The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-06-13
LETTER FROM
GEN. ". s. FEATHERSTON.

nr,V SIR y our letter Of Nav 23d,
a.. baep received and now, at the ear
F'yt leisure moment, give you an answer
iI.,vII not hesitate in giving full, frank
mi uneauiyocal answers to questions pro
-l,roJ4d To me by one who bears to me the
f.nb.a relation Of a soldier who served
!, nv command during the late war, and
an old personal friend.
Mar have | malured opinions on ques-
a.n. Of a public character, in which the
rl,Ia pa9ple Of my State are Interested
inf would withhold from the pubic,
rrag properly called for, and now, with
ogt further comment, | shall proceed to
answer the two questions contained in
YOUR letter.
y,u ask he If | will be a candidate
bsfrs the Democratic State Convention,
4rshe nomination for Governor, when
Il .aaIl assemble in July or August next.
I0,uld accept the nomination, made by
Estate Convention composed OF delegates
,.nrs-eu;ing the will of the people. |
viuld not, however, engage in a scramble
ri .ecur. that or any other nomination.
kfera man has been nominated by his
airfy f5r office, he should meet his po-
hfraI foes en every field, and exhaust
sH honorable means to secure his cleo
HE should not halt until he has
panCed his coIors upon the strDngholds
a the enemy or fallen in the attempt.
Bat nominations for office by party CON
v.utl9u,, should be made without any
.fci.atiJn on the part Of aspirants
Nominating conventions should be com
p5,.d of men who represent the will and
wishes Of the people, and who look alone
10 the public good in making their selec
tans Of candidates men who can lay
abide their personal enmItics and their
Individual preferences for the public
mod. The man who would make a regu-
Mr campaign for a nomination, would
never be endorsed by a cu vention com
posed Of the right kind of materials.
And now at the beginning Of new era,
al the first regular State election after we
have rescued the State government from
the grasp Of our political adversaries, we
should raise high the standard of our
political ethics, as the best means Of pro.
noting the public interests, and as the
only sure guarantee against our own dis
migration. No encouragement should
be given to any evil practice, should any
be found to exist, either in the selection
Of the materials fer conventions or i'm
their organization. There is too much
political strategy displayed in getting up
the materials for aud IN the organization
Of conventions. 1t is necessary, in order
ID reach correct conclusion i'm such
bodies. as to what the public interests
demand, that there should be full, frank
and manly interchange Of opions among
political friends, but this interchange OF
opinions would be of no avail, if the
members of which the convention is to
be composed, are to 90 to it already
moulded and unaiterably fixed in their
opinions Such discussion would be of no
avail, if ut all practicable, should the con
vention be organized with view of pre-
venting discussion and driving rapidly
through to toregone conclusion. When
such practices as the above prevail, con.
yentjous are in practice kindred institu-
tons to Returning Boards They are in
s,itutons gotten up not to ascertain and
carry out the viii of the people, but to de
feat it. They are demoralizing in theil
effects, and tend to sap the foundations o
our liberties, and to overthrow constitu
toual government.
Ours is in theory. aud should be il
practice, government OF the people
and their voice should he heard, ant
their choice should be respected in the
selection of the officers by whom they
are to be governed. The objections urgec
against conventions, arise out of the
abuses Of the system, and not out of an,
Inherent defects in IT, They may, there
fore. be easily avoided. Let us, then
set our own house in order, not to die,
hut TO live. With my convictions, | coulC
not become Il candidate Tor nomination
in any other sense than that which
have attempted to difine in the foregoing
remarks. | should fopfeit my selfrespec
and commit crime against my countr.
were / TO do otherwise. ] have been ;
citizen of this State for more than thirty
years here / commenced my career il
life. For four wears | served the State a
member of Congress, for four years a
Confederate soldier, and for the las
two years member of the State Legis
lature. In every political campaign 70
the last thirty years, when not aosen
from the State in the public service,
have taken decided and an active part
The people of the State can, therefore
Judge for themselves, whether | have
been, and would again be true to public
trust, whether l have any Claims upol
them for their support, and whether
posses. such capacity and qualification
as would enable me to discharge well anC
faithfully the duties of the office IL
question The people themselves shoul'
indulge in a full and thorough discussion
OF the claims and qualifications of thos'
who are proposed as candidates for noml
nations, in order that correct conclusion
may be reached and the public Interests
subserved, but the reverse OF this Ful'
should be observed by candidates fo
Nominations
Your second question is, " that yol
would be pleased to have an outline of tn
policy, which, in my Judgment, shoulc
De adopted by the State government IL
future, for the advancement of the bes
interests Of our people, etc.
This question will require an answer o
some length, in giving which | shall en-
aeavor to be concise, and suggestive, ant
by no means elaborate. l cannot d.
more than touch upon the salient point
OF what should be our present State poll
iy, without giving volume to this lette
which would be inexegsable.
We have, so far, gathered but few Q
the Legitimate fruits of the great victo
res Of 1875 and 1876 in Mississippi
BY our victory of 1875, the Legislative
Department of the State government on
iy was wrested from the hands of the Re
publicans, leaving the Executive and Ju
dlcial still under their control. Tn
Legislature elected in 1876, however, b.
restoring to constitutional and unobjec
uOnable remedies, rescued the Execu
tive and Judicial Departments from tn