Year: 1868

President.


HIS REVOLUTIONARY PLATFORA
Frank Blair's Letter in Full


WASHINGTON, June 80, 1868.


Colonel James D. -Broodheod::


DEAR CoLoNEL-In reply to you


inquiries, l beg leave to say that


leave to you to determine, on consul


tation with my friends from Missouri


whether my name shall be presented
to the Democratic Convention, and
TO submit the following as what
consider the real and only issue il
this contest:


The reconstruction policy of .he
Radicals will be complete before the
next election; the States SO long eX-
cluded will have been admitted, ne
gro suffrage established, and the
carpet baggers installed in their seats
in both branches of Congress. There
is no possibility of changing the po-
litical character of the Senate, even
if the Democrats should elect their
President and majority of the popu-
lar branch of Congress. We can
not, therefore, undo the Radical plan
OF Reconstruction by Congressional
action; the Senate will continue a bar
to its repeal. Must we submit to it ?


How can it be overthrown? 1t can
only be overthrown by the authority
of the Executive, who is sworn to
maintain the Constitution, and who
will fail to do his duty if he allows
the Constitution to perish under a
series of Congressional enactments
which are in palpable violation of its
fundamental principles.


If the President elected by the
Democracy enforces or permits 9th.
ers TO enforce these Reconstruction
acts, the Radicals, by the accession
of twenty spurious Senators and fifty
Representatives, will control both
branches of Congress, and his adj
ministration will be as powerless as
the present one of Mr.. johnson.


There is but one way to restore the
Government and the Constitution,
and that is for the President elect to
declare these acts null and void, CON-
pei the army to undo its usurpations
at the South, disperse the carpet bag
State governments, allow the white
people to reorganize their own gov
ernments and elect Senators and
Representatives. The House of Rep
resentatives will contain n majority
of Democrats from the North, and
they will admit the Representatives
elected by the white people of the
South, and with the co operation of
the President it will not be difficult
to compel the Senate to submit once
more to the obligations of the Con-
stitution. 1t will not he atle to with.
stand the public Judgment, if distinct
ly invoked and clearly expressed, on
this fundamental issue, and it is the
sure way to avoid all future strife to
put this issue plainly to the country.


/ repeat that this Is the real and
only question which we should allow
to control us: Shall we submit to
the usurpations by which the Gov
ernment has been overthrown, or shall
we exert ourselves for its full and
complete restoration? 1t is idle to
talk of bonds, greenbacks, gold, the
public faith and the public credit
What can n Democratic President do
in regard to any of these with a Con
gress in both branches controlled byI
the carpet baggers and their allies Z
He will be powerless to stop the sup
plies by which idle negroes are or
ganlzed intopolitical clubs-by which
an army is maintained to protect these
in their outrages upon the
ballot. These, and things like these,
eat up the revenues and resources of
the Governmentand destroy its cred
it, and make the difference between
gold and grenbacks. We must re-
store the Constitution before we can
restore the finances, and to do this
we must have a President who will
execute the will of the people by
trampling into dust the usurpations
of Congress, known as the Recon
acts. / wish to stand be-
fore the Convention upon this issue,
but it is one which embraces every
thing else that is of value in its large
and comprehensive results. 1t is
the cne thing that includes all that is
worth a contest, and without it there
is nothing that gives dignity, honor
or value to the struggle. Your friend,


FRANK Z. BLAIR.