Year: 1875

To the Editor Of the National Republican:


SIR: That Democrat is willfully blind, or
enthusiastic to the very verge of folly, who
believes that his party can be successful in
the next Presidential election without an out
spoken declaration on the part Of all the State
conventions yet to be held that jefferson
Davis should not be a candidate for President
on the party ticket. In 4 previous article,
commenting the nomination of Judge Madi-
gan, of Maine, alluded to anticipated COM
plcatiuns in the South as one of the reasons
why moderate Democrats had begun to fear
that the victories of last fall would have no
beneficial effect on the coming contest. The
truth is that some authoritative utterance is
necessary to prove to Democrats North that
the originators of the late armed attempt to
interrupt the constitutional relations existing
between the States shall not assume control
OF the Government when the Democratic
party comes into power.


There are thus two causes which prevent
persons who formerly believed in the Demo-
cratic party, who are dissatisfied with the Re
publican party, and who would like TO resume
their old allegiance, from doing so.


The first, as explained in previous letter,
| is the natHra., and, when We look at party
history as given by me IN that letter, the
| logical fear that some party "leadeT'' will be
nominated and defeated, or that, if elected, g,
the succeeding election will place the country
in the hands of the Opposition. If know the
| party, their only wish is to have the grand old
keep controf rTof55FspR 81 He and Jackson assume and


The second is this Southern question, which
have typlfed above as Jefferson Davis" I
do not suppose the party will, at it's next na-
tional convention, nominate Mr.. Davis as its
candidate for President. The act would be
madness, for, while he would probably receive
the vote of many Southern States. think of
no State in the North, except Senator Eaton's,
which would give him her electoral vote. The
danger is that some man as thoroughly and
heartily representing the Southern side Of our
late aggravated and prolonged cessation of
friendly relations, not so conspicuous an actor,
will be the candidate Of the party. This, in
my opinion, should be guarded against


II it is necessary-and l believe it TO he fair
and just-that the lately disafiected section Of
the country shall receive recognition on the
ticket, l suggest that Alexander II. Stephens,
or some other conspicuous but moderate dis
senter from Federal doctrines during the late
sad disasters TO the country, would be proper
candidate for Vice President. II the party
goes South for either of the candidates-and
hope it will for one-in Heavens name let it
not commit the mistake of taking one who was
first in war" Let the Democrats who are
inside the party know that nothing will be
done by the leaders to keep away recruits and
hazard victory or court defeat 1t was urged
in late communication to the writer of this
letter, as objection to. Mr.. Madigan's can
didacy, that he was Catholic Not of that
faith myself, and having no sympathy with
many of the tenets OF the Catholic Church as
popularity understood, yet recall with pride
and pleasure many circumstances IN the his
tory Of the country in which priests and lay
men Of that Church were active participants.
The first Governor of my native State was a
Catholic: (the next one may be:) religious
liberty was first established in a colony on this
continent by a Catholic, Lord Baltimore:
many of the most active men OF the ReyoIu-
tionary war and that of 1912 were Catholics.
1t is hardly in place perhaps to mention persons
now said to be in training as candidates for
the same distinction as Mr.. Madigan, bat I
cannot refrain from calling attention to Gems.
Sherman and Sheridan and Speaker Blaine, all
Of whom, it is said, ane fro m Catholic fam
flies, and none of whom have publicly made
any statement that they were not Of the faith
full. 1t would certainly be the best possibe
illustration Of our thorough be ief in repVdi-