The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-11-05
Rithn1ond 1ispatth.
THURSDAY. ........NOVEM!bbEh D iooo.
NJ p,.aeidential Election.

os majority of the popular VOTE
Tho result, if not settled on the day Gen
| .,-ce,Sr received the surrender Of Cen
oral LEE, was certainly fixed on the day the
New York Convention concluded its ex-
citing session by the nomination OF MI
SEYMOUR. That Convention was an extra
ordinary and ill-assorted assemblage OF
party leaders. The excuses and mons'rous
measures Of the Radical party had aroused
in the public mind agreat and widespread
aversion to the Radical party, and that
Convention assembled just ut the very crit
cel moment when that aversion was OF It's
height. This was probably unfortunate )
for with the confident expectation Of the ae-
feat of the Radical party the amo1'lon Oh
osn;rants to become the nominee OF the
party opposed to it became rampant anu
nresumptuous. The followers OF these as
n;ronts we're afflicted with their eagerness
and impationce. Those followers could
hear of nobody but their favorites, and re-
rarded all opposition to them with lncorrlgl-
b1e intolerance and malevolcnce. PENDLE-
TON came to the Convention backed by q
bodv.r uniformed, if not armed
hearing banners-m marching to the strains
of music, and inflated with the idea that If
their fayorite lacked any force to secure his
nomination they were "the boys" to sup
nlv It. HENDRICKS and other parties,
though presenting their claims with less
pomposity and physical energy, were none
the less determined to fight out the battle
to the bitter end.
Judge CHASE came into the ring On the
point of availability" His advocates
were inspired by the conviction that he
only could be elected-that he only could
bring into the field a Republican contingent
that. added to the Democratic strength,
could achieve a victory at the polls. They
believed no other man in the Union could
be elected over GRANT, and treated with
contempt the proposition to nominate any
one else. But they encountered cliques
equally confident with themselves, just as
uncompromising, and backed by an un-
reasoning obstinacy that grew with ballot
ting and alteration until it Is very proba-
BILE q large number of the Convention
would have preferred GRANT outright to
CHASE. .... .S @
The fight began. The most confident and
bold of all, being the PESDLEToN party,
dashed impetuously into the ring, and
brought out all their power at once. They
were disappointed. One by one the aspi-
rants, save CHASE, were brought to the
charge, and each met defeat from opposition
in quarters on which they had relied for
support. Thus successfully baffied, the
passions of the cliques became inhamed,
and all prudence, all consideration for the
general cause all protested to advocate, was
swallowed up in vindictiveness.
CHASE was held in reserve but he did
not escape the fire of rancor and hate which
the strife had lighted up. His friends
were known, and their man@uvres were
watched. So great was the animosity Of
several cliques towards him that after so
many days of struggling they preferred, as
a last resort, to vote for his chief supporter
rather than cooperate in his nomination.
HoRATIo SEYMOUR, Of all the men that had
been brought prominently forward, was the
only one who had positively forbidden the
use of his name before the Convention, and
he was the only one who had not in the
strife Of the body been subjected to ILL
feeling. But the mutual vindictiveness OF
the cliques had made it impossible for
either to succeed, except, possibly, the
CHASE party, which was certain of success
could the fight be prolonged little. 10
prevent this, those most opposed to him
precipitately fell upon SEYMOUR and not
withstanding that gentleman implored them
with tears in his eyes to spare him-to
save him from the personal dishonor which
the acceptance of the nomination would
attach to him-they persisted in their
determination and forced the nomination
upon him. .-...
The nomination was the weakest that
could have been made. Mr.. SEYMOUR is a
most proper and capable gentleman-a man
irreproachable, and endowed with fine abil'
tiles. But he had not national fame
was reserved and undemonstrative had nc
extensive popularity, and personally was
entirely devoid of those forces which were
indispensable in the nominee who was tc
beat General GRANT. ~......
The Convention involved itself in pas
sion, gratifed its several revenges by ar.
irving at lame and impotent conclusion
and adjourned. 1t disappointed the ma,
ton and struck so great O blow to a power
full public sentiment in the midst Of its
rising and swelling career that it soon ex'
| pired. Ut. .....
There is much more that might be said
of the folly Of that Convention. This is
enough. General BLAIR, its nominee fol
the Viee-Presidency, struck boldly at the
reconstruction measures as Unconstitutional
and null. The head Of the ticket did not
60 80 far, The northern politicians gene
rally followed his prudential course. The
extravaganza of the Government was the
main topic, yet that extravaganza was in
volved in these very reconstruction mea.
sures. Indeed, there was nothing in dis
pute, if We except Office, save the Radical
4ln