The daily gazette., 1879-01-10
FROM JUDGE THUR M AN.
an Open Letter to the Democratic
af nb;n

Citizens of Ohio.
COLUMBUS, o., Jan. 8.--The follow
ing is The letter from Senator Thurman
addressed to the committee having in
charge the cele bration at Columbus, o.,
of the battle of New Orleans:
WASHINGTON, Jan. Q, 1879.
Messrs. John d. Sulliran, A. d. Hefne,
and Others, Columbus, Ohio:
MY DEAR SIRs Il fully expected to
attend the banquet on the Sth inst, at
Colum bus, and enjoy that reunion OF
political and personal friends on day
so memorable in the history of the Re-
public and so much cherished by its
Democracy, but at the last moment, and
to my great regret, find that it will not
be in my power to have that pleasure. l
am just beginning to recover from a
severe cold that has affected me for a
week or more, and cannot but recognize
the fact that it would not be prudent for
me, I'M such extreme cold weather, to
make 4 trip requiring 800 miles travel
and crossing the mountains twice.
Permit me to offer a few reflections
upon the -"Jacksonian Democracy
the the me on which l was appointed to
speak. OF course, some other speaker
will ia ke my place and do justice to the
subject; but the privilege may be acco, d.
ed me of jotting down some very brief
and pertinent observations. / wish 10
recall attention to some of the most
marked characters of the Democracy of
81 ;,,la nf nd Ion I fr,
the time when he was a candidate for the
Presidency and when he filled the Presi-
Dental chair.
First, The Democracy we're then emf
nently II not pre- eminently distinguish
cd by their devotion to the Union of the
States. South and North, East and
every true Democrat. Subsequent events
chilled, and, at length, for "a time, sus-
pended it in the South, but the happiest
circu instance Of our present condition
(thanks to the influence of Democratic
principles) is that the love of the Union
Is everywhere restored, and that its
preservation is fixed principle of the
Democratic party in the South.
Secondly, The party was equally dis
tinguished by its love of the Constitution
1t sought to preserve it in all its vigor
and be sneficence by giving to 1t natl ional
and rational Interpretation and it bat
tied manfully and constantly, against
those laiitudinary constructions which
threatane to convert the government
Into an unlimited centralized despotism
and, en- the other hand, against all the
vice. hat menaced the existence of the
Union And permit me to say that the
principles of Jacksonian Democracy, in
This respect, are as important to-day as
they ever were at any period of our his
tory.
Thirdly, The Jacksonian Democracy
were t he determined foes of monopoly
They could not be otherwise; for the
very foundation of the party was the
doctrine of equal rights. Bv whatever
names th sy may have been called, th' re
have been and perhaps ever will he, but
two great parties in America-the Demo
cratic party, asking nothing Dnt equa
rights and au opposing party, whose
leaders have ever sought and ever will
seek, special privileges created by law
Who can forget the great battle fought
by tho Democracy, under the lead oi
jackson, against the Bank of the United
States and who can fail to see that 9
desperate struggle against a far more
powerful combination of capital anC
privilege than was presented by that in
10 INV w ~ ehs
Democracy of to-day follow the examp I
set by their fathers, of infexible opposi
ton 70 special privilege, or will they
prove recreant to the principles, the his
tory, and the traditions of their party
This id a question that must ere long be
ans wered. My own belief is thatit will be
ans we red as it ought to be, and that the
Democrats of to-day will prove them
selves to be what their fathers were, trst
men. They Will be earnest, but not rash
determined, but not unreasonable de
structiye of wrongs and abuses alone, ,ant
conservative of all that should exist in 6
free repu elie.
Foufthly. The jackson Democracy
were d party of economy. Tho ordinary
annual expenses Of Jackson's admins
tration (that ts, the expenses OF the GOV
ernment exclusive of payments in dis
charge Of the public debit were but $15,.
O0o 100, or Whereabouts. Now our ordi
nary annual expenses are nearly tel
times that sum. What contrast! While
our pdpulati on has increased but little
more than three fold, our expenses have
lncreas sed nearly ten fold. Is it not higt
time that we should return to the econo
mical principles and practices of Jack
soniau Democracy? These points, few
| in nun Der but transcendent in import
ance, have thought 1t proper to nott
| for tho consideration of our friends
Others might be- stated, but these mus
suffice for to-day.
| Cantl.man I know tho hanouet viii