Year: 1872

Letter from the Chairman N or the National


Committee.
The following letter in regard to the future OF the
liberal republican party, addressed 10 Jacob H.
Freese, editor OF the Trenton IN. J state Sentinel
has just been published II


NEW YORK, Nov %, 1872,


MY DEAR SIR have yours OF the Sth inst fGk-
ing from me the intentions OF the National aJ0m-
mttee with reference to the future OF the liberal
republican party. 1t seems to me that tlDAe only
can fully answer your question. Circumstances
must determine eur future. In my own judg-
ment we have made a gallant .t, aght. which
ing great victory. We were defeated because
no great issues divided the political parties, and
bring out the popular vote or to cause change OF
administration. We made platform at Cincan-
democracy took the liberal platform and the
nominee. At Philadelphia the republicans
adoptsa substantially 9h the same platform and
There being then nothing more important than
individual political interests stake the moneyed
party In power and against any change, and thus
at AL, the beginning the heaviest artillery was
racy were apathetic; first, because no vital
principle awakened an interest In the con-
to Mr.. Greeley begat Indifference in an / encounter
merely personal between him and General Grant.
we DID not fail because our nominee was unpopu-
Lar, Tor to-day believe that no man in the United
States can boast OF so many personal friends as
Horace Greeley, and no one lives who is more be-





princely in its unsellsh record and its loyalty to
| every moral law which governs human conduct.
III IL true That In the heat OF an angry contest he
was calumnated and misrepresented. but all such
attacks were made only by the miserable gadnies
that skim over the sound and healthy flesh OF the
BODY to find some fostering pimple to assail and
| feed upon. We failed, because we were engaged in
O combat not vitalized by any issue sufficient to
make distinct line between friends and foes.


IL is yet too soon to determine as to the future.
II General Grant faithfully carries out the pledges
OF his party, which are substantially the same as
those made by the liberals at Cincinnati, he may
be the real, though not to us the accepted, agent
| or reform. II General Grant carries out the meas
ures OF our party, consistency, If nothing else,
assail him IL he does for the nation that which we
| claim to be right. 1t remains to be seen what
General Grant will do In this direction. He has
begun well in the Civil Service line in Philadelphia.
Wlll he continue on this road OF reform II so, we
like honest men who claim to battle for the public
good.
When Congress meets presume the leaders OF
our party-Messrs. Sumner, rrumbull, Schurz, Tip
ton and the many others in the two hOuses-will
"point the way" before us. 1t would be premature
able and honest men have had time and Oppor-
tunty to speak. The liberal republicans can do no
better than to be passive for the present and to
watch events II we have forced the enemy, in
se.deience to adopt our own code Of political
morals, then we have already won the victory,
even though other hands than those which we
would have chosen execute the reform But II the
party IN power prove by their recreancy that the
vows made in the storm are to be broken in the
sunshine, then it will be in order to send every
prove by future efforts that the liberal victory has
in truth been only postponed. ! remain yours
very truly, ETHAN ALLEN,


Chairman National Committee.