Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-07-24
SPEECH OF
Hon. DANIEL 8. DICKINSON,


SPEECH OF
Hon. DANIEL 9. DICKINSON,
AT TIE
Meeting as O9OPer's Institute,
IN NEW YORK, ON Tue EVENING OF THE ISM INST.
Nh. PREs.pENT AND NY FEELow-CTrIzENs; Ever
leetipe time has brought us upon another period
,rescribed bv the Constitution for the election OF
bief Mapistrate of this great Confederacy--a popu-
ar struggle known to no people under Heaven oIt
,urslyes and exceeding in interest and Importance
,nvtbinp known in the history OF Governments
amongst men. civilized or savage. lAPplause
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Tpon preceding similar occasions, generally. it
has been the good fortune of that great party to
which YOU and belong-of that party which has
swaved the destnies Of the country and shaped It's
nocy from the days of Jefferson to the present mo-
stand united in principle and purpose and
like Roman eohort IN the best period o.
the mistress of the world With such purposes, such
such united energies, and such harmon-
eus action the Democratic party deserved and won
the highest confidence and gratitude of the toiling
masses-it bore alOft its banner the sacred word
plucked hoary-headed privilege by the
beard and arraigned error and pretensions before
the great tribunal Of the people-it radical in
the refol nation of abuses-it was conservative in
the preservation Of all that experience had approved
the Constitution its pillar and its cloud, and
progress was its watchword. [Applause.l Under
its benign policy our borders extended from the At
lantc to the Pacihc-we subdued and fertllized new
territoreswe civilized educated and absorbed theil
barbarous or semi barbarous races, and nearly tire
bled the number of free sovereign States. Over
shadowng, monopOlizing unconstitutional Fedora
banks and protective tariffs those devices of Graf
and fraud that they might subsist upon the fruits
others labor, have, after years of conflict with IN
Democracy. finally been driven from the field ant
md work Jeff them II
the present crisis, is to yindcate the supremacy
the Constitution and the equality of the States 1t
present Administration, by wise and foreseeln
foreign and domestic policy, was quietly advancln
the great interest of the country, IN spite OF the e.
forts of foes without and foes within, and Democrs
cy was in the zenith of its triumphs. LApplause
II to-day that great Conservative party OF the pee
pie and C0nstitutiOn-the country's safety and Tn
patriots hope-is crippled and divided; if its powe
is weakened its forces scattered 1t energies welg
ed down, and there are forebodings that Its prou
banner may fall trailing in the dust lett be reme
bered that it is not the fault of the party or It's pr
ciples or of its masses that ii is thus degraded bI
/ that il is because in evil moment its managemel
fell into the hands Of the selfish corrupt and yena
vino have betrayed the trust half gained by stealt
| half con6ded them and because in attempting to u
| its power TO advance personal ends only they ha'
DESTROYED its organization divided it into sections al
brought them into conflict with each other, lnstei
of concentrating all its forces upon the enemies
| the Constitution.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
This organization, with many elements OF person
cleyerness bodies evil TO the best interest OF tn
freedom and humanity; it is founded IN sectional u
turbances its aliment is prejudice and passion
efforts calculated to array State against state Sc
ton against section, against man, brother again
brother; to destroy all kindly relations ana hshI
the fires of sectional discord and strife, TO ena
battles of blood Though its managers threw owe
board its great founder and leader Gov seward
Tcheers and hisses1 because he had too plainly
clared its principles, hoping thereby to conceal
dangerous tendencies, its true theories are peicn
by the Summers and the Cheevers, and are reuuc
to practice by its John Browns. 1t dlsturOs ana e
bodies the social relations; it sewers the holy ues
religious brotherhood; it breaks the bonds OF Co
mon political faith; it blots out the great memoir
of the Revolution; it destroys commercial lntere'
and the interchanges Of trade; it degrades US as
nation before the envious monarcnles OF earth'
derives us of our inherent power TO Vlndlcate 0
rights 1t sows broadcast the terrible SEEDS OF {
nestle strife and passion, that the people may re
in due season harvest of ashes and desolatIon ID
plause.l
THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE
PECTATION.
