Year: 1869

| the Republican Party.


MARION HILL, NEAR RICHMOND, Va


Thursday, August 5, 1869.
To the Editors of the Neoo York Times:


Your comments on my letter to Colonel
Jenkins in reply to one from him to me pro-
posing union between what he chooses to
term the "two wings of the Republican
party" reached me last evening, but too
late for response by return mail. I write,
therefore, this morning, for the purpose of
correcting the errors into which you have,
ne doubt, inadvertently fallen for would
not willingly believe that it was your pur-
pose to do me wrong or misrepresent the
party with which am acting.


Your paper is an old favorite of mine
The highest compliment ever paid me was
bestowed by the late lamented Mr.. Ray
mond in an editorial article published in
the Times more than sixteen years ago,
and, of course, have always felt particu-
larly kindly toward the paper ever since,
even when 1 differed from it, which was
not unfrequently the case. In my response
to your article, then, I shall endeavor to
treat what you have to say with all due re-
spect and the candor due to so grave sub
| ject.


It is clear to me that you have misap-
pretended the facts in our case. You will
pardon me, therefore, for short review of
the recent past, in order that I may set
clearly before you the facts as they occur
red and that have controlled our action,
and ask your earnest consideration of them.


The True Republican movement had it's
origin in the necessities Of the times. 1t
was a peace-offering between contending
| factions designed for the benefit of all the
people, and has proven success beyond
even the expectations of the most sanguine
of those who participated in its inaugura-
ton.


At the time when this movement had its
origin there were two candidates in the
field for Governor of this State. One Of
these candidates had been put up by the
party known as the Conservative party as
the "white mans candidate" par eIcel-
lence and the other had been put up az
the candidate Of the Republican party,
with hut little expectation Of receiving any
considerable number Of white votes.


Thus, parties we're at this time drawn
more upon race and color than upon prin-
ciples of governmental policy. To have
run the canvass upon this issue alone would
have been to have perpetrated the worst
possible state of feeling between the two
races, and left no hope for the future. 1t
would have aroused the worst passions Of
the human heart, and left sting behind
it which must have resulted in disaster
not only to the peace and happiness of the
community, but to every material interest
Of the State. 1t would have resulted, in
deed, in the Inauguration Of q "war Of
races" which no right-thinking man can
contemplate without shudder of hor-
ror. How to avoid this state of things,
and at the same time bring the people
together on one common ground of ac-
ton, was the grand aim of all those
styling themselves True Republicans, and
especially of this committee. We saw but
one way out of the difficulty, and that was
by bold strike out on new line Of policy.
We could not 20 backward. We therefore
constructed the following platform, which,
though Republican, is broad and compre-
hensivc enough for every true man to stand
upon; and, having nominated True Repub-
licans as our standard-bearers, we went be-
fore the people and asked their support.
The result is before the world. Our candi-
dates were elected by majority unprcce-
dented in the history of Virginia, and the
people are free!


But I anticipate. Having erected this
platform


/. Peace, good will toward men,;


2. The prosperity and happiness OF oil
the people;


3. Unity of purpose and combination OF
strength to build up our State and develop
its inexhaustible resources;


4. The removal of political disabilities;


5. The striking from the constitution the
test-oath and disability clauses;


6. The unity of the States and the glory
of the Union;


I. The equality of all men before the laws,
and the equal protection of all, of whatever
color or previous condition in life;


8. True allegiance and loyalty to the Go
yernmcnt-


and placed thereon our candidates, it be-
came necessary that we should 60 further II
we were to be successful. The rights of the
colored people were secured in the new con-
stitution. 1t therefore became necessary
that we should assure the rights of the
whites also, as, without this, we could not
hope for their support. With this object in
view, this committee went to Washington
and asked for an early election, with the
privilege of voting separately upon several
clauses in the new State constitution pro-
posed for our adoption. We laid our plan
before the President, and pledged our honor
for its faithful performance by the people.
He seconded our motion, sent in his message
to Congress, and asked for the election IN
the manner proposed by US. The request
was granted, and the election ordered &C
cordingly. The people came to our support
with an alacrity unsurpassed in the annals
of the State. The white mans candidate
was withdrawn from the field, and the peo-
pie rallied around the free mans candidate
with an earnestness and zeal never before
witnessed among us and seldom surpassed
anywhere.


we put Colonel Walker up as q Republi-
can, on platform thoroughly Republican.
The people accepted him as Republican,
elected him as Republican, and SO far as
| know and believe, not one has ever, either
during the canvass or since the election,
spoken Of his success as any other than q
Republican victory. What right has any
one, therefore, to assume in advance OF any
public expression of opinion on their part,
that the people who supported our candi-
dates are not Republican in sentiment and
feeling, if not by profession! Are men to
be restricted forever to the same set OF opln-
ions or is there to be no change in sentl-
ment except upon permission
| If what I have written of these people,
then, be true, could have, in honor, an
swered Colonel Jenkins's letter in any other
manner than I did? Would it not have
been indeed the very worst of bad faith and
dishonor to have answered it IN any other
manner? Time enough for division in