Year: 1865




GENTLEMEN:-Your letter of yester-
day, inquiriug what are my opinions
upon some of the phases of the ques
tion of the reconstruction Of the Union,
was received this morning. You sign
yourselves as a "Committee," but have
omitted to inform me what body or
organization you represent, or to give
me the instructions or resolutions COM
mitting the subject to you. This acci-
dental omission would be of no oonse-
quence, since I know you both to be
mem bers Of the Union Party of this
State, and, though we have scarce seen
each other for some years, have believed
you to be personal friends Of mine; but
my relations to the Union men of Ohio
are such that it may become of some
Importance to know who are those with
whom you are acting and for whom you
declare, that hearty and honest con-
currence in the principles which you
and the other loyal people Of Ohio
adopted in Convention on the 2lst ult.
expressly as the basis of united politi-


cal action in the coming State election
shall not be sufficient to secure your
votes.


Political organizations, like every
other, are founded upon a mutual waiv-
ing of some articles of personal belief
for the sake of securing united and ef.
fective action upon others which are
avowed as the common creedj and the


bond of union can hardly be said to be


kept in good faith when individuals Of
a party PROFOUND as tests to q candi.


date questions which we're not acted up.


on by the Convention, especially when
such questions were notoriously exclud


ed from the list of those upon which


community Of belief was demanded, be
cause the opinions of loyal and patriot,
men had not yet fully ripened or taker


definite form in regard to them, and tht
time had not come when, 10 the "logi
of events" it was necessary to act upor


them. In the political phase of tn
4 great conflict we have upon US, as il
s the military strife which has just ended
|, organization will be found to be of tn
= first Importance, and though guerrill
warfare has Its attractio ms, am wei
convinced that results will be determin
r ed by the surer if slower march of th
f heavy columns.


0 l have always believed that adherenc
e to a party platform does not exclud
freedom of opinion or of discussion uE
t on matters not included in it, though
r does imply that such discussion shoul
= bo free and friendly interchange {
k views with the object Of throwing a
e possible light upon subjects which ma


sooner or later become topics of In
e pottance, and upon which We may ha1
e to form definite policy. When Il
Il time comes for action, all thorough
lie loyal men should agree to support tn
o policy which the wisdom of the maj OF
II ty may agree upon, unless it shall co
10 dict with some principle conscientiOu
N heidi in which case those who so di
'e sent have the undOubted right to Wit
it draw their connection, not from ca
to didate simply, but from the party. II
30 view of political organization is the o
ae ly one l have been able to find, viii
ds will secure proper unity and power
IN action, and at the same time afford f
be scope for true progress of opinion a
he that liberty of individual thought whi
be beg you to remember, is as much t
ur right of candidates as of those "
al nominate them.


on Our Convention adopted a platfoI
no of which the dOctrinal part is 'ubstA