The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-09-25
DugNM.
JACKSON, Miss, Sept. %, 1880.

n certy in the views you entertain, pro
coed ut once TO the consideration OF th
:" topics therein discussed. quote from III
w. second paragraph Of your letter:
Nv '.You say that the election of Gen, Han
u cock would he II triumph of Toombs
m Hampton, Davis n Co., and that we woul'
be treated to Il repetition Of the frauds
oI Outrages and balot-bON stuillng of tn
ID past Now my dear Judge, while | can
h. not join with you in prophesying such
u lamentable result to the country, In case o
- the success of Hancock, yet ! am free Il
y say, that In my humble opinion, even
little of that same fraud and ballOt-boN
"A stuling would be far preferable and lest
= disastrous TO our section, than the negro
10 political domination with which we are
- threatened in the event of the election o
= Gen. Garfield"
q As I'M old fashioned Republican and
!, moralst, my maxim is, "Let justice be
o. done though the heavens should fall" As
e a Christian am adm0nished not to do evil
l that good may come of it. If / am to
/ suffer of bad government the sin and its
i alternate consequences will attach to those
= who brought it upon me- If / willfnlly
: deprive others of their rights, the sin is
my own and it is not excused by the pre-
text that some imaginary or supposed evil
governed my action.
The assumption that negro political
3 domination in our section would be con-
sequence of the election of Garfield is not
: sanctioned by anything in his record, or in
the history of the past No Republican
has cvereXpressd himself in.favor OF such
domination, and, if in fact, it has existed,
it has been owning to force of numbers and
not of do ctrine. Even the election of Gen.
Hancock would not displace the numbers,
and as he and his party are clamorous for a
full vote and an honest count, it is difficult
to perceive what benefit could confer upon
the opponents of such domination.
But this is letting you off too easily.
Your language admits the frauds of the
past and sanctions the necessity of CON
Timing them into the future. For the
reasons .already assigned, 1 repudiate the
past and turn away with l0athing and
disgust from the overture for the future.
To answer in detail the many points
made in your letter would swell this reply |
beyond all reasonable dimensions. must
therefore continc myself to such general
remarks rs are suggested by its tenor |
Granting for the sake of argument, Though |
far from admitting in fact that the evils OF
this administration and of negro domina-
ton are such as you describe) does it
follow that they would be at all mitigated
by the election of Hancock? Both you and
! have ample opportunity Tor knowing that
bitter and relentless as is the hatred of the
Southern Democrat for the negro, it is
mild sentiment compared to that which
actuates him towards us politically. We,
and such as we, have been the witnesses
of his conduct in the past; we have tcsti-
fled to it before the world, lis it is our duty
yet to do; and without being joint actors in
the "Revolution and folly" which brought
disgrace and ruin upon our section, we are
joint heirs in that heritage of woe which
ensucd. 1t is because of our ability to
observe, and bear witness of Democratic
rule here in the South, that we are so
maligned and misreprcsented; and can
such a-qualitied support rs you now carry
to the: enemy in the least abate that hatred?
Will not your past opposition be remem-
bered when your present devotion is re- |
mcmbcredI 1t seems to me that for l
Republican to now desert his flag and 90 '
over to the ranks Of the enemy raises '
grave question Of his past sincerity or the c
purity of his present intentions. Apart l
from all general considerations such as S
pertain to the public welfare and the atti- S
do Of Mi bn fin nj N
ciples underlying our government, how are s
his personal and individual interests likely S
to be affected? b
Have you my dear General, thOughtfully a
before coming to the conclusion You have S
reached and committed to irreyocable print, v
upon the position you must hence C
IOrth occupy in relation both to your old il
md your new associates. You leave the o
ormer for reasons which | propose to Il
notice now in detail as | proceed, but ii
which for the present, | shall characterize IL
Is by no means satisfactory, and you join p
he latter with expressions in your mouth CT
which must render you anything but p
Welcome recruit. il
TO the former you virtually say, will OF
lot go with you in this campaign, because st
Ou refused to select the general of my I'll
hOice; but will go over to the opposite I'll
lost and fight against you until you come
o your senses. True, am with you upon G
IL the principles and issues involved in to
he contest, and my adhesion to the other d
ide is to be of only temporary duration, tit
nd until such time as your senses being ca
nstOred, we can come together in unity, III
nd under the proper leader give my pres Al
Mt friends the drubbing they deserve. Does |
his place you in accord with either party 2 re-
here is an old snatch of a song, to the ca
feet that at is best to be off with the old
we before we are on with the new" BY
our own deductions you are not yet Off A
it'll the old, and you are very impcrfectly,
at ALL on with the new You seem to
2 privileged character, free to carry on
licenctOus intercourse with one party or
lother as tickle fancy changes. without c..
eng permanently allied with either. To- orr
~ you pay your deyOtions TO lady in the eI'
III enjoyment of youth, beauty, purity and Iii
tellectual yigOr; tomorrow you swell of
e train of a miserable old creature array ba
in 1rippery, furbelOws and feathers TIL
on tell her that you care nothing for her; KIN
lat you have only sought her society be- Uni
use piqued by some apparent preference SCI SCI
own to rival in another quarter and that s 9n
u intend to return to your first love when NO.
ticlpated concessions shall be made. the
Ich, in plain terms, is the position you dis
We chosen for yourself, and how you can mi
pc to obtain or regain the confidence and ]
litical esteem of either party is beyond wv
y comprehension. DO not such as you Co'
d pay sorry compliment to Gen. cIr,
ant, and the noble body of friends who ver
'Od by him at Chicago. when we, on ac- FUR
unit of our own petty disappointment, mis-
IL, or desert to the enemy, whilst they tina
til so much more at stake, accepted the mp
suit without murmur, and are all ac- Cha,
ely and earnestly working for his sue ;!
'sful competitor. II they could see their