Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-07-21
KEYNOTE OF THE CAMPAIGN.
GREAT SPEECH
HON. GEO. H. PENDLEToN,
At Grafton, West Virginia, on Thurs
day, July I6, 1888
INTRODUCTORY -4-H

am speaking you Will allow me TO procee
without interruption. / thank you, gen
ilemen, for the very cordial reception yol
have just given me. The Chairman @
your Executive Committee, who inyitsi
me TO attend your meeting to-day, told Ia
that had no truer friends in the Uniol
than | would meet here in West Virginia
You have proven his abatement true.
came obedieRt TO your bidding. / desireC
to see you; 10 make your personal &C
quaintanee, and to return to you my thank
for the warm and constant support Of YOU
delegates to the National Convention.
came to show You that no personal disap
pointnent fingers in my breast or dampens
for an instant the ardor of my efforts fol
the snccess of our party that far shove ali
personal considerations rate the success OF
the principles in which believe, and thai
whoever shall bear the flag on which those
principles are inscribed, 1 shall be found
close by his SIDE, in the thickest of the
| fight, to cheer him with my voice and to
| aid him with my arm. / came 10 urge
| upon You, Democrats and Republicans
| alike, to trample under foot every prepos-
session, and prejudice, and passion, IL it
were as dear as life itself, and, rising to the
height of this great struggle, TO remember
that we have only little life TO give and a
noble, enduring government to save.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE PARTY OF
LIBERTY AND PROGRESS.
am party man. / avoW it, but not,
trust, in any narrow or sectarian sense. /
am attached from conviction to the princi-
pies of the Democratic party. l have
al "a. h;sfnru from ba e., e
the government. In the States | have
found it to be the party of liberty and pro-
gress. In the Federal government | have
found it to be the exponent of that funda-
mental principle of the Constitution that
Gall powers which are not granted are re-
served" 1t has been the consistent oppo-
nent of consolidation in the one system,
and of excessive administration in the
other. Ii has been at once the firm snp-
porter of the rights Of the States and of the
just powers of the Federal government. In
every Yicissitude of our history it has APP
peared to direct US with its wisdom, and to
extricate us by its courage, and to-day it.
stands as it did in 1898 and 1899, under
the guidance of Mr.. Jefferson, pointing us
the path of safety, which is now, as it was
then-the Constitution-the path of frater-
nal harmony and peace. .....
THE NEW YORK CONVENTION THE SYM
Boil OF A RESTORED UNION.
The convention which sat in New York
was an august assembly. 1t was the true
council of our party. 1t embraced our best,
and purest and Wisest men. The roll of
the States was called, and not one was
without representative. The roll Of the
districts was called, and not one was miss
ing. The doctrine of State suicide was not
recognized. The dissolution of the Union
was not acknowledged. Every State was
invited to be present, and every State &C
cepted the invitation. Every State selected
such citizens as she chose and thus it hap
pened North Carolina, and South Carolina,
and Georgia and Virginia sat, as in the
days of the Revolution, in fraternal coun-
ell with Massachusetts,, and New York, and
Pennsylvania and New Jersey and that
Hampton, and Preston and Forrest sat,
side by side, with Steedman and Morgan.
The convention was the sign, and the sym.
Dol, and the prophecy Of a restored Union,
and harmonious people. 1t rose to the
dignity of its high duty. The eyes of the
world we're upon its proceedings-greater
than the Holy Alliance, which snbjugaled
peoples and divided empires its mission
was to enfranchise the people Of our own
race; to restore the Union of our States;
and to maintain the institutions of civil
liberty. For the first time 10 their history,
the American people realized that free gov
eminent was in danger and that the fate of
the republic trembied in the balance. They
had been taught to believe that freedom
was indigenous to our soil, and, shutting
their eyes to the teachings of all history,
shutting their eyes to the facts connected
with our revolution, they had Rugged to
themselves the delusion that whatever the
storm of faction, or passion, or revolution
airy fervor, liberty at least was safe. They
had awakened from the dream. As hey
sent representatives to the convention, they
charged them, as the Dictator of old was
charged See to it that no detriment hap
pens to the republic"
THE PLATFORM.
BY unanimous vote they adopted a de-
claration Of prineiples-"fdelity to the
Constitution !" Fidelity TO the UnioD;"
Fidelity 10 the rights of States !" Fidelity
10 the rights Of the citizens" Fidelity TO
the principles of civil liberty fidelity
to that policy in matters Of finance and
taxation, which, by paying the public debt
in legal tender notes, will lift from the
shoulders of labor the burthens which OPP
press it, and by tightening the measure OF
taxation will secure it the Just rewards Of
cheerful aud contented industry" Zap
plause.
THE NOMINEES.
And the assertion of these principles was
also, by unanimous vote, confded TO one
who is worthy Of the trust, by his age and
experience, and intellect aAd cultivation;
by his honesty, his patriotism and his un-
snllied reputation. BY the possession Of
every virtue which adorns a public or a
private life, Horatio Seymour stands the
first of statesmen; and his explicit deela-
ration that he approves every line of those
resolutions that he will stand upon them
in the contest that he will carry them out
in future, wherever he may be placed;
gives full assurance that he will make them
effective in his administration. Tremen-
dous applause. "
Mr.. Blair is an accomplished and ex-
perienced statesman; brave and able sol
der. His father was the nearest friend OF
General Jackson--his brother the conf
daut and adviser Of Mr.. Lincoln, and he /
himself the disciple and protege of Benton.
[APplause.l
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY-WHAT IT Is RE-
sPoNsIBLE FOR.
If any thing more were needed 10 fire
your heart with the enthusiasm which
marked their nomination, let it be drawn
from the contrasts which our country to-
day presents. The Republican party has
been for eight years in absolute possession
OF every department Of the Federal gov.
ernment--it has had the executive, and
the Legislative, and the Judiciary, obedient
TO its behests. Il has had possession OF
every State government in the Union, with
very few exceptions; so few that they
scarcely serve TO illustrate the rule. 1t
has hsd every department Of governments
al power, both State and Federal, entirely
10 its hands II vetoes have been inter-
posed, they have been overridden 10y two
thirds vote. III adverse Judicial decisions
have been expected, the court has been re-
organized by a diminEtion Of the Judge
OF the case has been taken from its cognl-
zanee by 8 change Of the law OF appeal. a
States have interposed an obstacle, their
assumptions have been derided, and their
efforts have been met by the strong arm OF
the Federal power, - e Il .ee-~-
Having thus had absolute possession OF
~.