Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-07-17


cute the war exclusively for the maintenance
OF tne government and the preservation
OF the Union under the Constitution, 1t
has repeatedly violated the most sacred
plsuse under which was rallied that noble
| YOUNGER army which carried our nag 70 VIC
tory. instead of restoring the Union, It has,
80 iar as IL Ia IN its power. dissolved and sub
/ Jugated Ten states in time of profound
| peace 10 military despotism and negro SUI
Prenacy. Il has nullified the right OF trlal
/ Dy jury, IL has abolished the habeas corpus,
tnat most sacred writ of liberty; 1t has over
| thrown the freedom of speech and of the
press; 1t has substituted arbitrary seizures
ana arrests, and military trials, and secret
| star chamber inquisitlons for constitutional
| tribunals; 1t has disregarded in time OF peace
the riSilt OF the people to be free from search
| ana seizures; II has entered the post and tie |
egrapn olhces, and even the private rooms of
individuals, and seized their private papers
and letters without any specification OF affida-
vlt as required by organic law; it has convert
! ed the American capitol into bastile; il has
established system of spies and official es-
| plonage to which no constitutional monarchy
| OF Europe would now dare to resort; it has
abolished the right of appeal on important
constitutional questions TO the supreme judi
cial tribunals and threatens to curtail or de-
| stroy its original jurisdiction, which is ire
| yocably vested by the Constitution, while the
learned Chief Justice has been subjected to
great and atrocious calumniea merely because
no would not prostitute his Office to the sup
| port of the false and partizan charges prefer
red against the President; its corruption and
extravaganza have exceeded ANYTHING known
IN history, and by it's frauds and monopolies
IL has nearly doubled the burden of the debt
created during the war; 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of APP
pointment of his own cabinet. Under its re-
peated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their base, and should it sue
ceed in November next and inaugurate it's
President we will meet as a subjected and
conquered people, amid the ruins of Liberty
and the scattered fragments OF the Consttu-
ton.
And we do detlare and resolve, that ever
since the people of the United States threw
of all subsection to the British crown, the
privilege and trust of suffrage has belonged
to the several states, and has been granted,
regulated and controlled exclusively by the
political power of each state respectively; and
any attempt by Congress, on any preteXt
whatever, to deprive any states of the right,
on interfere with its exercise, is fragrant
usurpaton Of power which can find no war
rant in the constitution, and If sanctioned by
the people, will subvert our form Of govern
ment, and can only end in a single centrallZ-
ed, consolidated government, IN which the
separate existence of the states will be entire
ly absorbed, and an unqualified despotism be
established IN place OF federal Union OF coe-
quail states; and that we regard the reconstruc-
ton acts (so called) of Congress- as such
usurpauons, and unconstitutional, revolu-
tlonary and void; that our soldiers and
sailors who carried the flag of our country to
victory against most gallant and determined
foe, must ever be gratefully remembered,
and all guarantees given III their favor must
be faithfully carried into execution; that the
public lands should be distributed as widely
as possible among the people, and should be
disposed of either under the presumption or
homestead laws, and sold i'll reasonable guam
titles, and to none but actual occupants at
the minimum prices established by the gov
eminent, and when grants OF the public
lands may be deemed necessary for the en-
couragement OF important public improve
ments, the proceeds Of the sales of such lands,
and not the lands themselves, should be so
! applied; that the President Of the United
States, Andrew Johnson (applause), exercls-
| ing the powers of his high Office IN Tepelling
the aggressions of Congress on the constitu-
| tional rights Of the states and the people, is
entitled to the gratitude of the whole Ameri-
/ can people, and on behalf Of the Democratic
/ party we tender him our thanks in that
gard. (Great applause
! Upon this platform the Democratic party
/ appeal to every patriot, including all the Con-
| servatives and all who desire to support the
+ Constitution and restore the Union, forget
/ ting all past differences of opinion, to unite
+ with uH in the present great struggle for the
liberties of the people, and that to all such.
/ of whatever party they may have heretofore
/ belonged, we extend the right hand of fellow
/ ship, and hail all such cooperating with Tie
as friends and brothers.
/ Murphy moved the previous question,
which was ordered with few dissenting
voices.
One delegate called for re-reading.
/ [Great cries of question question ] which
was put and adopted with few dissenting
votes Then the convention rose to its
4 feet wildly cheering,
! Seymour said 1t was important that the
/ convention before proceeding to ballot,
should clearly understand what the two
/ thirds rule Is He was anxious that no
misrepresentation should arise after ballot
shall have been taken He called upon
the Secretary to read the decision of the
previous democratic convention in regard
/ to the two-thirds rule. If there should
be any doubt upon the true operative
effect of said rule, he invited discussion
and some form of resolution by the con-
ventiOn which should determine whether
two-thirds of the entire convention or
| full two-thirds of all those yotltlng should
determine the result.
The Chair announced that he would rule
as was ruled at the Baltimore and Charles
ton conventions that two-thirds of the en-
| tire number of delegates present shall be
necessary to a nomination. A decision, as
rendered at Baltimore was read by the
secretary The Chair urged the audience
to be quiet and repress any manifestations
designed to influence the result of the de-
| alterations of the Convention.
The Secretary proceeded to call the roll
in order to give an opportunity to the states
to present their candidates.
Eaton, of Conn, referred to the gloom
which hung over the democratic party
! at the close of the war, and said that Con-
necticut was the first state to pierce that
gloom by the election of democratic
Governor, James English, whom, Connecticut
now presents as her candidate.
Richardson said that Illinois would vote
for Pendleton, but would leave Ohio to
make the nomination.
Anderson, of Maine, eulogized and pre-
scented the name of Gen. W. S. Hancock.
| [Cheers.]
Emory, of Maine, ON behalf of minor
ity of the Maine delegates, and In behalf
of the laboring masses nominated Geo. I'll,
Pendleton. [Great cheers.
New Jersey nominated ex-Gov. Joel
Packer, for whom was claimed national
reputation; stating that while he earnestly
supported the national government
throughout the war he never con-
scented to any usurpation of the rights of
citizens.
Alden, of New York, by unanimous con-
sent nominated Sanford E. Church, whom
he eulogized as a statesman, and urged as
a man of enlarged experience and man
who has always achieved success before
the people. [Cheers.l
Mr. ri If Pa nv the unQnlmOnS