More than ever do I feel the importance to our cause of
preventing the Commonwealth from passing into the hands of Webster Whiggery.
This, of course, can be prevented only by a combination—I wish a complete
community of principle would allow it to be a union—with the Democrats. Regretting
that they are not more essentially with us, I feel that we shall throw our
staff away if we reject the opportunity which seems offered of their
cooperation against the Whigs. With a mutual understanding of each other, and
with a real determination to carry the combination honestly through in the hope
of sustaining our great cause, I cannot doubt the result. Webster and Winthrop
will be defeated. Perhaps, at the present moment, no political event connected
with elections would be of greater advantage to freedom. I fear from what I
have heard that these views may not entirely harmonize with but I feel that our
aims are so nearly identical, my sympathy yours; with your earnestness is so
complete, that I do not think we could differ substantially as to the true
course to be pursued if we could see each other and fully interchange opinions.
_______________
* This letter to Mr. Higginson, as well as another to Mr. Whittier, written a few days later, were intended to remove their doubts as to the policy of further co-operation with the Democrats.
SOURCE: Edward L. Pierce, Memoir and Letters of Charles Sumner, Vol. 3, p. 254
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