A Patriotic And Eloquent Letter From The Hon. Benj. F. Hallett

Bbptembbr, 11, 1881. Col. C G. G-rcbne - Mij dear f-i.cn d: - The Democratie State Convention to which you are a delégate, will meet at. Worcester on tho 18tb, onder a judicions cali of the Si ate coumiittee, whictl 1 am glad to see imites all dsmoarata. Bnt ba I shall not be present, I desire to suggest foi tho eaadid refloction oí the delegatee, Bome reasoóa thatsatisfy mu that it is the highest duty and the best policy for the coovention to mako no nomir.ation for party candidates tor tho l.ill elcction. It is not required that the party should be disbanded, OT it orgánizatioo broken up, but that its action as to party uomiaationg should 'oe suspended muil thu ''War" coinés to a:i end ; Tor there is no poi practical question now, tuit " iVar." The Souili has gone beyond rebe and personal tieison, into orgai revolution, and is wagtng war agaiost the United otates to u&jirp and overthrow its supreme government in twelve States. The government is oarrying on war, under the "war-making power1' of the constitución, to uphold akd restore its oonstitutional eupreraucy a!l over the Union. The simple issue is, the overthrow or tho e'upport of govern ment in this wbole Union; and while that is the issue, l am not for opposing or obstructiog any measuro or policy of the administraron honestly designed to carry on tliis war for its great end, viz : the re-estahlishment of the supreme government of the Union in all the States and Terntones. Until that ir. done, or it is fully demonstrated that it eannot be dono by ioroe of arms, I belong to no party but the country. And until ene of these resulta arrive, "the democratie party," in my judgmeut, lias no higher present duty than to uphold the government. The!:, of that graat historica] party oí the Union is not ended, and oever can ba ended while republieao government exists, or the Union is to b; restored; but the people have placed the flag in ether liauds. and now thu miseioD oí democracy is theold ooe, to followitto vjotory. Thts is the grand trudiüon of the democratie party; im the land, uu tht sea, foliote the flag wherever it waves in support of the Union. In this spirit the democratie party did not he-itale au instant after the üre on Sumpter, to commit itself to this " War''1 to tlie utmost oi itfl meaus and its good faith. No vioiorv bug been or can be achieved, and no defeat suffered but with the outpouring of the bes blood of demócrata The democratie party never was and a ever oan be, a peace party in war nor a war party in peace. 3A hen tbejir country is in peril, when tbeir country is at war, riiht or r, they tire ior their country and agaips) . They will oöt turn their backs upon the natiooal standard, let who ;i:iv be:ir it up ; nor vvül they, in the midst of he conflict, endanger the field by u party coütcst for the comfn Ilence the only present question 'I we push on the War for the Union? all other issues shoulcl gtve way uoff] e conque!' a peaCö in the Uiiiun ; lor we must not now talk oí failure or concession. It is manlest that to keep the Union together we must put down the two only dieturbing elemente that have upheavod this volcano of civil war - " Abolilion?' i ;■ ! "il cessiofi!' Bat it is "Secesfeion" that is now in aróla ftgainst the Union, and that must bo met and coqueied with arraa ; and after the bulléis have u me their werk with 8i :he bailol will put down abolition. For ii the cointry can, by by recohstroetion, escapo bo.w froin p3rmantnt disrufitioo oí the Urjon, alter the bloody ljesson they are loiroing, the people will never allov eiü.-.-" ;f those demons oí disoord ;ig;;in to stir op etrife into civil war. It iil thon be the time for demócrata to restine their dé claim to the administraticn o ment, after we settle this terrible question whether we are to have any governraeat to admiüister ! Bat now the democratie party of setts is. oot only in its normal minorjty in thi Sak; and itd occasional niinority b the Union, but bas tíhousande of its rooat active voters to the' war; and who ni' us can talk of a rally at Ihe polls hare for impossible candidates, wbile they are fightiog fvr tbe Stars and Stripes iu Virginia? Sound discretion, theiefore, as well as patriotism, vvould seem to point to no nomination as the true policy wheo tsuch a notnination fnust exhibit only the weaknea and not the fair streir the party. But the paramount reason againet a present nomination appears to n:e to be t'nlj - that a party nomination can do no good to tht country and maij do harm, The democratie party oertaicly does me ia to support the general and State ad mi nis tra tion in carrying on this mi for