The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-10-02
poldral
WINFIELD s. BIRD.
HIS LETTER TO THE NORTHERN PRESS

oined the army OF Gen. lee, and served TIL the
lose o. lhe rebellion, receiving desperate wounds
~ "a said service. And pointing W my civil and mil
tary record challenge the respect Of all southern
In 1875, after Alabama, by frand and the white.
line rare issue, seized by the Democratic party,
my sense OF honor and justice reyolted and open
Y espoused the cause Of the Republican party. For
ihiA crime W am to-day stranger and an alien
among the friends Of my youth and my companions
la arms. have the honor 10 be a member Of the
state kePnnhean executive committee, chairman Of
Inc hcpubhcan executive committee Of the sixth
congressional district and chairman Of our county
Republican committee; had the honor 70 repre-
asntmy county In the late Republican convention
and my district az delegate 10 ine late national
Republican convention at Chicago.
. ON the ION day Of July, went 10 tie town Of
Pleasant Ridge, in this county 70 make u Republi-
can speech Soon after l began. a crowd of white
Democrats, several with open knives and large
sticks IN their hands, came up and immediately be
gan 70 interrupt me- 50 that could scarcely utter
two sentences without interruption / Femonstra-
ted assuring them that they were injuring their own
cause BY such a course, and distinctly announcing
70 them that | did not desire 10 array one race
against the other but simply 10 break down the
whltene race Issue raised by the Democratic party.
of August, ls7g, In the EuiAw @Whig" tDemocra tic
paperJ was stopped forbidden By them 10 read said
letter aud cursed and abused repeatedly In the vlest
terms. And one Of their number declared that they
were all Democrats, aud that should not abuse the
Democratic party. The accuracy Of this statement
cratic paper published here, on July -. iSs0 but
This is not ALL They cursed my little seven yeAr-Old
boy " ho stood dumb with fright before them More
over, was obliged 70 desist in my effort TO speak
and was assured by VIM. Horton, an aged gentleman,
that was In great personal danger and but for his
protection am fully satisfied that should have
tAned serious. II not fatal, injury The Aforesaid
newspaper, the Mirror" in commenting on the af-
ialr, says that which seems 70 have given most
ohense Is statement which Mt. Bird Is said 70 have
made 10 the effect that the Democrats lay In the
shade all the year and then cheated the negroes out
OF all they made" ThereupOn the editor indtes q
long leader calculated TO inhauie the passions oi
he al Is itta
truth. simply read from the said Eutaw eNhig'
the following sentence The effort seems to have
been win every recent Legislature TO 20 perieotthe
laws touching agriculture that the moneyed man
could shut his eyes and sleep the year out aud then
gobbie up all the labOrers made This explanation
was made " said editor, who engaged 70 DO me Jus
ice in his columns NM has - fr failed to Al -
ON the md inst, we had here that which Republi
cans ioolishly expected would be an doction, bu
which proved 10 be a hollow count This comfy
in which the Republicans are better organized thar
they have been for years and which gave HAYES anC
Wheeler ,6n majority, was turned over IN the Dem
ocFnts. Al one box, whero we had three reSpecta
BILE gentleman two OF whom were Dcinocrarsl 10 in
spect the tickets and see them delivered into thi
hands OF the managers. our 1ls Republican ballot
on the final count turned out 70 be only SiS the bal
ance going 10 swell the Democratic vote, ~ tha
this box that gave Hayes and Wheeler US majority
Is now counted Democratic by Is majority. A
another box, where five competent Witnesses Ia
spected every ticket carefully. and where every yo
ter marched singy 70 the box with his ticket Ia ful
view, and placed Il into the hands of the manager
our ~ votes pnnned out only ~. OF these ticket
iSO were rejected as we are informed. because hc
irrrt not folded when the truth Is that folded ever
one Win iny own hands except l2b. These afe sam
pies of this miserable traycsty upon fair elections
Ihis IS The terrible mode in which the South ha
been made solid.
Sir. We are to-day ex listing under despotism NOR
dreadful than the Russian autDcrAcy. Here Ia ou
native land, the man who IL devoted 10 the Viii
principles Of his fathers dares not give utterAnce
ms views. Tor fear OF studied persecution and rid
eulous prescription. No good Samaritan goes
hun 70 bind up his wounds, pouring In oil an
wine" He Is piiloried in the public press. He VIII
dares rebel against this cruel uligarehy Writes,
| burning characters over his welcome door "a
/ terrible inscription from Dante who euter, iei
leaves hope behind His llniels and doorJ ,-is Al
spatiered with the blood of his sacrificed re 1tatOi
and friendly feet turn away from the laDI place
instructive dread Of the social destructive fir
that name up ON his hospiiable thyeshnld IN
| iorked tongue of slander punues him and his inn
cent family; and be the hRpless man never 10 Writ
Gus drunken libertines, Ignorant parycnues au
social outcasts, by be-liming hlIn seek and gain
galvanized rcspectablli,y and surc passport
| Democratic society. These wretchea pariahs who
| our fathers would have disdaned u vet 10 wat,
| their hocks, have become the tutelAry saints
southern ehivAlry and the especial exponents
southern honor. To the care Of such abandani
creatures are our priceless regulations committed
vile eountcrieiis Df a noble race who, aside fro
their instructive baseness have neither he intel
gunce TO comprehend high political principles, n
The yinuous courage TO maintain them;
come Us Ike summer cloud without our speci
wonder WINFIELD s. BIRD
COMMENTS.
