The New York herald., 1876-03-08
A Hail Columbia Canvass.

A correspondent whose mind is evidently
in good condition for celebrating our cen.
tennial year writes:-
PHILApELPHIA, Feb %, 1876.
To THE EDITOR oP THE HERALD
bog TO thank you for your inspiring words in favor
OF n centennial canvass for the Presidency am an
old line whig, and voted for Bell and Everett in thai
before the bring old ship OF state
around to its moorings. But the people smeed the
battle afar and would be with peace But
we have another generaton-a generation tired Of
Can not We, therefore, have centennial Hail
Columbia canvass, with men in nomination who have
spirit OF the Reyolutlony | like the idea OF
Adams and Jay. They are glorious They make
the blood OF overy American tngIe with PRIDE | hvpe
they Christian who fear the Lord and keep His
commandments and are not afraid TO proclaim it from
the housctops Ir this is so and We can have good
old fashioned Hail Columbia canvass with Christian
candidates the field this centennial year there may
be an awakening that will be ielt for generation. We
could have the Christian dvines of such meu
Moody and Sankey, in the canvass. Go on, Mr..
Editor, in your good work. Rouse the Christian
patriotic OF America to their duty-the duty OF
rescuing this glorious country from the thieves and
picayune politicians who have so long ruled It.
A PENNSYLVANIA QUAKER.
We cannot answer explicitly our CORE
spondent's question as to whether Charles
Francis Adams and John Jay are members OF
any church that would justify the interfer.
ence of Brother Moody in their canvass.
Our impression is that both of these dis
church members. So that if we are to
have men who would excite the religious
enthusiasm of the country they may do as
well as any other. We admit the force OF
having Christian man in authority. Most
of our Presidents have been members OF
some denomination. But our idea was more
one of patriotism than religion. We cannot
fail to remember that among those who
signed the great chart of our liberty, the
Declaration of Independence, were Wither-
spoon, the Presbyterian /; Jefferson, the
liberal, and Carroll the Catholic. 1t was
not religious but patriotic revolution,
and in this centennial canvass we should
have men in nomination who would COM
mand the suffrages of all sects, from Brother
Moody to His Eminence the Cardinal.
What we want is canvass that will bring
out the whole spirit of the Revolution The
way to do this is to nominate some one of
the men we have with us whose names win
recall the old times. We name Charles
Francis Adams and John Jay as candidates
who may be acceptable to the republicans.
But the democrats are no less fortunate in
their opportunities. They have fine col
lection of statesmen in whose veins runs the
best blood in the nation. There, for in
stance, is John Quincy Adams, of Boston,
commonly called Johnny O." There are
the Lees and the Hamptons of the South.
There is Carroll, of Maryland. There are
those in Virginia in whose veins runs ths
blood of Patrick Henry, Thomas jefferson
and their compatriots. Pennsylvania is
rich in names hallowed with the memories
of the Revolution. So we may go over the
whole list, and discover hidden away from
the glare of newspaper notoriety some noble
citizen whose merits have not been known,
but who has the fitness for this high station.
The time has come to throw the trimmers
and tricksters overheard. If our people are
only true to themselves and the memories OF
this glorious time we may yet have canvass
worthy of the centennial year of our iber-
ties