Letter From Hon. Chas. S. May

KjlLÁMAZOO, July lGth, 1S72. Hon. A. TI. Morrihon : Mï Dear gut:- Your letter of the llth iust., referring to the political situation, ha9 been received. It is farue that you and I vroie amona the very íirst to move 'va tb Stato towunt tho organization of the Republican purty. For my.sclí' I oau say that, nurturedin thf oíd anti-slavery Kohool of politie?, and castiiijí my íirst Presidenti&l vote for n anti slayery cantüdute, I had the honor in the menth of May, 18Ö4, to drai't nnd report to a lurge public meeting at Battly Cruek, resolutions strongly rocoiuiueudiug an nbandument of oíd political organizations, and the foundation of a now pivrty to resist th enoToaohmente oí' tlm slnvo puwer. This wtn two months before the the groiit c.nuvoniion at Juckson whorc; you and I tirst iuit and jmrticipiited iu the immort:il work of tU;it dy. I ngrcö with you tLat tho great work of the KupiibUoan party is ilout. }, ing its Oandidate in 18üO ou a platform pledging oppogition to tho extensión of slavury rimply, that iu-titution and ita fillios went into (ipon revolt against the Government, ant iu tho w.ir tbat t'ollowed, slavory itself went down before the n gity of aaving tho National lite. Tho war onded, uud slavery deatroyed, the Republioan p:irty went riglit on in its grand cours to sucuih all the i'ruits of the viotory by succossive Constitutional amendments, which havenowirrefocabjy declaicd not ouly the freedom of the slavo, but bis tul! oitizenship 'ind politioal itv before the law. Tho Union is now entirelv restored, every State fully represented in Congres?, the negro ba the ballot Nurth and Bouiih, and tbo lato alara now bits in Congress, on t'ie Judgo's bencb, and in tho Govornor's ckair. It oan not be Bucoessfully queationed tliat tbis sHttles flnally, by soletan legislativa action and Constitutional ainendments, all tbo qaestidns that have grown out of the institution ot' slavery and the war, and which bave boen at issue tweenthe Ropubliraii uui Doniporatio parties, anti most fitly nnd jrrandly doses the gij;r work of tho Republican partv. And, aa it' to make the record completo and put forever nt rest all danger that what has been don'; will be dlsturbed, not ouly bas the South laid down its (u-nis but tbu prcat Domouratic party, in fuil Natioüal Convention, bas just adopttid with surprising unanimity and apparent li-utiii ss, a plutform fully enufiioiating all thoso (jreat resulta ot' th war, and joined in the nomination of two of the most pronounced Republlcans of all the lund for Piöoident and ■Vice-l dcnt. And now what U our individnal duty as Itepub!ican3 and as citizena 'i Tho natuval politiual order wonld bo for a paity that has achieved Ruch rusults uiid rendercd suoh great seivicu to the country and to liborty to romain in control of tbo Oovöinuieut - even, it' for uo othur roason - as a reward for what bus beun done in tho past. Suoh I boliovo would havo been tbu judgmont and temper of thn Ainuiiuau people, and the continued asoendenoy of tbo party would not iiow be throatenod or endangered but for tho most ania.iug fo.Uy aud uiismanagi on th part oi' i fs sélf-oonstitated leaders. Why is vhe Bwpublioan party to-day split in two, and why Í8 töe Demooraiic jjarty ïuoviïig with rennwod energy und power to join the überul liopublican 'inovement and ovcrwholm the present Administratíou r I speak now of the tbe party situution. VVho does not kuow that all this could havo buen avoidod by only a littlo common sonso and toloration on the part of the Administratiou lead ers. More than a yeav aaro it was plaiu that tho President bad divided the party. When Mr. Suniner was removed from his committee the fetling was mo strong and pronounced tbat it wan ooucludod theu that it would be uuwiso aud iuexpedient to renominate Gen. Grunt. But in spit of all tLis, in the $aoe of all protests and warnings, bis runoiniuation has bseu pubhud and effectod, at least, at the oost i of tho partial disruptiou oï the party, by driving out its greafc londurg und thousaudg upon tuousands of its bust nion uil tlirough tho country. Who is bo blind as not to sö that had il Íjuüu kuuwu that Mr. Colfas. or Mr. Biuiua, or somo other Republican etateainau, would be noininated at Philadulphia, iuc ilopubliean party would to duy bo compact, und intact as of old, with Mr. Greeluy wi iting strong leaders in thé Tribune for it, and Ut. Sumner making graat speeches in its behalf, uud (Jan SuIiuïü leading o.; slump with bis eloctrio and couiniandiiig eloquoricü liis greut aruiy of Germana to its rescuo. And the DomoM'atio party, disheaxteiied und discouruged by so 111:111 y - in t:.ti past, would have made but a feeble rusistance and our victory would havo been