Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-08-22
! nlaInc,s Ola pas,or,s Opinion.


date for the Presidency sat for several
years, has written the following letter to
the CHRISTIAN Union, giving the reasons
which have led him to support Mr.
Blaine:
quest, to sot before tho readers OF the Chris
tidn Uniop the reasons which have led me TO
support MIR. Blaine. In the first place. l am
bartculariy ar titled with tho method OF his
nomination. II was tino Illustration of the
best characteristics of our American system.
For many years large numbers of our citizens,
from all parts OF the country, have strongly
desired that Mr., Blaine should receive tho
highest Office within their pift. Again and
political craft, Hut ms soon rs our political
mechanism was rendlustcd on eouuder prin-
epIes' Ino VIII OIL tnc peopiG came 10 eNp'Ss' y, @
toico that Tor onco the will OF tho people in
National Convention had not been defeated
by q "unit-rue , or "dark-horsc' lcgerdemnin,
but in square, open fight, the man whom tho
majority so ardently sustained received the
nominating vote. MIR. Blainos attitude dur.
ing tho progress OF the campaign Is also
subject for congratulation Ho has boon pcr..
sistenty sought by the people. Ho has not
dressed TO him with reference to his cnndi'
dacy. While his friends were earnestly GU
gagged for him, he was heartily, happily en-
crossed in his great literary work. Dignity,
solfrespect, openness, manlinoss have
marked both the convention which tcndorcd
the honor and the man VINO received it,
Mr.. Blaine for his own sake. believe in the
man. This confidence has steadily strength
ened through twelve, years of personal ac-
quaintnnce. In the church. In the household,
MS II ncighbor aud friend, tho same rninilng
warmth and truth of character have boen con.
splcuous. lie is n Christian qontleman MIR;
Elaine is q man of genius and learning. And
nm sure am not the only American citizen
who hns prayed that he might not see death
until he had the privilege OF voting for a truly
great mana man of culture, III man power.
Alter the shameless record of the past re-
spccting our greatest men, It is cause for
profound gratitude that true leader ana
commander has at last been summoned by
the people. Tho story of Mr. Bancs public
characlo or which his friends have loved in pri-
vate life is the motive and light of the public
career. In all the varied aud complicated
problems which have engaged the American
people for the last twenty years he has never
failed to lift his voice and cast his vote on the
side with the enlightened consc once of the
country. He has not been quietly, for the
right but openly, asgressivcly, nightly for
the right Let any man OF clenr head and
cltan heart search the record of Mr.. Blnines
official utteranccs, from the Maine Legislature
10 the last act as secretary of stage, and i
challenge him TO impench that record Mt any
that OPEN manly character that all men read.
lily condone.
In my estimation of this man would not
forget that he is peculiarly American, both rs
citizen and u statesman IA TACT which am
proud to say touches my deepest, most sacren
sympathies. Among our distinguished citi.
can Republicanism than Mr.. Balnet He has
everywhere steadily ress ell the monarchic,
aristocratlc idea. He has never failed to IL
thuslastcnly champioi American citizen
ship. dating, as ii does, back to that iunda-
mental, unchanPeabc element, manhood.
HIS public acts have always partaken OF the
color and glow OF his personal devotion. He
loves his country. He appreciates, ms low of
our statesmen seem TO, the scope and signii-
Cance of our American nationality. 1t has
not yet entered the heart of the Wall street
statesman that we are u great, If not the
greatest, Christian Nation on tho globe. AS
such our voice should be heard, our power
felt, in every great movement for redceming
the earth from the curse of bud government.
Two great men, President Garfield and MIR.
Blaine, were ut the head of this Nation for
few weeks. That brief Administration will
not be remembered in history only for Its
portentous tragedy, but for the two great
governmental purposes which were inangurat-
ed. The first, civil.service reform, looked to
pure and Just regulation of the Nation in
terror political economy. The express desire
was to relieve the CHER executive officers OF
an inhnity of trivial personal detail, that they
might give their time and thought TO National
affairs, at the same time to deal final blow
at the system of ''spoils' that was fast de-
bauching tho pubic mind; The second great
purpose was indicated in thc South American
policy Here was one of the first utterances
or distlnctiyely American Christian states-
manship. This great Nation looked be.
with the @ sn.en snasr not
Mr.. Blaine's noble letter to tho,e warning
of what he motives and public acts of such
Nation should be. 1t is n prophecy of the
kind of ministry in which, rs | believe in my
country, the future will be fruitful. Tnis
Government Is not mere business-mans
convenience and servant. This Nation is
dained of God to ends of righteousness aud
peace. We shall never attain the true pur.
pose of our life, we shall never attain true
and lasting National greatness. until our chief
the conviction OF the essentially ethical char
scter of the Nation. The Letter of Peace tcs-
tities that both President Garfield and MIR.
Blaine proposed TO carry up the Adminstra-
tion 10 the very highest plane of moral pur-
pose. Reasons like the above establish my
faith In Mr.. Blaine as man. Character Is
one IL Is not part private, part public. 1t is
all public What we know him 20 be In the small
arc OF his private personal life, that he must be
IN the whole great circle of the public career.
!shall vote con nmore for the man. In the
third place, shall give my conscien ious sup.
port to Mr. Blaine for the sake of the primer
pies and the party back of him The attempt
10 cry down the distinctions between the two
great parties IL utterly vain with men mt all
convers mt with the history of the last twenty
nvo years. STRIKE Il line down through that
history, and you will ind on the right hand
the Republican party and every great moral
N1Ssory which tho Nation has gained. On the
left is the Democratic party in unfailing hos
tility to every moral movement. On the right
Is freedom, on the left is slavery. On the
right Is the war triumphantly conducted; on
the lett Is sympathy with the enemies that
sought the Nations life. On the right is
emancipation and the fruits of the war wisely
Hhrnereu. on the leit is animation with the
master OF the Save and corresponding de.
sffe 10 put on an equal footing the men who
fought against the Nation with the men who
fought for il.
These statements are not tho assertions of
parti,n nn, but simple enumeration of his.
torical facls. One glance Mt the forces rs they
stand arinyed against each Other Is sufficient
proof With he Republican party is tho
great middle class, embracing the large ma.
Jorty of American-born citizens, the agrl-
cultural population almost bodily, the proper
ty-holding, responsible c ass who have given
pledges to their country. This middle class Is
the heartwhose steady pulsation has carried
the Nation In Its peril and yltalzed 1t in its
prosperity. Again say, 1t is in vain TO an.
nounce, AS the new Democratic platform has
Just done. that parties change with time. MS il
10 assure the co1ntry that 1t had repudiated
its history Tie classes that are solid for 1t
to-day give the lie to all such assertions.
These lines of cleavage run down into the
primitive rock. They are visible to every civ
1lized land on the globe The same parties,
the same principles, are everywhere set In
battle array. 1t Is the irrep os:ible conflict,
MS old as time. Principles abide, and every
principle has a following after its own kind.
Names may change, and there may arise i'm
perative reasons for purifying n party organ
nation, but no lapse of time, no juDcture of
circumstances. can ever induce an intelligent,
CONSCIENTIOUS Republican to go over into the