Charles Francis Adams

ijuiscy. öopt. üö, iï. Daniel Slagonfi, Jr., Cliairmau N, Y. State Democratie Cojinnitier. Dkau Mit : Aboonco irom home bas provcuted rae from answerine promptly your letter of tho 20th inst. If I were youngêr, ït wonld bo an agreeable duty to perform the tak to which you invite me, But I havo not done auythiiig 'uf tlio kiucl for fifteen years, and am uow iu my 7Oth yoar. Should I ccopt one invitation, I AliouUl probably give rise to ctliern whloh would have an ccual claim. My indgnient is, tliat I had botter atay at homo. lot I thiul; I fully appreciate tho impoitauoeoi thiscanvass. It i narrowing itself daily more and more into a atruggle between the people and the manager who holil tho official orgauizaiou of the country for tiieir own oxcIumvo benetlt. From tho daye of tho Credit Mobilior, down to the lant expoBiires mado by tho investigationa of the last OongresH. thore ia ouly one conchwioD to be diawn, and thatia the prevalenoe of corruption ahuoHt ovorywhero in tho Republicau organizatipn. The lioneet meu do indeed niake brave and aiueero effort to reeist tlii Iwleful inlluonco, bt they are too oíten dofoated to taise aiiy jnat hopen of ultímate enecess. Tbis ulrtii;glö has boen going ou for yearo, and no material oliange (or the bette)' has vet been effected, ! The time haa now come for a radical chance, and the Bubstitution of a wholly new influence, tied un by no restrictiona other than the genuino wishes oí boneet men of all partió. ] Wheu in a great popular eonvontíon of a party to nomínate a candidato for tho Presideucy, ono gentleman deeply compromined by the inveetigatíofifl of a ''onimUtoe of the House of Bcptesehtatives come within twenty-five votes of a noxt)íaatf)ti. nííd.auuther, lio rcally did honor to himsolf by íoaíl&s') nd effeciive oxpoaarës of corhipfion in hijrh jjlHcftiS, (Jönld not bammand many more Ih&n 10( votta, ít sama ! to me that it íb high time for a chango Ín publio opinión. Keither ia the case improved by a view of the mahner in which the canvaej has been flarried on. Tho great effort of the Republicana aeeme to be to opérate on tho popular pagaions excited during tho late civil war. In-tead of tepeaticg tho honorable cali of President Qrant, ' ' Let ns hav pcaCe," the ci-y is for raising what may prove ajiother war. And why is thia ? Only because the people oF the Southern States chooso ío vote as they plonse [cheers], withont regard to the corrupt combinations of office-holders all ovei tLo country, wielded by cqually corrupt combinationa of legislators at tüo soat of Ooveniment, to perpetúate thoir own power. Verily, verily, if the people are wiso they will lay down party and seise the present opportunity to make a change. 1 ara leiy traly yours,