The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-08-07

paid-or they have given him-what
l should regarf- what he regards-a
very liberal reward. 4
Frank Blair was put in nomination
by William c. Preston, of Kentucky
--and you remember that he was a
Brigadier General in the rebel army.
His nomination was seconded by
Reed. The call of States was con
tinued for nominations for the Vice
Presidency. Illinois - mark that,
Illinoisans-Illinois presented the
name of John A. McClernand, a
compeer-that is a man who lived al
the same time "a cOmpeer of Clay
and Webster. believe McClernand
is like Clay and Webster in that re
spect. Great applause. He lived
at the same time. He was the dis
tinguished General of the late war
whose brain conceived the capture OF
Vicksburg. The whole credit of that
achievement was given TO a much in
ferior man! That inferior man was
Grant shouts of laughter, the great
man is McClernand. An Illinois del
egate said that. But that wouldn't
do, Col. McClernand rose to thank
the Convention, and asked the Con-
vention to withdraw his name. He
had no ambition, except to assist in
leading the country from the power
which now binds it The soldiers
and sailors were not all for sham
hero-a creature of fortuitous circum-
stances. ! That means, Grant. For
McClernand always insisted that the
Government made great mistake in
not giving him the command of those
armies down there, and l believe
the rebels thought so, ::tOo.-|
| ypplause-"Of course they did,"
And / have no doubt that if the reb-
els had the choice, as between Grant
and McClernand, they would have
all voted for McClernand as CON-
mander-just as they voted Tor Blair,
as Vice President. Applause. To
|return--Mr. Preston, of Kentucky,
made few remarks, in which he said
the nomination was due to the West,
and presented the name of Gen.
Frank P. Blair, of Missouri. As a.
Southern soldier he had differed with
Gen. Blair in the war, but he desired
to say that the soldiers of the South
extend their hands to the soldiers of
the North as token Of amity and
good will. A delegate from Alabama
led Off, saying. 81, as rebel soldier
of Alabama, take great pleasure in
casting her vote for the gallant Union
soldier, Gen. Frank Blair" Mary
land sustained Blair. And when
Tennessee was called Mr.. Wilson in
troduced Napoleon Bonaparte For
'Iest--did you ever see him? ais
a first-rate Democrat now. Since
the war closed he has taken the ben
eft of the bankrupt law, and paid his
debts in that way. "He ought to
have been shot" He is now in full
fellowship with the Democratic
church, so there is no danger of his
being hung for any of the murders
committed by him during the war.
Col. Ashbel Smith, of Texas, also
seconded the nomination. Other
rebels spoke, all voted, but the Dem
ocratic Convention took no ballot.
Why7 Because Frank Blair was the
choice of the rebels in that Conven
ton, and Frank Blair had given them
excellent reasons for preferring him.
What were the reasons
Just at the close of the war, good
men of all parties, worn out with
strife and bloodshed, eager for the
restoration Of peace and desirOus
that the country should ssain resume
its career ofprOsperity, sought to bury
all parties. They sought to reestab
lish the Governments on a Republl-
can basis, believing that then the
people themselves would be capable
of taking care of themselves, and go
forward in peace and quietness. But
that did not meet the views OF every
body. Gen. Frank Blair wanted to
to be the Democratic nominee either
for President or Vice President. 1t
was necessary that he should have
some friends there, and on the 3Oth
day of June, 1868, lie addressed
letter to Colonel James o. Broad
head. Mark what he he says now,
those of you who have heard the Dem
ocratic patriots heard them talk
about the finances, and heard them
talk about greenbacks-for of course
you have heard them. They say
they have got some patent way Of
paying the debt of the Government
without money. Oh, yes; they had
a patent way of putting down the
rebellion without soldiers. These
democrats are wonderfully sharp
men. They can put down arebellion
without man, without single SOL
-dier, and they tell you they can pay
the national debt without money
that they have some sort of hocus-
pocus by which "greenbacks" are to
be made to serve the purpose. To
that subject l will pay my respects
in little while. They say that is
the main question.
Frank Blair says: "The. recon.
struction policy of the Radicals will
be complete before the next cleo
ton" He then goes on to say: 81
repeat that this is the real and only
question which we should allow to
: control us. Shall we submit to usur-
pations by which the Government has
been oyerthrown2 or shall we exer:
Yourselves for its full and complete
restoration 1t is idle to talk of
bonds, greenbacks, gold, the public
faith and the public credit. What
can a Democratic President do in
regard to either of these with Con-
gress in both branches controlled by
the carget-baggers and their allies ?''
He then says: 81 wish to stand
before the Convention upon this
Issue, as it is the one which embraces
Everything else. And now he pro
,, ceeds to tell them what to do. He
!, says: ssThere is but one way to re
store the Government and the Con
stitution, and that is Tor the Presi
: dent elect to declare these" meaning
the reconstruction acts "null and
void, compel the army to undo itf
usurpations at the South, disperst
7 ! the carpetbag State Governments
i and allow the white people to reor
lganize their own Governments. -
a Il l. Al N :.