Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-09


Aftcr some debaa as to whether Committee
of one from each Congressional District should
be appointed to select permanent officers. or
whether the Convention should directly select
them
Nr Davis. thanking the friends who had pm,
him Ia nomination. Withdrew his name.
Jonathan Lsion. Of Marion. withdrew the
name of r. L. Walpole.
Whereupon, the Convention, on motion Of Hon.
Joseph E. Mcdonald. of Marion, By reclamation
caliel upon Mr.. Hendricks to preside.
The Chairman appointed Hon Joseph E Nc
Donald, and Hon John Petit. to conduct the
President elect to the chair.
Being introduced by Mr. Petit. Mr. Hendricks
spoke as follows:
GENTLEMEN: | thank you for the honor con-
ferred IN calling upon me to preside over your de
liberations.
Ii Is pursuant to the usages of our party that
this Convention OF delegates, sent up from all por
tons OF the State, is now in session. custom,
innocent in itse and found to be useful ought not
TO be hastily abandoned, nor without; cause at
any time and especially when the exigencies of
the times demand its observance
Ii has been the pleasure and will of the Democ-
raey OF this State, IN times past that chosen dele
gates should SIT IN council, on each revolving
Eighth of January. to deliberate upon all matters
material or important 10 the party organization,
or touching the public veal. To maintain that
custom raise my voice, and give my vote this
day. am not prone 20 attach Importance or sane
tty TO particular days. except far as our religion
has prescribed. We, To me it seems meet and proper
that the day made memorable by the patriotism
and herUism of our great leader Andrew Jack
son, aud ms gallant army, should not be forgotten
now that our country is in her greatest peril but
that il should be observed by his political children
in sentiments of fidelity to his principles, and in
deeds of devotion to our country
lt Is now nearly half a century since the Eighth
of January became, 10 Us as a people, great
day, among all the days of the year; and | feel
the alluson to il brings up in your minds sad and
foreboding contrasts; that the pride and glory of
the past stand side by side with the humiliation and
AMUSEMENT of the present Forty seven wears ago
Fathers we're united: united not alone bv the
forms of law, and the obligations of the Consti-
tuition but by that honest, iraternal love that
made them indeed one people; and when the
January sun lighted up this land, The earnest in.
quiry was upon every tongue, what will be the
fate of New Orleans this dayy Will that Capt.
tai of our late acquisition become the prey OF a
soldiery imbruted by the cry of booty and
beauty" The setting OF that day threw
back his rays upon the banner of our country
floating over victorious field: and as the news
ran from the border settlements over the towns
and cities and States, wild shout OF JOY went
up, from people of one heart. As deep and
earnest the love of that day, so profound
and implacable is becoming the enmity of the
present. Fanaticism, big0try and sectional ha-
tired doing their work of evil upon great a
generous and noble people.
The prpnriety and nolicv of holdinr this Com
vention have been much discussed; but to me it
has seemed most proper and polite. The Demo
cratic party, with well defined system of politi
cal principles and animated by an intense devo-
ton to the interests and honor of the country,
comes down to US from the early days of the Re
public, with history intimately identified with
our progress, and the greatness we have achieved
as a people Bold confident, and determined
the Democratic party has always assumed and
occupied It's position upon every question, affect
ing either tie honor OF the Government or the
prosperity of the people. Ii has never sought to
avoid the responsibility which, because of its in
fuence and its power, of right belonged to il;
and when its mighty weight has been thrown for
or against any particular system of public policy,
it has been felt throughout the whole framework
OF government. ! do not mention these things
TO boast thereof. but that, as stand in the pre-
sence of the past, invoking its spirit, and feeling
its power, We may be stimulated to follow where
duty beckons. whatever dangers beset the way
DO We not now hear the walng cry of our cOun-
try! And does not the sobbing voice of civil
liberty, coming from out the ruins of a violated
Constitution, and the broken pillars of our nsti-
tons call Us to the reScueG Then let the word
pass along The serried ranks of the Democracy
Every TO his post, every man for his country
1.-THE Democratic organization he not maintain
Ell, then where are the hundreds of thousands oil
honest, conservative and patriotic citizens who
have heretofore acted with the Republican party
but who now regard the success of that party a:
public calamity, To go, that their influence mas
be exerted for the salvation of the country? The,
will 90 with US, if we but maintain our organiza
ton, and occupy wise and patriotic position.
But if we abandon our organization. under the
false cry of no party, in whose hands do we leav,
the State and Federal Government. and the right,
and interests of the peopleg In the hands OF tn,
leaders of the Republican party, the most pro
scriptIve and Indifferent ever known To the coun
try-the very men who for years have laborei &c
build up a sectional party-who for the sake oil
political power and by the arts and appeals of til,
dcmagosue, have taught the people OF the NORTH
that they have separate and opposing interests tC
the people of the South-who, by appeals to sec
tional pride and prejudice have excited, first jeal
ousy, and then hatred, until now the power OF tn,
sections is embodied in terrible armies, ready t.
join in the death grapple-who, late as las
winter and spring. when the storm coming
and the sky growing black. refused ant
spurned every proposition of adjustment. tha
would have Queed the storm, swept the dark
clouds away and again let in the bright sunshin,
of pe,ce-who, when Virginia and kentuck,
called for peace Congress, that terms OF concil
iation and peace might be made. refused to lie
spond in the spirit of the call and dsregardins tht
democratic conservative sentiment OF the North
aDaliuted a controlling number of the delegates
distinguished foe their purity rancor. and known
to be opposed to all Cancellation and compromise
Can we then, as patriots without an effort to saw,
il, surrender country to the control of par
ty, whose history, thus tar, is written in failure
in corruption, and in public rum! May not ga,
in failure when in vain | ask for good act o
that party. one single measure of its adoption tina
adds to the prosperity of the people, or = th,
greatness of the country All men will say. il
failure, when the results OF Republican, rule az
examined by the light oi promises made bebDr
/, the deterioration the good times promised ar,
Y compared with the hard times brought May no
say in corruption. when the factions OF that part
contend in mutual accusations of more enOrmou
fraud and pecnlatI0Ds-shen the supporters o
Fremont throw back the charges preferred an'
proven against him, by the extraordinary defense
that the sinperS and miners. AT ana about Wash
inston the C.tinercns the " eeds the ele~es. tn
Morgans and the Cummngses, are more hagran
p,undeIers OF the treasury than the ca 'sfoliow
ers OF Fremont-wheD tins reekBS corruption j
not confined tn the miserable wreuhes whO~el