Why He Deserts Democracy

It is a inaxim in business to be contení with wcll-doing - aml this is ns applicablo to politics as business. Üpon the southern question, I wiil say that I took a trip south a little over a yoar ago, and will add that no man who intends to live in the uorth and who is anxious to be a democrat ougbt to do such a tlupg. Ho ougbt to rcmnin at least 100 miles nonh of Ma.son and Dixon's line. To a man who lias lived in the midst oi splendid school houses, and been broughl up under the beneficent influences ol Michigan's grand system of freo schools, and enjoyed the blessings of free thougbi and free speech which is here vouchsafed to all ; to a man who has witnessed the general thrift, enterprise and progress, in every department of business and in every cailing found in tbis land of social and politicafliberty, and who has been the recipiënt of all the advantages which these things invariubly bring, avisit to the south is not very exhilerating to his democratie prodivities. I have never sinca boasted ol my democracy, nor proclaimed that the " solid south is with us." It has not seemed a pleasurc to give my support to a party that relied for its sucoess upon a solid south and the " Five Points ' of New York city, especially when I found this "solid south" so very different froui what I had been led by democratie newspapers to believe it was. Those who control the public affairs ol the south do not reveré oreven respect the government of the United States. They claim attaebment for the federal constitution as they interpret it ; but their interpretation robs me of my respect for it. If the people of the south were as loyal to the government and as true to liberty as are the people of Michigan, emigration to the south would equal that to the west, and enterprise, thrift and contentment would take the place of inaotivity, decay and restlessness. The great need of the south to-day is loyal men - men loyal to the natiqn, loyal to liberty, men tolerant of tbo rights of others, men who love labor. It is suffering for the want of stalwart republicanism. I am anxious to see all scotion9 of our country reconciled, but I want them all reconciled to cood government, to liberty, and to a rigid enforcement of all the laws of the nation. The laws enacted by the states of the south discrimínate in favor of the whites, and are far from bcing impartially executed. The schemes for repudiating honest debts by southern states and cities receives no censure by jdemocrats in the north, and the lawlessness and violence practiced there are never condemned by them, but invariably denied. The norlli is asked to vote for Hancock because of the heroism displayed by him on the battle fields of the war for the Union. If this be a good reason for elevating a man to a high office, I think you will agree with me that jt is a new} a very new doctrine in the democratie faith ; and on account of its extreme youth it should be handled with great oare : for if urged too hard it may wither before it blossoms. It may be truly said that my mind has undergone considerable chango upon this southern question within the past two years. I think you will agree with me that as democrats we have not always adhercd to the same politicnl ideas. In 1861, au democrats, we opposed coerción, and denied any authority in the constitution for it. We havo not adhered to this very strictly - we think the constitution a little more than a compact, operativo only during the pleasure of the statos. Wo opposed the issue of the greenback and maintained that it was unconstitutional to mako it a legal tender. We have modiBed our views somewhat upon this question. We opposed the arming of the blacks and were never accused of being very enthusiastic over the arming of the whites. We found, however, that the blacks did not impair the efficiency of the Union array. In 18G4, as demócrata, we declared the war a failure ; in 1865 we conoluded that wo ruight have been mistaken, though we never thought it right to talk about such slight mistakes. Wo opposed negro suffrage, and Ido not remember that we ever did give it a very hearty support - stijl wc acoepted it IwhcB we could not avoid it) and do not qow say anything against it. We opposed the constitutional amendQients and after their adoption declared ihem revolutionary and void. We acceptsd them, however, in 1876, and Hanoock lays tliey are all right now. We havo both opposed and favored rejuniption. We have said it was unwise to olect republicana to office, and still wo selected the most radical ono we could find for ou standard bearer in 1872. We have bitterl; opposed the elcction of military uien to civil offices. On this subject we have changcd, radically changed. It' experienco wera a good teacher dein ocrats ought to be thoroughly posted upon the political issues of the age, for they have been on every side of all politica quostions that have agitated the country for the past twenty years. If you wisb. to continue this shifting oseillatinit course you may do so ; but u P myself, 1 am wcariod of' it. Thcre lia been no time in the last eighteen year when we, as democrats, could retire a night with any assurance that our leaders would not have souie new political dose fo us in the morning. It has been marol nd countermarch. We bave begged ou leaders to take advance steps- to lay hol of progressive deas, instead of adoptiug thciu aftcr the republioaus had made them popular. The leadora oí' thodeniocratic party have been weak and vaoillating - always tryinfe so'mc puerile sehenie to win. Instead of grasping those living princi pies and progressive ideas that electrif and wiu the hearts of the people, thej have kept us digging iu political grave y ardí for the remains of dead issues. Thoy háve kejit us in the rear shooting paper wads at the republicans in the van and every time we hit the enemy the qnly etïect was to give it a boom. The shifting fault-fitiding non-progreesive and confess edly mistaken course which the leader have torced the democratie party to pursue for the past twenty years haa shaken the confidence and wcaricd the pa tienoe of its independent thinking mem bern. I havo conversed with several dem oerats during the past month, who view the subject as I do, but who havo not the courage to oponly declare their views, bu tlify will be heard at the ballot box in No vetnber. Yours truly,