Litchfield enquirer., 1868-07-23
THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.

Your correspondent could not we'll let the great Tammany Convention go by without peep at it. The Friday evenin 2 train from the Capital bore him one of a thousand persons on q train Of seventeen cars toward the commercial, and for a few days at least, the political centre Of the na- 1 tion. Almost every man, woman and child had an excursion ticket on which was printed the announcement that is was is- sued expressly for the delegates to the De- mocratic Convention. We, of course. were all supposed to be delegates, or families and friends of delegates. Yet in the cars were several groups of persons who were in tending to push forward to New England or the West on varied errands, stopping in New York only long enough to sell the re- turn ticket, which they could not use. Del egates and visitors to the Convention. l judge, constituted not more than one ln ten who purchased half passage tickets. A brisk business was done in New York on the return half of tickets. Still the train s brought large numbers of actual visitors to the Convention. The Democratic Con- mittee resolved to make the convention the largest ever held in the United States, and I presume they did it. They intended to rouse great and prevailing enthusiasm in their excitable ranks and give an impulse to the campaign which would set them grandly forward toward victory. The mot ley crowd that poured into and surged about the convention were of the genuine Democracy. They were loud -mouthed, boastful, confident. They were brimfull of enthusiasm on the first day. The pre- parations were costly, the decorations elab- ed sta5uar.e .estefpl flags drapssaaf and festoon- sion made up a charming and inspiring picture. No expense was spared to provide the minutest thing which could add to the impressiveness of the scene, or increase the ardor of the throng. No man who saw the opening of the convention will ever forget 1t. Could the business have been finished on that day, or even on Monday, the con- vention would have been the greatest suc- cess of the sort ever organized. But dis tressfu1 days and wakeful nights made fearful havoc both of spirit and of num- bers. The depressing heat wilted many; the fate of favorite candidates '' disgrunt- led' many; the platform sickened not few; the nominations reduced them to ab- solute and woful dejection; side causes also made deep ravages. The liberal shouting for gaining candidates and the still more liberal cursing at the fate of favorites, en- gendered thirst which was redoubled by the fiery draught, till hundreds were half mad, then wholly drunk. The seductions of the great city, too feebly resisted, left not a few prostrate and penniless. Lucky for such that the return ticket remained. They could dodge hotel bill, borrow quar- ter to buy crackers to eat on the road. and speed home, and so they went. Scores got sick from blended dissipation and exhaus- | fEaf fho were so few. The visitors, strength and money going fast, began to leave by Mon day. Tuesday the ebb tide was strong. By Thursday not two-thirds of the delegates were present, while New York itself fur nished the bulk of the spectators. But New York IS inexhaustible, and the crowds of unwashed failed not.
 The delegates departed not as they came. Beastful, radiant, gushing, confident of victory, each with his man, they came-a vociferous crowd. They departed singly or in squads, intent on getting back to busi- ness. Such singular devotedness to their private affairs was never before exhibited by the majority of them. The fact is, the majority were played out' in cash and in strength, and every one was somehow dis appointed. The East is disturbed at the platform, and tue West dissatisfied with the nominee. The friends of score of little great men have expended much breath and some money in vain. The tail of the ticket, Blair, suits nobody, on reflection, but Republicans. Had the delegates talk en the second thought before the first, they would not have nominated him. Buta soldier and a recruit they wanted. In Blair they had both. The majority felt just then the exact truth, that it did not make much difference who was selected So Blair got it. But in an hour they saw that that they had made bad matter worse. And so the evening meetings were compar atively spiritless. They felt defeat in their bones. Their hurrahs were hollow, and their prolonged observations of complete satisfaction sounded more like heightened walls. The fact is, and nobody can gain say 1t, the delegates and hangers on are dissatisfied, discouraged and demoralized.
 IN WASHINGTON
 Here, as elsewhere, there are prodigious efforts to smile and be satisfied. But Dem ocratic satisfaction makes no hearty up- roar. Of course the campaign is to go for ward. Seymour is a strong man, and an irrepressible worker. But the Convention which was to pay ten times over for it's vast expense and trouble, by the unity and ardor awakened, has proved failure. The Democrats must fight the campaign stub bornly, and manufacture enthusiasm by To- cal and desperate efforts. Without enthu- siasm, the Democratic party is nothing.
 Hendricks took the result cheerfully. He is philosopher in his way. The Senators
 like him, for he is both capable and gen. ial man. Had he been nominated and elected, the Senate would readily arrange With him, and have peace. With Pendle- ton or Chase they would fight as incessant- ly as with Johnson. It is probable that they would quarrel with Seymour. But Senators respect Hendricks for his ability, his generosity, and his general fairness. He would have been glad to be the candi- date, even though defeat was certain, be- cause it would give him greater strength in Indiana. He hopes to carry the State, be elected Governor, and then reslgning, be returned to the Senate. Had he been on the ticket either for President or Vice-Pres- ident, it would have helped him. As it is, Grant, with Colfax, will sweep the State, and consign him to private life.
 Mir. Chase is sorely disappointed. He is despised alike by Republican and Dem ocrat. There is much talk about an inten- tion to bring him forward, which inten-