Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-21
Letter Sent to Meeting at Port.
land.

lduus
Andrer j. Chase
DEAR SRI shall be under the necessity
of withdrawing my acceptance of your kind
invitation to speak in Congress Hall, Port
land, Aug. 10Th. Justice to you as well
as myself renders it necessary for me to
give my reasons for this declinatiOn.
have long since come to the conclusion
that the only true way to deal with an enemy
is to view with suspicion what he favors, and
adopt that which he denounces and breads,
or in other words, ascertain what he does
not want, and then give it to him. l have
already had one campaign experience in a
neighboring State, in which our cause was
made the cat's-paw of our open foes. To re-
peat that blunder would be a crime l have
no desire to perpetrate. l have become con-
WINGED that have the very best of reasons
to doubt the wisdom or proprety of a meas
ure or project which is enthusiastically en-
dorsed and materially supported by those who
are the bitterest enemies to our cause.
In the discharge Of public duty, not long
since, | arraigned one of the great political
parties as having permitted itself to be used
for evil and vicious purposes.
st defended slavery; it was the parent of
secession and rebellion; it was the incen-
diary that sent the fame of war sweeping
over the land, deluging it with tears and
blood; it sympathized with treason and
sought to paralyze every patriots arm. 1t
robbed the nation of its dearly bought vic
tory and built up foreign and rebellious
empire ont of the forgiven but defiant and
unrSpentant rebel States. 1t is the cham
pion of int importance and the vituperator OF
temperance men as hair Drained fanatics. 1t
has stained our honor by oppression and out
rage which eqnaled in old-blooded deviltry
the tor!ures of the most savage and barbar-
.,us tribe of rcd-men. BY iltimiiation. bare
faced fraud and open violation of the sanctity
Of the ballot box. it disfranchised hundreds
of thousands of citizens: it has in the past
generation put upon record such catalogue
of foul crimes that we cannot look in the
face the most heartless despot in the whole
world without hanging our heads for very
shame" In this State it bears stamped upon
its brow in letters of fire, convicted but de-
teated thief" and yet with unbushing eff
frontery exhibits the infamous brand with
exultation and as if it were a reward of mer-
it.
Were by advocating a righteous cause to
become an instrument in assisting to give
place and power to the party which parades
wit glorification rather than apology or de-
fence, the black and blasting record have
but family outlined; which deprived Of the
votes of the criminal classes, the ignorant
foreigners. the unrepentant rebels of the
of the north, could not carry a single county
in the Nation; which is pledged by its nat
ural instincts. by all its associations as well
as the character of its leaders. to defeat and
annihilate every interest the patriot holds
DEAR it would be to me source of lifelong
regret
After carefully bordering the utterances of
the political speakers and editors of this party
IN approval and endorsement of our contemp-
lated action, | confess to feeling of chagrin
that even by the weakness of our protested
friends there has arisen the possibility of our
cause being made the convenient tool of dis
honest and hypocritical political schemers.
Added to this the disreputable journal
which not long since so shamefuly and out
rageously black-guarded and belied me, and
not only refused to retract its scurrillous
SANDER but closed its columns to brief note
convicting it of having published malignant
talsehood, has already given wide publication
to my words in behalf of this cause and
enthusiastically approves and encourages our
project: this of itself is an argument which
makes reason doubly sure that for me to pro-
coed would be to commit an egregious and ir-
reparable blunder When journals of that
class begin to speak favorably of measure
it Is an imperative command to a thoughtful
man to pause.
| attended recently rally of the party
which from its sudden spasm of interest in
temperance has seemed to become the ally if
not the patron of our proposed movement
Our probable political action was heartily
commended and enthusiastically applauded-
as was the assertion that that action would
Withdraw enough votes from the republican
ticket to insure democratic success Linked
TO this. the gentleman who by INSCRIPTIONS
shrewdness and constituencies daring has
achieved disgraceful immortality and won
foremost position in the Rogue's gallery of
the Pine Tree State. impudently and elabor-
ately glorified the shameful transactiong of
last year. which every honest. thoughtful,
loyal citizen believes to be one of the most
infamous crimes of the century I came
away heartily sympathizing with the good
Advent brother who refused to attend fu-
sion caucus. lie said IF the Lord should
happen to come. should be ashamed to be
caught in such crowd
Without questioning the motives thar
prompted YOUR contemplated movement
without beliitling in the least the grievances
that led TO its inauguration: without abatiny
one jot my interest in the cause it is intended
To foster and conserye: reserving 20 myself
the right to join at future opportune mo-
ment, any movement calculated to put that
cause above the possibility of being made
the victim of political trickery or qnackery:
must in obedience to the dictates of nv So
Der Judgment decline any further participa
ton in the Independent temperance political
action outlined in The True Republican"
Yours fraternally.
j. Benson HAMILTON,
Pastor, Hammond ST. y. Z. Church, Lewis
ton.