The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-01
Assurance Doubly Sure.

Red WING, Minn., Oct. IA, '76.
Hon. E.. T. Wilder:
DEAR Sir:-As you are aware, am
by education and practice life long
Republican, and am an earnest and en-.
thusiastic supporter of Hayes and
Wheeler. Nevertheless my knowledge
OF your personal worth and superior
qualifications for the position of Con
gresham, prompts me also to support
your candidacy in the coming election.
In discussing this subject with some
of my party associates, am frequently
confronted with questions which seem
to me to have been explicitly answered
in your letter of acceptance. For the
purpose, however, Of making assurance
doubly sure" and of setting at rest
all honest doubts now existing in the
mind of any intelligent citizen as to
your position upon certain questions Of
national Importance, l tresrass upon
your time to ask few direct questions,
to which you will oblige me by giving a
categorical answer. TO me, personally,
this matter is unimportant, for l re-
quire no better guarantee Of your posi-
ton than is afforded by my personal
knowledge of your character and senti-
ments but those sentiments have been
grossly misrepresented by certain Of
your opponents, purportingto have lived
here, and it is for the purpose Of cor
recting those Misrepresentation, and
satisfying those whose acquaintance
with you has not been as familiar
as my own, that I subjointhe following:
Frst-Do you favor the revival or
restoration of slavery, directly or indi-
rectly, IN any of the States or territories
of the Union?
Second-Do you believe in the doc.
trine Of secession, and are you now, or
have you ever been, in favor of the dis
solution of the Union?
Th,rd-Do you favor the payment or
assumption of the confederate debt; the
payment Of claims for compensation for
slaves lost or emancipated; of pensions
to confederate soldiers; of compensation
to those engaged in the rebellion for
property taken or destroyed in any man.
ner by the Union forces in the prose-
cution Of the war, or of any obligation
in aid of the rebellion
Fourth-If chosen to be the Repre-
sentative of this Congressional district,
would you consider yourself bound by,
or would you vote OK act in accordance
with, the dictation Of party caucus
upen any Of the subjects mentioned
above, or of similar character
An early reply will oblige
Yours, &C., B. B. HERBERT.
REDWOOD FALLS, MIMI, Oct. 81 '76
B. B. Herbert, Esq.,, Red Wing,
MY DEAR S1R:-Your favor of the
18th inst. reached me at this point last
evening. While I do not readily see
how fair minded men can we'll misunder-
stand, after reading my letter of &C.
ceptance Of September 10th, my posi-
ton upon the several subjects about
which you inquire, I hasten to give, as
requested by you, categorical answers"
to the several questions you ask, and in
doing so shall be as brief as perspicuity
will permit.
To your first question l answer no,
From the moment President Lincoln
issued his emancipation proclamation
slavery was doomed. Its fate upon
American soil was sealed forever by the
result of the war; and assurance was
made doubly sure by the adoption of
the thirteenth amendment. Its re-es-
Establishment il, in the nature vi things,
an impossibility But were it possible,
there IS no man scto could more ener-
getically resist its restoration than mv-
self:
To your second inquiry l answer, no.
I ,aerer believed ind do moi now be-
Aeue IN the right Of secession. 1t is II
proposition wholly 1T war with the fun
damental principles of our government.
My position IN this regard is end al
'oays has bee", "rhe Union-it must be
preserved From the moment the
echo of the first gun at Fort Sumpter
was heard, l never faltered in the prop
osition that the Union must be preserved
intact, and that the doctrine of Seces-
sion must be crushed ont By force IF
arms. Under no circumstances have |
ever for Il single moment favored disun-
ion or disruption.
To your third inquiry, and to each
subdivision thereof, l answer, no.
hold every claim of Ill the sorts COW
cred by this question us not only un-
founded and illegal, but IN the highest
sense unjust. No vote of mine in Con-
gress, or elsewhere, will ever be cast in
favor of any claim or measure that
either in terms or in substance comes
within the scope Of any portion Of this