New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-03
AN APPEAL.

l.
to,s in our party here have required your notice
scarcely has there been state convention Una. mas o
,oor occupied, and OftentEes wearled WIN then' Al
lost however you thought that permanent peace had
I'm secured by the resolution OF the state Convention
f,ssa which established the regular Union Republican
General Committee Of the City and County Of New York
for the wear 1870 This Committee had hardly, however
trayersed twotbrds of the year allotted to its term be-
fore internal dssensOns divided its councils and tore IL
10 peces MalcOntentod momhers, who represented nut
an uconsidcrabe minority upon failure OF their selhs
propositions vacated their seats, and spurned It's aunor
v They have not rcpentcd neither have they returned
10 the organization which you ordained when they
shared, and the regularity Of which they do not even
now, in their excuses deny on the contrary they WIN
drew themselves within tho limits Of small faction; dill
igenty thrust Their united efforts against the Committee
they had abandoned, and cODspircd with the
state Committee To overthrow the organization
which, under your inunctions they accepted, and which
We now represent. Notwithstanding this formidable
treachey the General Committee Of 1870 faithfully dis
charged its accustomed functions during the political
canvass Of that year, and IN due time provided, in the
usual manner for the election Of It's successor In ISL
Elected without opposition and in strict accordance with
usage We are that successor the undsputed dcpos
tary Of yOur original authority delegated by the ConVen
ton 1902 and regularly transmitted to MS Though the
Committee Of 1870. Horace Greeley is our President
The malcoutcuts Of 1870, however having maeNOleHy
withdrawn from the Committee Of that year and refused
seats in the Committee of this, devised ran moi oh! "
constructing Committee Of their own but OF destroying
that which you had made Combining for this purpose
simply a. private individuals without sanction
Of Official warrant they petoncd the state
Committee of 1901 TO dissolve the committee
authenticated by you in lsco and now repre-
scented by Horace Greeley, and 10 organize eNolu
siyely Of themselves General Committee by the au'ho
rity OF the state Committee alone. Strange as u may
seem, Tic state Committee listened 10 their petition IL
was hy them referred together with the allegations ana
tic proofs on which is founded, { select comm'ee
10 examine and make report That report mas peeh
made and though neither adopted nor acted on yet
its recommendation substantially, that the state Com
ittce proceed 10 dissolve present organization and
10 organic the city anew exhibits purpose so alarm
ing and proposes uSurpation % great that We tir
your attention 90 the Judgment with which we are men
accd. aud solcmny ArFEAL TO you in danger which
though comprising now but the City Of New York, Will
.onn II unrebuked involve troy county in he state
Both petition and report have been adverea TO. The
proof comprised within the accompanying afdaYts
and statements Of individuals laid by the state Commit
tee before rs for examination We shall neither cavu
uor dispute with the OF the other; but accepting
them offered, shall state them fairly consider them
caudily and AJAX just Judgment Before, however, we
enter on this task you will allow us ellowRepublcaS
10 solicit your attention and to entrcat your patience
Compress as best may extensive are the charges
that ~ satisfy your must cover the whole
ground But few words should first be directed to the
power claimed by the state Committee over the local
organizations Of the city; and this can most speedily be
a,certane by a concise statement o the derivation and
extent Of the power OF each.
THE POWER OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
A political party being the product Of individual
choice the various local organizations, whose aggregate
compose IL. are equally voluntary. Once however ac-
credited hy the party each local organization acquires
thereby the prestige Of regularity, necessary within the
limits of party principles to the privilege Of representa-
ou TIE party councils Thus, the local organization,
i'm each OF the l2S Assembly Districts into which our
state divided having repeatedly been represented by
its delegate, annual state conventions, IS vol
unary organization whose regularity sanctioned 10y the
party Of the state, cannot be invaded 10y any other or
less authority. Now, the p District Organizations
which represcut the q Assembly Districts of the
city of New-York, having from time immemoral
hccu represented by a General Committee oi the
city, composed prOporti0nately Of delegates from each
the recognition of this General Committee compreheuded
that also of the District Organizations of which il is
uo,ed The state Convention Of 1scG-that which first
sat after the appOrOumcut OF the State into Assembly
Districts under the census Of 165dirccted that the Re
publican in each Of these y Districts having been
enrolled, should he a regular Union Republican Assoca-
ton representing the party in the district The enroll
tuent having been duly made another state Convention
10 1871 subsequently established the ratio Of representa-
tion 10 which each district should be entitled in all nom
mating conventions and in the General Committee Con
hrting General Committees and District Associations
having arisen i'm the city and carried their contesting
cf.ir, for arbitament 10 the state Convention
of 1oG9 30 appointed Special COMMITTEE Win MT
T. NJ Madden its Chairman, to investigate Them
md 90 report their opinion 20 the next annual ConVen
rou. Accordingly, this Committee having transacted
ifs dat es reported the State Convention OF 1869 plan
of ORGANIZATIONS which, on their recommendation, hav
ing been adopted the Convention did thereupon unan
uuu,v resolve that the General Committee, organized
I'm accordance herewith should. thereafter he held and
ieceed "a. the gular Union Republican Organization
NJ the City Of Ncw-York General Committee having
been thu, elected IN December Of the same year, under
thc resolution If the Convention. was duly organized
ard the Committee from which the malconents
seeded and which represented by its successor
of ISL of which Horace Greeley is the President This
is The legitimate origin 81 the General Committee OF ISL
f., authority having derived and transmitted from
no less uoWer than the Convention OF the state less
power an dissolve il. Let Us inquire into the
POWERS OF The STATE COMMITTEE
the creature Of state Conventions delegated With
certain powers confined to the interval time between
them The official term Of state Committee commences
with the close Of State Convention and terminates
with The assembling Of the next in the succeeding year
It's Office is advisory and executive. Its power neither
original nOr primary; is both deryatiye and second
sry. II executes its annual functions and expires
There s not County Organization in the State which is
moi beyond II reach single Assembly District with
which II can interfere. This is simply rudmenta
principle Of al political parties II has been the uniform
rule in ours. II the State Convention OF 1866 and
NOT tie state Committee, which prescribed the enroll
,.pt Of the Republicans IN 81 Assembly Districts of the
CIV Of New York and that Of 1861 tho ratio Of their rep
sant.fou nm its General Committee. When cOutesng
dcegal on from IlVai Geh'iS ~ tf Uu Guy
presented themselves IN hos lhe vi 'd e@I'
rather than intrust our reorganization 10 o me
state GSHn, te@mit' SpO"' of FIVE With Z
M Madden OF orange County for 4, IT, T.. Chair,
10 the succeeding Convention il was the State C9nyen
ton and not the State Committee that tHen ana mere
resolved Chat the Committee Of 1870 (of when the pre-
ru Committee is the immediate successor Should mere
tI4r lr liya al