Year: 1868

Since his nomination for the Viee-Presi-
dency radical Journals have been striving
to make capital out of the following letter.
Leteyery man read it, and remember while
he reads that its author was, before theayar,
a free soiler, a soldier in the Federal army,
bold and outspoken man;


WASHINGTON, juno so, 1868.


Colonel James D. BroadAead


DEAR COLONEL: In reply to your iRqui-
ries, beg leave to say that leave to you to
determine, on consultation with my friends
from Missouri, whether my name shall be
presented to the Democratic Convention,
and to submit the following, as what l con
slider the real and only issue in this contest
The reconstruction policy Of the radicals
will be complete before the next election );
the States, so long excluded, viii have been
admitted; negro suffrage established, and
the carpet baggers installed IN their seats ia
both branches of Congress. There Is no
possibility Of changing the political charac-
ter of the Senate, even if the Democrats
should elect their President and majority
Of the popular branch Of Congress. We
cannot, therefore undo the radical plan of
reconstruction by Congressional action; the
Senate will continue bar to its repeal.
Must We submit to it? How can it be over
thrown2 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 others to enforce these
reconstruction acts, the radicals by the ac-
cessiOn Of twenty spurious Senators ind
fifty Representatives, will control both
branches Of Congress, and his administration
viii be as powerless as the present one of
Dir. johnson.


There is but one way to restore the Gov
ernment and the Constitution, and that Is
for the President elect to declare these acts
null and void, compel the army to undo its
usurpations at the South, disperse the carpet
bag State governments, allow the white peO-
pie to reorganize their own governments,
and elect Senators and Representatives.
The House of Represe entatives Will contain
a majority of Democrats from the North,
and they will admit the Representatives
elected by the white people OF the South,
and with the cooperation Of the President 1t
will not be difficult to compel the Senate to
submit once more to the obligations of the
Constitution 1t will not be able to with
stand the public judgment, if distinctly in
voked and clearly expressed on this funda-
mental issue, and it is the sure way to avoid
all future strife to put the issue plainly to
the country.


[ repeat that this is the real question
which we should allow to control US: Shall
we submit TO the usurpations by which the
Government has been Overthrown, er shall
we exert ourselves for its full and complete
restoration 1t is idle to talk Of bonds,
greenbaeks, gold the public faith, and the
public credit What can a Dem0eratic
President do in regard to any of these, with
a Congress in beth branches controlled by
the carpet-baggers and their allies? He will
be powerless to stop the supplies by which
idle negroes are organized into political
eIubs-bV which an army is maintained to
protect these vagabonds in their outrages
upon the ballot. These, and things like
these, cat up the revenues and resources of
be Government and destroy its credit make
the difference between gold and greenbacks
We must restore the Constitution before
we can restore the finances, and to do this
we must have President who will execute
the will Of the people by tramphng into dust
the usurpation Of Congress, known as the
reconstruction acts. ! wish to stand before
the Convention upon this issue but it Is one
which embraces everything else that Is of
value in its large and comprehensive results.
1t is the one thing that includes all that is
worth a contest, and without it there is noth-
ing that gives dignity, honor or value to the
struggle. Y our friend, FRANK z. Blair.