Year: 1868

The republican party organs and stump
orators have been heaping o vast amount If
unreasoning denunciation upon Frank Blair
on account Of some pretended rebellious senti-
ments contained in his famous Brodhead letter,
and one Ingenious ally of republicanism In this
city goes into an elaborate argument to COM
pare the Missouri soldier with Benedict Arnold,
the Pennsylvania insurrectionists, Aaron Burr,
Calhoun, Hayne, Lee and other persons who
have figured in revolutionary movements
against the United States government. There
Is no sort Of analogy between the cases cited
and the position taken by Blair, nor is there
any just ground for the charges made against
that gallant leader Of the Union armies. He has
never proposed to betray his country as Arnold
did, but has risked his life in its defence when
other men who might have enacted Arnold's
part have kept themselves safely at home. The
policy he avows is neither one Of insurrection
nor of notification. The Pennsylvania insur-
rectionists committed individual acts Of open
treason against the government. The South
Carolina nullifers claimed that the States had
the right to disregard such Of the United States
laws as were Objectionable to them, and 80 un-
dertook to nullify the tariffs Of 1928 and 1882
and to resist the collection Of United States
dues. Although Andrew Jackson, with his
iron will, declared his determination to up
hold the laws, and although the ''Force
BILL" as 1t was called. was passed
to strengthen his hands, Congress thought
II best even in that case to secede from
its position on the tariff question, and South
Carolina only repealed her ordinance Of nullia-
cation after the compromise tariff law had been
enacted. But Frank Blair's proposition Is
altogether different thing. He declares that if
he were elected President Of the United States,
holding the power Of the government in his
hands, he would protect the people of the re-
constructed States In their right to remodel
their State constitutions if the majority desired
to do so, and to that end would subject the re-
construction laws to Che test Of the Supreme
Court of the United States. In other words,
he would cease to hold the South under mill
tary subjugation, and would afford the people
the opportunity to form their own organic law
without the coercion or Interference OF the gen.
eral government, putting them upon an exact
equality under the federal constitution with all
the other States of the Union.


The attempt to classify this position with the
treason Of Arnold, the whiskey insurrections,
notification or secession Is all balderdash, and
an entire ignorance of the subject or wilful
design to pervert Blair's meaning. If the voice
of the people should elect him President
and give him the popular branch Of Congress
at his back 1t would be an endorsement OF the
policy he proposes. He would then be justi-
fed in carrying it out. And this is In fact the
sum and substance OF his much-talked-o of letter.
The treason OF an individual, notification by a
single State or the secession of combination
Of States would be very different piece of
business. In the one case it would be the
general government acting in accordance with
the expressed will Of u majority of the people
in the other it would be minority acting in
rebellion against the general government.
Outside the prejudices and bigotry Of party,
indeed, we believe thai the generons senti-
ments of Che Western soldier will meet uni
versal appreciation Il Is probable that after
the election of Grant the democratic party will
plant itself upon this very platform of the
abolishment or repeal Of all such parts of the
reconstruction laws as make distinctions against
the South, the remodelling OF the Southern
negro State governments and the future per-
feot equality Of all the States in the Union.





the successful candidate Of the democratic party
on just such principles In 1872, If, indeed, Gen.
eral Grant, backed by the conservative repub-
licans, does not himself adopt them as the
policy of his administration and thus give true
peace and stability 70 the country.