Year: 1876




Him ia His COun-


try's Cause.


The following letter from Gen'l
Mcclellan to a friend was recently
published in the New York papers


CoBCRG, CAN, Aug. Is. 1S76.-l
My Dear Sir: Your very kind letter
of the 10th has reached me, and
quite concur with you.


Deeply impressed by the gravity
of the issues involved in the ap-
preaching Presidential election, be
lieving that the honor of the coun-
try and the we'll being of the peo-
pie depend in no small degree upon
the result, 1 feel compelled to de
part from the reserve that has be
come habitual with me, and express
the earnest convictions that press
upon me.


Under a constitutional govern
ment, the formation Of political par
ties is a necessary consequence of
the diversity of human minds and
interests. Sentimentalists in their
closets may dream of an ideal re-
public, all of whose citizens are per
fectly wise, virtuous, and, conse-
quently, unanimous; but such a
dream can never be realized on this
earth, and we must recognize the
fact that political parties are not
only necessary but beneficial, acting
as they do as checks upon each
other. Experience has shown, in
all constitutional countries, that
when any party possesses uninter-
rupted power for a very long time,
especially when the minority is too
week to interpose any efficient
check upon the actions of the ma
jority, the tendency is that the lead
ers become careless and reckless,
forget that there is any power to
which they are responsible, look
upon Office as a personal posses sion
and reward rather than a public
trust, and learn to regard their ten
ure as permanent. So, too, the leg
islative bodies become inclined to a
system of extravaganza, which en-
genders corruption, facilitates the
formation of rings, and finally de-
stroys the prosperity of the people.
The only sure remedy in such a
case is that the people shall, through
the ballot box, place the former op-
position in power.


That our country is now IN the
condition just described, is proved
by the universal peremptOry de
mand for complete reform 10y the
people, without regard to party.
Among Democrats there is no doubt
as to the manner in which the
change should be accomplished.
With many Republicans the ques
tiOn is whether they can trust the
professions of their party, or wheth-
ca they must take the disagreeable
step of breaking away from theiI
old political associations, by leaving
the party under whose administra-
ton all the evils of which they
complain have grown up, and act
with the Democrats, who, from the
force of circumstances, must ncces
sariIy be reformers.


have the highest respect for the
personal character and intelligence
of the Republican candidate for The
9 Presidency, and belive him to be al
2 upright gentleman; but it seems tC
me quite impossible that he car
change the organization and policy
of his party. The leaders who con
, troll and shape the policy would b.


the same after his election as now
: and it is idle to hope for any chang
. in them or under them.


1t is now abundantly evident tina
IL. had not a Democratic House bee
: elected in 1874, it would have bee
impossible to unearth the variou
instances of maladministration tha
: have come to light, and it is equal


clear that until the Governmen


passes into the hands Of the Demo
II Gratis, we shall never know th
20 whole truth, whatever it may bC
n and we need to know the truth &
lie to the past, that it may serve
le guide us in the future.


at Believing, as l firmly do, th'
of every consideration of honesty an
d, sound craftsmanship, every true nj
he tional and individual interest, d
IS mands the prompt Inauguration
re a policy which shall, in the briefe
by practicable time, reduce every go
C ernmental expenditure to the lowe
n point commensurate with honor al
ch efficiency: regarding the reform
he the civil service in its broade
II sense, and with it the enforceme
Ks upon officeholders of the cOnvictiC
'st that their only business is 20 pc
is form their public duties, and not
cd manipulate party politics, as an i
as herent part of this reform; satisfi,
lly that it must be accomplished by
of nancial measures steadily direct


towards the resumption Of spec
49, payments within the shortest pos
n bic period, / cannot for 4 nome
- doubt that these all-important en-


will be best, and in fact only
- tanned by the election of the can
- date of the Democratic party.