The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-20
LETTERS THAT WERE NOT READ.

The letter from the Rev. j. Benson Hamil-
ton, given below, was addressed to Andrew J..
Chase in reply TO an invitation extended to
Mr.. Hamilton by Mr.. Chase to take part in the
meeting at Congress Hall yesterday. For reas-
ons best known to himself Mr.. Chase did not
submit. the letter to the conventions:
Andrew j. Chase:
Dear Sir.-I shall be under the necessity of
withdrawing my acceptance to your kind invi-
tation to speak in Congress Hall, Portland,
Thursday evening, August 10Th. Justice to
you as well as to myself renders it necessary
for me to give my reasons for this declinati IN.
have long since come to the conclusion
that the only true way to deal with an enemy
isto view with suspicion what he fayors and
adopt that which he denounces and breads; or
in other words, ascertain what he does not
want and then give it to him. have already
had one campaign experience in neighboring
paw of our open foes. To repeat that blunder
would be crime, which I have no desire to
perpetrate. L have become convinced that
have the very best of reasons to doubt the
wisdom or propriety of measure or project
which is enthusiastically endorsed and mate
rally supported by those who are the bitterest
enemies Of our cause
In the discharge of public duty, not long
since.I arraignsd one of the great political par
ties as having permitted itself to be used for
evil ana VICIOUS purposes,
1t defended slavery; it was the parent of Sc
cession and srebelhOn it was the incendiary
that sent the flame of war sweeping over the
land deluging it with tears and blood it SYM
pathized with treason and sought to parayze
every ttriot's arm 1t robbed the nation of
its dearly bought victory, and built up a for
eign and rebellous empire out sof the forgiv-
en- but defiant and unrepentant rebel states; it
is the champion of intemperance, and the Wit
operator OF temperance workers as hair
Drained fanatics; it has stained our honor by
oppression and outrage which equalled in cold
blooded deviltry the tortures of the most saw
age and barbarous tribe of redmen. BY intim-
idation, bare-faced fraud and open violation of
the sanctity of the ballot-box, it DISTINGUISHED
hundreds of thousands OF citizens 1t has in
the past generation put upon record such a
catalogue OF foul crimes that I'VE cannot look
i'll the face, the most heartless despot of the
whole world without hanging our heads in
very shame; lin this State it bears stamped upon
its brow in letters of living fire. Convicted but
defeated thief" and yet with unbusing eff
frontery exhibits the infamous brand with eX-
uitation and pride as if it were reward of
merit.
Were by advocating righteous cause to
become an instrument in assisting to give
place and power to the party which paradeS
with glorifcation rather than apology or de-
fence the black and blasting record l have but
family outlined; which deprived of the votes
ers, the unrepentant rebels of the south, and
the no less traitorous copperheads of the north,
could not carry single county in the nation;
which is pledged by its natured instincts, by
all Its associations as we'll as the character of
its leaders, to defeat and annihilate every in
terest the patriot holds dear, it would be to me
source of lifelong regret.
Alter carefully bordering the utterances of
the political speakers and editors of this party,
in approval and endorsement of our contem-
plated action, 1 confess to feeling of chagrin
that even by the weakness OF our professed
friends there has arisen the possibility of our
cause being made the tool of dishonest and
hypocritical political schemers.
Added to this the disrepptahle political
journal which not long since so shamefully
and outrageously blackguarded and beled me,
and not only refused to retract its scurrilous
SANDER but closed its columns to brief note
convlcting it of having published a malignant
falSehOod, has already given wide circulation
to my words in behalf Of this cause, and en-
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 all egregious and IL
reparable blunder. When journals of that
class begin to speak favorably of measure it
IS an imperative command to a thoughtful
man to pause.
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 COM
menecd and enthusiastically applauded; as
was the assertion that that action would with
draw enough votes from the Republican ticket
to insure Democratic success Linked to this,
the gentleman who by INSCRIPTIONS shrewd-
ness and constituencies daring has achieved a
dlsgraceful immortality, and won foremost
position in the rogue's gallery of the Pine Tree
State impudently and deliberately glorified the
shameful transactions of last year, which
every honest, thoughtful, loyal citizen believes
to have been one of the most infamous crimes
OF the century. 1 came away heartily sympa-
thzing with the good Advent brother who de-
cllned to attend a Fusion caucus. He said