The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-08-13
misr cllanru,ts.
Hon. VIM. II. EngIish's Letter of Ac.
ceDtancc.

Indianapolis, July 80, 1sS0.-Gcntlcmen :;
have now the honor to reply to your letter
of the 18th inst, informing me that | was I'M
animously nominated for the Office of Vice
President of the United States by the late
Democratic National Convention which as
sembled at Cincinnati. AS fOreshadowcd in
the verbal remarks made by me al the time of
the delivery of your letter, | have now to say
that / accept the high trust with realizing
sense of its responsibility, and am profoundly
grateful for the honor conferred.
"laccept the nomination upon the platform
of principles adopted by the convention,
which l cordially approve, and accept it
quite rs much because of my faith in the wis
dom and patriotism of the great Statesman
and Soldier nominated on the same ticket for
President of the United States. His eminent
services to the country, his fidelity to the con
stitution, the Union and the laws; his clear
perception of the correct principles of govern
mcnt as taught by Jefferson; his scrllpulous
care to keep the military in strict subordina-
ton to the civil authorities his high regard
for civil liberty, personal rights and the rights
of property; his acknowledged ability in civil
rs well as military affairs, and his pure and
blameless life,a all point to him as man worthy
the confidence of the people. Not only
brave soldier, great commander, q wise
statesman and pure patriot, but q prudent,
painstaking, practical man of unqucstioncd
honesty, trusted often with important public
duties, faithful to every trust, and in the full
meridian of ripe and vigorous manhood, he is,
in my Judgment, cmincntly fitted for the high
est Office on earth-thc President of the United
States. Not only is he the right man for the
right place, but the time has come when the
best interests of the country require that the
party which has monopolizcd the executive
department of the general government for the
last twenty years should be retired.
1.-THE continuance of that party in power
four years longer would not be beneficial to
the public or in accordance with the spirit of
our republican institutions. Laws of entail
have not been favored in our system of gov
ernment. The perpctuation of property or
place in one family or set of men have never
been encouraged in this country, and the great
and good men who formed our republican
government and its traditions wisely limited
the tenure of office, and in many ways showed
their disapproval of long leases of power
Twenty years of continuous power is long
enough and has already led to Irregularities
and corruptions which are not likely to be
properly exposed under the same party that
perpetrated them.
"Besdcs, it should not be forgotten that
the four last years of power held by that party
were procured by discreditablc means, and
held in defiance of the wishes of majority
of the people. 1t was u grievous wrong to
every voter and to our system of self-govcrn-
ment, which should never be forgotten or
forgiven. Many of the men now in office
were put there because of corrupt partisan
services in thus defeating the fairly and legally
expressed will of the majority, and the hypo-
crsy of the professions of that party in favor
of civil service reform was shown by placing
such men in Office and turning the whole
brood offcdcral ofliceholdcrs loose to influence
elections. The money of the people, taken
out of the public treasury by these men for
services often poorly performed or not per
formed at all, is being used in vast sums with
the knowledge and presumed sanction of the
administration to control elections, and even
themcmbers of the cabinet are strolling about
the country making partisan speeches, instead
of being in their departments at Washington
discharging the public duties for which they
are paid by the people. But with all their
cleverncss and ability, u discriminating public
will no doubt read between the lines of their
speeches that their paramount hope and aim
is to keep themselves or their satellites four
years longerin office.
THAT perpetuating the power of chronic
federal officeholders four years longer will not
benefit the millions of men and women who
hold no office, but earn their daily bread by
honest industry, is what the same discerning
public will no doubt fully understand, as they
will also that it is because of their own indus
try and economy and Gods bountiful harvests
that the country is comparatively prosperous,
and not because of anything done by these
federal officeholders. The country is COM
,Norativnlu mt hapnllGn nf thnm
but in spite of them. This contest is, in fact,
between the people endeavoring to regain the
political power which rightfully belongs to
them, and to restore the pure simple, econom
ical constitutional government of our fathers
on the one side, and hundred thousand fed
cral 0fflceholders and their hackers, pampered
with place and power and determined to re-.
tain them ut all hazards, on the other.
"Hence the constant assumption of new
and dangerous powers by the general govern
ment under the rule of the Republican party.
The effort to built up what they call strong
government the interference with home rule
and with the administration of justice in the
courts of the several States the interference
with the elections through the medium of
paid partisan federal offlceholders interested
in keeping their party in power, and caring
Nore for that than fairness in the elections
in fact, the constant enroachments which
have been made by that party upon the clear
ly reserved rights of the people and the
States-will if not checked subvert the lib
critics of the people to the government of lin
tied powers created by the fathers, and end
in great consolidated central government,
strong indeed for evil and the overflow OF
republican institutions.
1.-The wise men who framed our constitu,
tion knew the evils of strong government
and the long continuance ofpolitical power