assured froiu the start. But uo. Geü. Grant must ba nominated even if th par i.y is to bu dest thereby. An,d so the ins:iue cry is set up, " Let Slr. Suinnor and Mr. Greuley go il' they wil] - we can get along withou'. them." Lot ïrumbull and Sehurz and Oasaina M. Olay and Öov. Palmer and Gov. Blair aud all the rest go, " We have got enougb without theiu." What amazing luily! Have we not hero tbc uiaduuss tbat precedes destruotiou? Little partisan diioW sw'öll wji tlu.'ir importanoe and dötouncé a man like Challes Humner, a statesman, standing 011 a iujght that Clay or "Wobster nèver reached, the greatest of Republican statesmen aud orators, the ünraortal advocate of humanitj and the slavo, and cali hini "renegado," "apostate," " 1 leauh erous," "sorehead," simply becausuhi the oouraie to raisü bis voii;e against this btupendous party folly and suicide ! The dog tbat "baya the iiio.ou " seoius to lile hardly further froui U10 object of bia impotent rage tbau such a littlo pai trom the oxaltation of a man like l : Sumner. whose faino iillsboth heuiisphures and v. Etose plaoe in history " Vc u'.n 'vt aiung without them." As a llopublicau 1 protebt agiiiübt sui-'n iilly. I uay, on the coutrary, that tnu party could have got along without the uecesbity of driving out its best uien. But what shail we do? Ton I coniess tlm qaestion i. ful iculty. Never "a Gtrant ntan"in the original senbe of the tórin, 1 nu ueitber, other hard, a particular admirer of Gree ly. If Mr. Aduuid had beun nouVi at Ciuoinnati, I shou'.d have ;tt once supportedhiuu int Mr. Greeley's nomination was a Burprise aud a disappoiutment, aud it theu looked a.s thoii};'n he would not be ilidorsed, md that the oontest would bebetwsen Graut und a Demoeratio onudidate on sonietltiiií üáu lito old issues, lu this case luy duly would have been clear. But now tint. Mr. Gieeley h.is boon iudvrsed by tltu Balümore Conveutioa, and puton a ]lati'onu equally us sound and ;u.)il, iu ui y judguiöut, a th ouo adopted at Phila lphia, tho wiioit. Bltüktion is ohanged, The general situationïs also complioa.■.) by tbe partioular tituation hore in Mictiigau. You and 1 havo been laboring for ycars in what has not been i ui- properly called the auti-Cliandler wiug of thu llepublican party. As in the Nation Grantisiu lias been supplanting licpuLlicinisin, io lioiü in Michigan I dlerism has long boen tho ruling powur. Everything has been made to bend to tha interests of one man and hia particular adherents. This one man power has oL late grown to sueh proportions that it has oontrolled even the minor offices and matters of the party Every man who has opposed it, or who ia distastoful to it, has boen struck down at any cost. With. the whole patronage of the governmenfc to hulp it, conimanding uuiitnited money and unscrupulous agenta todisburseití'or the control of caucuses, the presa and other politioal agencies, it is tnüy a despotism in the purty hard ttud grievous to bear. And it must not be borne any longer I Hut in what wsiy Rhull it be overthrown 't You and Gov. Blair aud otlior good meu say it can not be dono inside the party, and you havo pone outsido the party to fight tho corruption within it. I Lavo been and am still loth to do this. I raake 110 question of yoUr right, nor my rigrht to loave the party whouever in our judgment and conscionco it may seem best and right to do so. I uttorly despiae that polioy of donunciation and intiuiidation nmv bMnff made uso of to hold the Ilopublioan party to:rother. Aathough this is not a freo Govcmment where man can. voto as thoy ohoow ! AVhat highor law has party, ever, tlian the publio good and men's consoieniioua convictions as to what i tor the public good? And yet, to-'lny ui over the country, the politica! lash is being uusparingly applied to koep men in a party which itself, only a fow JtèttH ugo. was formod by boltcrs and -outors " from other organizations and loundbd on the broudest iduas of übertv ; But while I have a right to loave the party whenever I please, thut no man ha any right to quostion, I h%ve eqnally as good ix right to stay in it os long as I please. 'i'iiis right I have exercised up to the present time, all the time being re' to nssume that Ghandlerisin would oomjiol us to leave the pnrty in order to break up its power. J confess the present prospect is discouraging, but I nhall wait until the State and Congressional noininatlons are mado, until I am fully r.atisned thnt tho pai'ty in Michigan is hopolessly in the liands of Chaudler and under bis dirtation, wJien, being convincod of that fact, I shall join you and all other honest an'l f(arless men in tho stragglo against politioül dcapotism and r.orruption, I am, as ever, Yours vety truly, 01IAKLES S. MAY.