancement Of real reconstruction,
permanent southern prosperity, and the sue
cess Of the Republican party, demand mat
all honorable efforts should be made to With
draw such men from association with those
wbo led them in rebellion, brought such
fearful and INDISPENSABLE ruin upon them,
and who still adhere to the" lost cause" 1t
seems to me that the Republicans every
where, in office and out of Office, should
subordinate all personal desires, aspirations,
and ambitions sacrifice their interests IL
need be, rally again for the party, invite
everybody to crowd its ranks, and bring to
the front. to the important positions of the
Government, all the experience, ability, and
character they can command.
A broad, wise, and magnanimous policy
should be promptly inaugurated, and steadily
and honorabIy pursued. When the country
clearly sees, as it will see, the only alterna-
tive presented. the real issues involved, the
policies and men to be supported, their re-
cord in the past aud their present aftilia-
tions. who and what shall prevail if the Re-
publican party be set aside? When the
country sees where the loyal men of the land
are found and where they stand, who be-
leve in The perfect equality Of the races, and
who, come victory or defeat, life or death,
mean to maintain, in its completeness, the
equal rights Of American citizens of every
race, nationality, and faith, then will the Re-
publican masses rally again, achieve new vic
tories, and give the party new lease OF
power. Truly yours, HENRY WILSON.
GETTING UNEAsY.-The New York cor
IF tho philoaplnh TpOnp,.