The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-16
r,,,,.DrIpHIA CONVENTION
oruo1s FACTS, AND SPECIFICATIONS.
-pps FROM HENRY CLAY DEAN AND
LE' NON. X. c. WINTHROP.

=. ,be course Of the evening Henry Clay
D.sn found his way into the general COM
,...,ce room. where Messrs. Randall, Doc
r.,, hammond, and Judge Russell and
.n,r> were sitting. He then and there
-.,3 with comments, the following letter:
r. H. Del'qatcS Of the state Of lo'od an me
I-.ion Conservative Cdnuotioa assembled
- Philadelphia
Grtlcmcn,- Through the kind conf
alrncc of the Democratic party | have
lc,n honorcd with place in your deicga-
ton. for which | return my profound
ranks 10 A constituency whose views
,rprcscnt and whose kindness have bound
~ for wears together. For many reasons
would enjoy a participation in your delibc-
,ion<. but for none more than this. long tor
the restoration of the supremacy of the
laws, as the hart panteth after the water
brooks, and will chccrfully sustain the Pre-
sidcut in the execution Of the laws ana en-
forccmcnt cf the Constitution of the nfed
States. The men whose views especially
represent will unite with me in doing the
sane, chccrfully: but they will not con-
srnt 10 elevate any mere man to SUI
rrrnacy over the Constitution, and will
;,rm their estimate Of the man by the
Constitution, and not the Constitution
hy the man. We will checrfully pledge
ourselves, our liberties, our lives, our
fortunes, and our sacred honors, to vim
Jicat, the President in his effort to restore
the States 10 their legitimate authority
misrepresentation Of their people. They
vill do morc-thcy will ask no Offices at
his hands, and must not be expected to
surrender any principles. This support
Me Democrats must be allowed to give in
their own way, through their own organi-
zat;ou, in accordance with the principles
and u>agcS of the great Democratic party,
and made our history illustrious, and our
people free, and who have Il majority of
hundreds Of thousands in the total vote of
tie country. These great purposes were
elected by preserving inviolate the rich
lrsacicS Of constitutional liberty which
we're bcqucathed to us by the bloody tes-
fAmcnts Of noble generations of men, who
willingly offered up themselves as sacri-
fees upon the altar of liberty. These le-
racicS may not be abandoned or thrown
away. SO far as your Convention shall
rIrGgc itself TO the defence of these rights,
yuu may rely upon my feeble though earn
est support, but no further. But the
Democratic party stands as an unbro-
ken army, arraycd against tests and
test oaths other than those pre-
,cgihcd Ivy the Constitution, and against
those monStrous retrospective test OathS
which were never written in the English
language before they were forced upon the
country, much less adopted by dclibcra-
tive act of the present Legislative mob
called the Congress of the United States.
sincerely pray God to guide You in your
deliberations, and all that is done to sus-
tain the Government in the maintenance
Of the Constitution will find in us hearty
response. pray that the Convention will
d. well its specified work, and when the
great Democratic party has assembled in
general convention, and will have hundreds
oi thousands of Il numerical majority, your
acts may meet its hearty approval. | need
scarcely remind you that my own Demo-
cratic regard and scli-respect would for
b5t amy participation IN dchberative
body 10 sustain the President where Henry
J. Raymond dictates terms of membership,
who has himself voted against every dis
lIuctiyc measure of the administration of
President Johnson which has commanded
the support Of Democrats and the admira-
tou Of the country. | therefore, with pro-
found respect, return YOU my certificate of
appointment 10 the Union National Con-
Srntion, and with it my sincere prayers.
! am, very truly,
Your Obedicnt servant,
HENRY CLAY DEAN.
Mr.. Dean declined giving me q copy OF
his letter, but after some persuasion he
Welded, making the latter portion read as
follows:
"Thc resolutions of 1889 are the
great truths which lie at the foundation of
our civil, republican system. The great
Kentucky victory is the vindication of its
practcability. The Democratic party have
the vote To elect and the men to lead the
great political reformation and think it
proper that the Convention be conducted
10y the men who elected President John
son-anong whom am not numbered.
therefore return my certificate of election.
Il am, very truly, yours, &C.,
"HESRY CLAY DEAN"
PHOTOGRAPH OF DEAN.
Dean is short and fat, with a loud and
powerful voice, which he is rather proud
ot exhibiting, and all the evening he has
made himself the centre of curious
tirouc, who wondered what the man
could be made of whose fearful oratorical
capacity enabled him to deliver two hun
dred very loud words per minute on the
resolutions Of l79S and 1899.
LETTER FROM HON. ROBERT c. WINTHROP, OF
MASSACHUSETTS, DECLINING TO BE A DELE
GATE-HlS CORDIAL ENDORSEMENT OF THE
CONVENTION.
BRookLINE, Thursday, August 9, 1866.
Hon. LecereH SaltOnStdH:
Ny Dear Sir,-I am sincerely sensible
To the honor conferred upon me yesterday
'y the meeting at Faneuil Hall, over which
You presided, in placing my name at the
head Of the delegates at large TO the Ma
lonal Union Convention. But as | had
previously minated to more than one of
"U' friends, it will not be in my power to
20 TO Philadelphia next week.
am quite unwilling, however, to de-
''lhc Tie appointment without a distinct
expression Of my hearty concurrence in
,.c general views Of those by whom that
convention has been called, and Of my
earnest hope that its deliberations may
,'NaHce TO the earliest practicable restora-
"'h ol all the States of the Union to the
'1TfcI>e OF their constitutional powers,
"." % The enjoyment of their constitu-
''onal privileges in the National Govern
ment.