The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-09-04
THE NEW YORK swINDLE."

The above lie the name by which the New
York Tammany Hall convention lie designated
among War Democrats and Conservatives,
and history will SO characterize II. Not
only arc the thousands OF representative
men who constituted the ''outsiders" In At.
tendance upon that convention, who anx.
lousy watched its deliberations and awaited
hopefully its final decision dissatisfied and
disguised. but deiegdies who came from doubt
full congressional districts in New England,
the Middle and Western States, as well as
many men from the South, feel and know
that the nomination OF Seymour was 8
swindle. There were great many shrewd
politicians in attendance upon the Tammany
cOuN Cntion, but they were not there as dele
gates, but as outsiders. They were "wsr
Democrats" Conservative Republicans" and
the members of the Soldiers and Sailors
convention" They constituted the brain OF
the combined Sssemblage In New York on the
Ith of July. Unfortunately for themselves,
and the other disappointed ones, they had no
votes in the Tammany convention, but en-.
teavored TO control Its nominations by night
and morning caucuseB In State delegations At
the different hotels. To offset this Vallandig.
ham and Pugh and others got the mselyes voted
Into the Ohio delegation on account OF the
want OF timber or brain In the conyention. II
turned out that this very yallandighan, who
could not get elected q delegate by the people
OF his own district managed to get himself
voted into the delegation In New York before
the convention assembled. This was a swim
die, and this very same man produced the
panic N the convention which resulted In the
nomination Of seymour
Had the delegates kept faith with their out.
side friends, from whom they expected SUP.
Iurtnu IN apl ~ tbo all L.
November, they would have nominated either
Andrew Johnson, whose iron will in resisting
Congress bresthed life into the carcass Of the
dead and damned disloyal Democracy; or Sa.-
mon p Chase, whose knowledge Of finances |
nhwhose lifelong sympathy and labor for the |
sights Of all men, 10 aic his name the synonym |
ofpol!tical economy and universal freedom; or
winneld :. Hancock, whose military achieve
ments elected the richest sncomiumsi or
John A. Dix, the purity Of whose private
life and public record made Tammauy Democ.
racy turn up its nose or David Davis, whose
eminent services As n jurist, and whose great
moral worth Rs citizen are not doubted; or
Thomas a. Hendricks, whose consistent war
record and generally courteous department In
the able and faithful performance Of his public
duties have always commanded the warm
esteem Of his Senatorial associates. Had the
Tanmany delegates kept faith, we repeat, the
convention would have nominated one OF the
men named. In doing 40, they would have
respected the wishes OF the conservative
Masses they would have kept their word with
the Cooper Institute Soldlers' and Sailors
Convention, tie adjournment OF which killed
Hancock; they would have made manly con-
ccss!on 10 the war Democrats who composed
part Of the great national Union party that
elected Lincoln and Johnson In 1884 they
1T
much to be admired In these times, especially
II they had selected the frst.named shove, for
reasons already stated they would have con.
centrsted force and wisdom had they nomi-
mated the second; they would have catered to
the pride Of the soldier, had they selected the
third and so on to the end Of the list,
The Tammsny Convention disappointed all
the balance of power" men, who went 10 New
York expecting that they would be reoog-
ni7ed. The first cold blooded act Of the
democracy" In Tam many was to assassInate
Its political creator, Andrew Johnson. The
next was to procure the adjournment of the
Soldiers and Sailors Convention with prom.
ises that Hancock would DO the nominee. This
accomplished, the next thing the Tammany
democracy did was to slaughter Hancock. |
Seymour did the decd himself, by declaring
the Convention adjourned against the fact
hendricks was the next victim, and the PEN |
dletOnians of Ohio, alarmed at his rapid rise |
IN the balloting, threw their entire vote for |
Seymour. This startled the New York dele
CATION, the solid vote of which was TO be given
Tor Chase at the next ballot. It could not be
helped. The statesman OF Tammany Hall
and the President OF the Convention himself
WAS before that body, and as y matter OF
courtesy New York changed her vote for Scy-
mour, having first cast It In that very
ballot for Hendricks This was the death
blow TO the latter, and proved to be the final
vote for President, AS the change by New York
from Hendricks to Seymour created panic,
and nominated him. In this scramble Chase,
who had never appeared much on the surface,
went to the hottOml
1t IN probably u fact that Mr.. Chase, who
seemed to have little or no strength In the
Tammany convention, really had u stronger
reserve strength than any other man. Fair
play would have nominated him. The
Ohloans created = panic to kill Hendricks,
and Nallandgham took advantage of It and
procured the nomination Of one Of his own
strIpc-a cOpporhead-snd thereby swindled
all the "war Democrats" and conservative
hepuhlcans" and soldiers and sailors, who
were assured that the convention would nom.
inate heightened loyRlist, II not a prominent
soldier. So much for "thG New York swim |
die" The fate ui all aueh nominations await.
it-totRl and disgrAcetul defeat.
-asfHrst 1nS 500