The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-07
Adoption of neutrality-suspicious. Oh
Committees.

egcutcheons of all the States.
| The accommodation for the delegates Is
ample. ,s
The hall and galleries are densel y crowd
| ed. There is great crowd OUTSIDE 'ainly
striving to gain admittance. Ihere Is
strong notice force ut the doors and IN the
| street to keep the road open and preserve
| GOOD order. The Convention was called 10
order at twelve minutes past IL O'CLOCK oy
August Belmont, ESQ, the chairman or the
National Democratic Committee, VINO wei
coined the delegates as follows
MIR. BELMONT'S SPEECH.
Gentlemen OF the Convention,-lt is my
privilege to-day to welcome you here in this
hall. constructed with so much artistic taste
and rendered to you by the time-honored
Society of Tammany. [ welcome you to
this magnificent temple erected to the God-
degs of Liberty by her staunchest defenders
and most fervent worshippcrs. ! welcome
you to this good city of New York, the bull
wark of Democracy, which has rolled back
the surging waves Of Radicali5m through
all the storms of the last eighty years; and
[ welcome you, gentlemen, to our Empire
State, which last fall redeemed herself from
Republican misrule by a majority Of near
" so 900 votes, and which claims the right
to lead the vanguard Of victory in the great
battle to be fought next November for the
preservation Of our institutions, our laws,
and our liberties.
1t is most suspicious omen that we meet
under such circumstances, and are sur
rounded by such associations, and ] share
your own confident hope of the overwhelm-
IL, "A lat
will be the result of your deliberations, Tor
it is with the American people that our ap-
peal lies: their judgment will be Just. Inc
American people will nc longer remain deaf
to the teachings Of the past. They Will re-
member that it was under successive Demo-
cratic administrations, based upon our ma
tional principles-principles OF constltu-
tional liberty--that our country rose TO a
prosperity and greatness unsurpassed in
the annals of history they will remember
the DAYS when North and South marched
shoulder to shoulder together in the con-
quest of Mexico which gave us our golden
empire in the Pacific, our California,
and our Oregon, now the strongholds
Of triumphant Democracy. They will
remember the days when peace and
plenty reigned over the whole Union !;
when we had no national debt to crush the
energies of the people when Federal tax
gatherers were unknown throughout the
vast extent of the land when the credit of
the United States stood as high in the
money marts of the world az that of any
other Government and they will remem-
Der with wise sorrow that with the down
fall OF the Democratic party in 1860 came
that fearful civil war which has brought
mourning and dcsolation into every house
hold has cost the loss of a million OF Amer
lean citizens, and has left US with a ma
toual debt the burden of which drains the
resources, cripples the industry, and lmpo-
vcrishcs the labor Of the country. They
will remember that after the fratrlcldai
strife was ovcr-whcn the bravery Of our
army aud navy and the sacrifices OF
the people had restored the Union and vim
Dictated the supremacy OF the law-whcn
victor and vanQuishcd were equally ready
to bury the past and to hold out the hand OF
brotherhood and good across the graves
| of their fallen comradcs--it was again the
! defeat of Democratic candidates III 1851
which prevented this consummation, so de-
| voutly wished for by all Instead OF try
| ing to wipe out the miserics OF the past by
magnanimous policy, dictated alike by
humanity and sound craftsmanship, and so
ardently prayed for by the generous heart
of the American people, the Radicals in
| Congress, elected III an evil hour, have
placed the iron heel Of the conqueror upon
the South.
Austria did not more to tastcn upon van
| pushed Hungary, nor Russia to impose
upon conquered Poland the ruthless ty-
ranny now inflicted by Congress upon the
southern States. Military. STRAPS are in
, vested with dictatorial power, overriding
decisions OF courts and assuming the tunc-
tons of civil authorities, while populations
are DISTINGUISHED or forced TO submit to test
oaths alike revolving to justice and cirillza-
ton, and debased and ignorant race, Just
emerged from servitude, is raised into
mower to control the des.inics Of that fair
portion of our common country.
These men, elected 10 he Legislators, and
legislators only, trampling the Constitution
under their feet, have usurped functions OF
the executive and the judiciary, and 1t Is
impossible to doubt, after the events OF the
past few months and circumstances OF the
impeachment, that they will not shrink
from an attempt hereafter to subvert the
Senate of the United States, which alone
stood between them and their victim, and
which had virtue enough left not 10 allow
| the American name to be utterly dlsgraced
| and Justice to be dragged in the dust. In
order to carry out this netarious programme
our army and navy are kept in times OF
profound peace on scale which has IN
| volved yearly expenditure OF from one tc
| two hundred millions, prevents reduction
of our national debt, and imposes upon oul
| people Il system OF most eXorbltant and I'M
equal taxation with a vicious, lrredeema'
BILE, and deprecated currency.
And now this same party, which hai
brought all rhese evils upon the country
comes again before the american people
asking for their sutfrages; and whom has i
chosen for its candidate! The Genera
commanding the armies of the United
| States. Can there be any doubt left as Il
the designs Of the Radicals if they shoult
be able TO keep hold on the reins OF govern
mentt They intend congressional usurpa
ton of all branches and functions OF tn
| Government to be enforced by the bayonet
of military despotism. 1t is impossible tn
free and intelligent people can longer sub
nit to such state of things they will no
calmly stand by to see their liberties sub
verted, the prosperity and greatness of thci
country undermined, and institutions be
oueathed to them by the fathers Of tn
republic wrested from them. They mus
see that conservative and national princi
pies of liberal progressive Democracy ar
the only safeguards of the republic.
Gentlemen of the Convention, your coun
try looks to you to stay the tide of disin