There was never a moment in the history OF
! Democratic PARTY or time when the masses OF
people looked to the sitting of National Convent
with more coniding expectation than When u u,
abOut assemble at OldfleSLDu III isaSNs -
was never a time when such confidence was M
wickedlv. wantonly and shamefully betrayed-wl
reasonable expectations were so madly olasted-
in the results produced by its action. Its proce
ings find no parallel in disgrace and degradat
since the empire of the world was SOLD at aucl
for money. [Applause.l The Democratic al
for its steady devotion to the principles OF the Con
: tuition, the eathocity of its creeds-for It's gr'
radical analysis and its just LOFTY CONSERVATISM
had won the confidence OF the masses, anu VII
s unwilling admiration from its hereditary oppone
and all good men looked to II In thls the eHl gay
our country, for deliverance and safety It's =
veution assembled at Charleston, and organized
business A holy man, arrayed IN the robes OF
sacred office with raised hands and tervent sup
cation, invokes the favor Of the Benencent DE
E who has vouehsafed to US. as people SO III
t blessings The whisper of beauty Is husned IN
: galeries-the aged bow their gray mars IN sy M
4 thetic and deep devotiOn-levity is humoled IN
Ience. and even lurking fraud is abashed and COW
"a for hiding place. [SensauOn. But the praye
over and band of cOnsplrators take possession
= the assemblage, and, instead OF National ConV
e non. a great huckstering bazaar is erected pc
G icaI trade-sales is Opened-management naugu
% ties her Shiny and repulsive court and the once
| Chief-Magistrate of this mighty Republic Is put
| like the board of public pauper az the lowest
= | der. Its proceedings bear evidence of dellber
+ and long-cherished design, Of combination
- ! conspiracy to tie up minorltles against theih'
leave those Tree VINO were lOE tHSlI' "uS 1nu9
tain by fraud or force particular result, rega
S less of popular sentiment or consequences VIII
e might follow. lCheers.l
: The ruling faction had snufed up the scent of f
hundred millions Of spoil, and for them the aun
istrstion of Douglas was expected to ran milk
/ honey, snow-powdered sugar, and nan Mohats
= table life pills [Great laughter,l
Hinder nearly two weeks of this apphcauOT
the forcing process. the Convention proved uneC
e to the emergency and paused for breath por
e of the delegations withdrew, and the residue
iourned TO Baltimore tor period OF some
weeks. for ventilation. The public bad reaso
hone that, separated from the influence that
rounded them and no longer breathing the co
3 gions they engendered but inhalIng healthy IN
II atmospere, they might return ana discourage
IS dutv which they had undertaken. But aostn'
only edged their appetites, and their last state
worse than the first The same drilled, pac
8 machine majority, met again-cOmpOsed OF
a Gates from a portion of States, and assumed &c
10 in Judgment upon the rights OF regular deleg
10 from another pOrtiOn-to punish them 1or some
IL formity to the majority standard or Other III
10 ouency-ln short 10 deny to sovereign DemocI
States the right to return to theirseats at Baltn
he because they did not occupy them for the whole
y riod of their prOtracted sitting at Charleston
question belonging entirely to the constituent
these delegations alone, and with which the
. tional Convention had no business whatsoever
6 not only were these delegations expelled under
: pretcnsions but bogus delegations, made up to
9 The convenience and necessity Of the occasion
10 put in their places. [ApplauseJ
II A decision so abhOrrent to every prlnclpl
. common fairness-so replete with outrage
- usurpation. divided, dismembered and broke W
iS Convention. as it should have done, and as e
Il sensible mind saw it would do and commend
j. NV whole heart the spirit and approve the con
% of the President, Gen. Gushing, who ref
q longer to preside over the tyrannous eabal, an
"a the delegations who, under the same Presi'
- reorganized and placed in nomination Messrs 81
% inridge and Lane.
80 The remaing fraction, made up chiefly OF
81 gates from Republican States, whose delega
Z were the authors OF the great wrong, deprive
4 their head and without Democratic body,
5 ceeded to nominate Mr.. Douglas and Fitzpatric
we were informed. amidst tremendous enthusia:
Vermont and other New England States and
10 whole Northwest, were pedgedto Mr.. Douglas
II iect of course TO a slight eHcunbrdnce, held by
y Abraham Lincon) with deafening applause. La
"a teri Some fatboatfsen, descending the Mssss
IS in rather Jolly mood, passed house on the $
% where they were tiddling and dancing on the pi
The boat fell into an eddy, and once in each
. hour passed the house again, and the boa
swore they were fddling and dancing in e
house for a hundred miles on the shore Of the T
:, while they had been revolving in an eddy and
iiS seen Jut one The Douglas strength is estimate