Daily national Democrat., 1861-07-25
GRAND MASS MEETING
OF THE
Union DEMOCRATS ON SAN FRANCISCO,
OF THE STATE TICKET.
SPEECHES OF MESSRS. CoNNESS,
EDaERTON, WHITMAN, McKIB-
BEN AND MoCORKLE.
IN RATIFICATION
TREPoRTED BY W. NJ. CUTTER.l

Pursuant to notlce gwen Dy tne STATE EXecu
tive Committee, the Union Democrats of San
Francisco assembled at Platts Music Hail. on
Saturday evening last, to ratify the ticket nom
mated by the late Union Democ. attic State Con-
vention. The Hall was filled to overfowing;
at least three thousand persons being present.
At 81 o'clock the meeting was called to order
by Gen. D. D. Cotton, the Chairman of the Union
Democratic State Central Committee, who said :
FELLOW CITIZENS We have assembled here
tonight by order of the Executive Committee,
for the purpose of ratfying the nominations
made by the Union Democratic Convention
which convened in Sacramento on the fourth
day of July. l have been requested as Chair
man of the State Central Committee to call this
assembly to order. Any motion tending to the
organization of the meeting, is now in order.
IL was moved, and numerously seconded, that
Col j. d. Stevenson be elected Chairman. The
motion was put and unanimously carried.
Mr.. Stevenson came forward, and was intro
duced by the Chairman. Assuming the Chair,
Mr. Stevenson said:
My FELLOW CITIZENS Nearly twelve years
ago had the honor to preside the first
Democratic assemblage upon the shores of the
Pacific. [Applause.] At that time were inau-
gurated with the Democrats of California, the
principles we brought with us from our old
homes. Since that time new issues have been
made; and but once in that lapse of twelve
years have the Democrats been totally defeated,
Those issues were not upon principle, but mere
issues of eXpediency. The principles of the
Democratic party under which we were organ
lied we still adhere to- and they are the same
now that they were then, and the same that we
brought with us from our homes on the Atlantic
side of the continent. [Applause.l
AT this time the mghtiest issue ever present
ed to the American people is before them. The
question is, Have we Government If we
have, is it to be maintained The present Chief
Magistrate of the United States was constitu.
tionaly elected by the constitutional vote of a
free people. [Appausel He was not your
choice or mine, but he was the President of the
United States. tApplause.] He swore to sup
port the Constitution and the laws. And when
our deuded brethren of the South waged war
upon him and his Administration, they foolshly
thought that the Democratic party would give
him at least but lukewarm, ii any, support.
Under that deusiOn they fired upon our flag;
they seized the property of the nation; they
shed the blood of our citizens Tell me where
there is Democrat who loves his country and
her institutions who is not now found as ready
to jeopardize life and fortune to sustain
the war policy of Abraham Lincoln as
the widest Republican. Great applause. !
And |, for one, am proud to say that the De
nocracy in this issue are where they have been
ever since the formation of our Government
the first to resent an insult offered to the flag,
whether by a foreign or a domestic foe. They
peril life and limb to sustain the Flag and the
Constitution under which we have known SO
much happiness and prosperity. tGreat APP
plause.
My fellow citizens, what is your pleasure?
Mr.. Morris announced that the following
named gentlemen had been proposed as Vice
Presidents and Secretaries of the meeting. They
were unanimously elected:
Vice Presidents-Peter Donahue John f. Kin.
cad, Pablo de la Guerra, ohm A. Monroe, John
p. Buckley, Charles Hosmer, Louis Cohen, Yates
Ferguson, Geo. w. Rider, Robt. Tobin, John F.
Swift, Walter H. Tompkins, Jas. G. l.. Wads-
worth, Thos. J. Poulterer, j. j. Papy, Herman
Wohler, Richard Finley, David Johnson, VIM.
J. Shaw, Alexander Baldwin, r. Il. Hunter, John
Kelly, Jr., Henry B. Truett, p. C. Lyman, c. S.
Bden, Michael Skelly, Charles d. Carter, DR..
Loehr, G. l.. Place, VIM. Huetfher, +. p Peck
ham, John Pforr, W. B. Osboru james Grant,
John Harold, Geo. d. Eagle, VIM. G. Hoff.
.Secretaries-J Edgar Grimes, Henry G. Worth
ington, VIM. Gouverneur Morris, p. b. Cornwall
William Hayes, A. II. Titcomb, Thos. N. Caz
neau, VIM. S. O'Bren.
The CHAIRMAN: Fellow Citizens-The first
gentleman who will have the honor of address
ing you this evening will be the Hon. John Con.
ness [cheeringl your Democratic nominee for
Governor ut the ensuing election.
SPEECH OF JOHN CoNNEss.
Mr. Conness coming forward amid q tempest
of cheers, the President said. Fellow Citizens
The past political acts of Mr.. Conness in Cali
forna are sufficient to introduce him to YOU
without the aid of anything can say. [Cheers |
Mr.. CoNNEss said:-Mr. Chairman ladies and
fellow citizens of San Francisco: appear be-
fore you this evening for the first time. Not
withstanding have for some years past taken a
somewhat active part in the political affairs of
your State, up to the present time it has neither
been my good fortune nor my pleasure to have
met u San Francisco audience face to face. In
deed it has not been my course to pass through
the State of California addressing my fellow
citizens; but have rather confined myself to
the narrow limits of the county in which | have
lived, as have on no occasion been presented
as candidate for State Office, and as have
never had the opinion that in connection with
public speech had any talent at all. By that
people whom have been domicied with now
for twelve years past, I have, from time to time
been favored with a seat in the Legislature OF
your State. When placed in that position,
felt it my duty-and felt that | might do il
with ease--to take such part as was allotted to
me, and as seemed to comport with the duty
chat owed to those who by their great kind
ness sent me into the public councils. But INV
taste has not been for making public addresses
ana hehce 10 most OF you, pNrhaps to nearly all
OF you, beyond few personal acquaintapces
appear this evening as comparative stranger
Notwithstanding somewhat long connection
with the public affairs of our State. | cannot
sayto you, in this connection that the separa-
very favorable to me. 1t has given the opportu
nifty, from time to time, to persons | have op
posed in political public life, the paths OF
whose interests have crossed, to malign, mis-
represent and give me such an introduction to
the people of this city as makes it rather bur.
den, although at the same time feel it pleas.
ure, to appear before you this evening. [Cheers
At the Convention recently held in the city OF
Sacramento by the Union Democracy of this
State, was selected as you all know, as a can
didate for the high office of Governor of this
commonwealth. Prior, however, to the action
of that Convention, for many weeks prior to it,
the press of your city teemed with the most
bitter, and might say scandalous vlifcation
OF my character as public man. It was stated
and told you that had no status in the State
amongst its people or its prominent men; that /
had no status in the State among the men of
integrity, or its men laying claim to pride of
character; that in this city ! had no friends;
that there was no part of the population here
tnat would endorse me for thatorany other public
station. The result of the Convention recently
neld IN Sacramento is a sufficient comment upon
tne truth of the statements made through por-
uon of the public press Of your city, in this
connection. [Cheers.] will not spend time to
repeat the many charges that have been full
minated against me by that portion of the press
" which refer, If tithe Of them were true;