The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-10-30
WASHINGTON, Oct. Is, 1879.

nblished in the Tribune of the 4th
inst. You were entited to the courtesy
NJ prompt reply, but divers arrange
nents have worked delay which l
know your good nature will pardon. l
am glad you are getting well of your
physical hurt and congratulate you on
your escape.
1 have made no summer speeches in
Georgia. l made few remarks very
Unexpectedly at Tammany Hall on the
Attn of July and it must be 70 this
speech you refer, as l have made no
other during the summer or since the
adjournment Of Congress. / have been
quietly but with more than usual solicit
tude watching the course of political
events, and have studied to understand
as accurately as l could the real temper
of the North toward the South and the
Constitution, together with the cause,
the tendency and the probable final
effect of the temper upon our sectional
relations and our governmental institu-
tions However much we may differ on
some questions of policy, I believe you
will do me the justice to admit that l
am in the habit of speaking, when |
speak at all, precisely what I think on
all subjects. The impression made upon
my mind by the study alluded to is not
pleasant one. will frankly say that
at no period Of our Union, as itseems to
me, have the Northern people 80 greatly
pr so uniustly distrusted the Southern
sople, nor do l think there ever was a
Reneration at the North who so little un-
Sfstood the Constitution or so little re.
arded that Constitution as our bond of
union. do not mean to be offensive
but do mean to be candid when say
that to berate and misrepresent the
South and to misinterpret and ignore
the Constitution seem to be the two sub
iects that absorb the hearts and minds Of
the Republicans of the North, and to
which all other subjects are held as sub
ordinate. Your own letter furnishes
strong confirmation of this sad fact. You
say: "Your (my2) candidate for Gov
ernor who is an excellent man, by the
way--says that the election lin New
York. concerns only State AFFAIRS but
everybody laughs at him for saying it,"
What laugh at man for saying that
State officers are elected to attend only
to State afairs2 You 60 on "The COM
mon feeling seems to be that the elec.
tion is not only of national interest, but
that it is also the fnal battle with re-
belion; the climax of bitter sectional
strife and probable gateway to compare
tive good feeling and assured national
prosperity" Battling with rebellion in
State election for only State officers in
New York nearly fifteen years after the
war has ended2 Pardon me, my friend,
but this far exceeds Fallstaff's battle
with his imaginary but constantly in.
Cressing foes sin buckram !" Neverthe-
less you seem to write correctly the views
of your party in New York and through.
out the North. / attended Republican
meeting in Cooper institute on the night
of the 4th inst.-the night Of the day
your letter appeared.
The meeting was called to ratify the
Republican nominations for State Off
GERS. After some sensible remarks by
the Chairman we had two elaborate, ev-
identity prepared, and, will add, able
speeches, as that word able goes. In
these two speeches made to help the
election of State officers there was not
single sllusion to State affairs. Not one.
With a single exception (not singular
exception, by the way,). the poor, rebel
lious, barbarous and Solid South was the
only theme. This exception was really
noteworthy and commanded my full, at.
tention. The speaker made what he
called q constitutional argument in
which he undertook, in behalf ofabsoluts
nationalism, to give a meaning to the
Constitution which l am sure never oc-
cured to It's trainers nor to any Of the
great expounders Of that instrument in
the two generations that succeeded its
trainers, and then added that IF his con
struction was not the correct one he was
in favor Of tearing up the Constitution
and consigning it, with the rebellion, to
damnation." Ts that what you mean BY
the gateway to comparative good feel.
ing and assured national prosperify"P Is
this tearing up" process to be the "fual
battle with rebellion"2
The feeling of distrust, abuse ami hate
of the South in the Republicans Of the
North exhibits all the symptoms Of a
mania. 1t is full of irrelevancy, irration.
ality and untruthfulness. Even your
local election for State, county, city and
town officers is dominated by this feel.
ing OF hatred and dlStrust OF the South.
II is found in your barrooms, counting
houses and pulpits. tits beyond reason,
and, fear, beyond remedy. l see no
evidence that the North is weary of sec
tional strife" The Republican party
lives on and thrives by this sectional
strife. Bad men speculate on it and
lemsgogues plyit as means Of getting
Office. You say "If there be anything
30 bedded in our history that 1t can
never be got out 1t is the fact that South.
ideas and Southern men have generally
opposed the American spirit as repre-.
sented by the people who planted and
rooted our institutions and thrift in the
hard and thorough discipline Of New
England ~
Ihad supposed that our thrift as peo.
pie was due to the abundance Of our