government and for Union, under th'j constituttoo. In this we c!o not support the President or Governor becau8e they are republicana, but because thoy aro placed by the people at the head of the constitutjd aiitboritiea to uphold tho government. We eannol changa President or Governor by any action we can now tako, and to oppose them in tho midst of the battle for the lifeof the nation, is, so far, to ireaken their hands in the proeecution of this war for the Union, and give comfort te the public eoemy. The democratie party has al way s maintained good faith. The present trial ia a great test oí that gooa iaith Our tii'at positvon (when pens am tongues, and r.ot eworda and riiles were the only weapons,) was "give thc South equal rights i:i the Union, ;::ic there wili bo uo disunion." But thf restless Rpirita of the South, who be lieved that tho co-operation ol the democratie party in the North could nc longer give therti power in the genera government, woüld not take "equa rights" and stay in the Union. They divided us on an "abstractioa" at Charleston, and let in the consequent success of tho republicana, which they immediately seized upon as tbe justincatión of secession. Ti;e democratie party, by tbeir own división, elected a repnbltoan President, and are bo far reeponsible for the coDaeqüencea, and ■ ; I do not care to ecreen myself from any jast censure for niy abare in it. My oaly desire ia that ui', rieniorota shoukl iiow forget tboy evor differed. After the eleotión of President Lincoln, the demócrata and the Union men went for compromiso ind agaiust coerción, in order to retain, at least, all the Border States. Their positiön bas unjformly been that the Union could be kopt togetber only by compromiso. - But the people had elocted rulers who were oot for compromiso; and that administration, after a snrvey of the field, and the sustaining aotion of an extra i of GöDjfreis, has assumed the f uil responsibüity et the positwo thnt. the 1 nioü can bo mr.intainej atad restored by l'orce ot arms; by "war." And now there is "war" for - - - existenco of republioan governrnent - and that is the great experiment vvbich is being tried before the world. So tlint it is plain that we can now do oothing with compromise, and we must either eurcenderthe Union or fight for it. llow long tho war is tn last, or bowïtwill end, ave the present, but Snelt ist'jo "situation," and is t not tbc pl'.iin duty of demcönfta to accept that "situation" ;s the testof patriotism, and prove their .'rood faiti) by throwing ïo 1 'sMb!e ebstaele in tha wuy of i'.s air and most eaergetie trial? Wo are uot responqible for tbe policy f the goveraraent in ta-kiog the positiou of maintaiaiag tho Union by war; but ïaving come up to tbat war afur it was begUD by the firc on Öumptar, and illed the ranks of our annies engaged n that war with clemocrr.tic soldiera ind officers, wo owe it to thern, and, ibove them, to OUT country, to rnakc it as short and efectiva as poesible, by giving to it all the moral, fis we have ill the physjcal and fiscal aid in oir lower. Aud would Dot the moral nfluence be potanl for good whioh must ari.-e from the magiianirnous aolion of tho deui'cratic party in Mus Bachusetts Bt31 reaffirmmg all' its old natioaality, but taking no party aclion whatever düring this abaorbiptf prile of the count'.-y-and leaving to the people, without party, if they sce tit, to take he nomiuations into their own bands? L:t Massathitsetts be a unit, in support of the Union, and let tlicre be no división as to run in this eUction. I have no desire to ii.fluence the fixed convictions of my politksa] friends, if, in their judgment. a party noinination is necetsary; but after luiving been a sírict party-man all my life long, and never failed to depoeit the vehole ticket ot my party in any election, I can seo in this greatest oí all perila of my country, i duty ho mucli bigher thao party, that it is easy tn forget I over belonged to any party. - And in that light it does appear very elear to my best perceptions that while a present nomination tor State offieere could result only in exhibiting the seeniing weuknosa oí the détnooracy by the few votes it could rally in November, without a singlo distinct ar'.y ory - it woulcj íiíve a higb tone oí' patriotism, and an honorable position to the whole party, but above all, a great moyal aid to the v-hole country, il the Worcester convention, in their sound discretion, should go no fartber tban to continue its State Cötnmitfèe for future organization when necessary, plant itseif firmly and rightly in support o the ''W'a1"' tor Union under tho con stitution, and mako no nonv.nation. Host truly yours, B . F. HALLDTT.