EurAw, Ala, August 2Gth, 1880.
Ma. w. o. MoSRoE-Editor Eutaw "Wh
and Observer Above We have a lett
from Winfield S. Bird, Of this county, pu
lished in the "New York Tines and 9th,
Northern and Western papers.
II this letter was read only BY people WI
know him aud his political reputation
would be Unnecessary 10 notice il, bat as il W.
written TO be read at the North and Wes
and to have an influence upon the comm
elections there, ] have thought proper /
place before the public a few facts concerI
ing him and the recent election in our couI
| ty, to which he refers. He claims idescer
from and connection with another Of th
most honorable Wing families of the State
l know nothing Of his ancestry and hav
nothing to say about them. He has cause :
be proud Of his connection, for they are
noble iamily--as true to principle and ihei
country as the needle TO the pole. Whethe
they are proud Of the connection, do no
know, but do know that they are Democrat
Of the 'straightest sect and have not sus
tanned Mr.. Bird since his advocacy Of the 20
liticai principles adopted by him since tn
connection began, and the course pursued b,
him as politician. They voted against Mr.
Bird nj the late election, and the most bitter
seorching speech made during the canvas
was by one Of the connection.
He says, in his letter, that they we're al
opposed TO secession. but he promptly JOINED
the army Of Gen. Lee. He did not say, how
ever, that when he joined the army his feel
ings were so prejudiced against the Union
and its great military leader, Gen. Scott, thu
he ignored his own name Of Winfield, anS
4 IL L.
original is here, signed by him in person.
Mr.. Bird says, in 1876 when, by fraud, AL
ALBANIA was seized by the Democratic party
his sense Of honor revol,ed and he openi,
espoused the Republican party.
Thereby hangs a tale
In 1872 be was a candidate before a Demo
cratic Convention for the Legislature, ant
was defeated for the nomination.
In 1875, he "revoltedm and was candi
date for the State Convention on the Repub
lean ticket and was defeated again--Hon
Charles Hays, W. 4. Cockrell aud othel
leading Republicans refusing to support him
But few days after his defeat, in 1875, the
following singular note was written BY Mr.
Bird, and which appeared in the columns o.
the "Whig and Observer" at the time:
fFo'h lAe Hzi1 and 06earer u .aAp. "a. fS7s.
The following note was received this moruinr b,
Maj Clark nom VI. !. Bird Esa.. In answer 10 = y;
guest frum him, for an explanation 0f his fkir
hird 81 course In allowing his name 10 be used of
the Radical tcket as Delegate 70 the Cons,ittinn
a. Convention, when he had before made the i'm
PRESTON pr, on, on ssS mind q MAJ CLARK thai nc WA
eating Mr.. Birds future political course.
EuTAw, Ala, August srd, 1875
MAJ. 4. g CLARK DEAR sir--1n permitting my
name 10 go before the people Of Greene county a. al
iiihdepenuent candidate for seat In the Constitu
tional Convention, have very thoughteszly allow.
ed myself 70 occupy false position-one In autago
nisni % the wishes Of the people and directly In
osppo,itign % one OF our distinguished cltizens
desire 10 retreat from that position. To turn my
back upon people with whom l have spent some
in The camp and The aeid. and friends ana eoIuns,.
Ions In the quiet walks OF life IA thought which, In
my calm judgment. l cannot even coutemplafe
Earnestly deprecatlng this false step, and frankly
acknowledging II, propose TO pay my allegiance %
that party which comprises the piItae nd 1ioe1ce
Of the people, and through the success OF which, a.
lr r. s & hope Pesee and az prosperity will again
have the honor 70 BE- very respectfully,
w.s. BIRD,
So, Mr.. Editor, he did not ssrevolfi bad
an occount Of the s'fraud and seizure by the
party Of Virtue and intelligence IN 1876.
We heard nothing more Of Mr.. Birds Re-
until sometime last year. In the
meantime the Hon. Charles Hays had died.
and the Hon. Wm. 4. Cockrell, former
Republican State Representative from thia
county, had come to grief il the county iaii--
be having, in the night time, under an attack
Of kleptomania, mistaken the County Trea.
surer's safe for his own. An election for
Probate Judge was coming on this year-the
most profitable office in the county. The way
seemed clear for Mr.. Bird to ssrevole' again.
and he .'revolted," and ran for the Office nj