New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-10

| for freedom and equality for every Ameri
can citizen, and against oppression anC
| tyranny in our fair land.P
Randolph was elected by aeclamation
| He said liam aware that the very great
honor conferred upon me by this body il
! due to no personal merit Of my own, but il
| a token of respect to the State from which
l come, and is a recognition Of other cir
! cumstances, possibly adyentitiGus. I am
perhaps, the Oldest member of this body,
and a life of eighty years spent in
the Democratic Republican party, con
stitutes me a senior member. l remember
freshly every presidential contest, from the
first election Of Jefferson to the present, and
can say with truth that | remember none
which involved higher questions of personal
liberty, local selt-gOvernment, honest adj
ministratiOn and constitutional freedom
than the present, or enc which required OF
our party and our people a calmer or more
earnest resource to fundamental principles.
1t strikes me as the duties of this body
and of this hour to wrest the government
from the hands of its present despotlc and
corrupt holders, and TO place it in honest
hands, to restore the citizen everywhere to
proud consciousness of personal right and
all the States perfect integrity of local self
government This, with the recognition of
the supremacy of the civil constitution and
law, will, in my judgment, discharge all
presen1duty.
The gavel used by the speaker is made
from a piece Of live oak taken from the old
frigate Constitution.
Reverdy johnson appeared on the plat
form and was cheered.
Mr. Belmont's remarks were frequently
interrupted by moderate applause. The
mention of Greeley's name was received
with loud demonstrations of approval.
The band played Dixie when Mr.. Kan
dolph took his seat as temporary chairman.
CCheers.1 His speech was delivered with
much energy and effectiveness, considering
that the speaker is nearly an .Octogenarian.
and was repeatedly cheered.
Rev. Henry Slicer, being present, ad-
dressed the Throne of Grace. The rules of
the former Democratic convention were
adOIJted. A resolution of thanks to Mr.
Belmont was adopted, after which a recess
was taken until four O'Clock.
Ex-Governor j. r. DOOlittle was elected
permanent chairman. Senator Bayard and
Governor Hoffman conducted him to the
chair. He was received with great ap-
plause, and spoke as follows;
Gentlemen of the Convention thank
you for this great honor, words can hardly
tell how much; but you will allow me to
pass at once from what is personal to speak
of the great occasion, the duty, the purpose
which brings us here. Two years ago, nearly
five years after the bloody period Of civil
war had closed, the Liberal Republicans OF
Missouri Tapplausel; feeling keenly all the
evils of the proscTptive test oath, the mates,
and the strifes, and the passions the war
had left upon them long after the war itself
had ceased, and feeling keenly the execu-
tive federal power in their local elections,
determined to organize movement
to restore equal rights to all our citi-
zens Tapplause1, white as well as
black iapplausel, to restore local
selfgovernment and to arrest the
farther Capitalization Of federal power.
(Applause.l They then said this thing has
gone far enough, if not already too FAR the
time has come when ali honest and patrl-
otic Republicans must say halt, and reassert
the vital doctrine of republican govern
ment, that under the constitution the pow
ers of the federal government are defined
and limited Tapplause; cries of good, good,
and that the people of the States have the
right to govern themselves in their own do
mestic affairs upon the basis OF the equality
of all the States before the higher law be-
fore the constitution, and the equality OF
all men before the law [applause;] univer-
sal LOYALTY. amnesty, suffrage and peace;
taking no steps backward, taking no
rights and franchises which had been Sc
cured to the blacks, pledging themselves to
support them all in their full vigOr, they at
the same time demanded, in the name of
peace, in thename of liberty, in the name of
republican government itself, that freedom
and equal rights should be restored to the
white people. Great applause.J They Or
raDiZed nearly 10000 strong, and called
upon B. Gratz Brown [apnIausel to lead
the government. They placed him in nom
ination for GOvernOr-then what fol-
lowed 5000 Democratic Republicans
Teheers1, looking upon the success of Jhat
movement as above any party triumph
TeheersL resolved TO sustain it with their
whole strength. Love Of country, love OF
republican liberty, love Of the equal
rights of all men inspired that union;
taught men to act together who had been
partiallv opposed to each other all their
lives upon other questions and in other
times, and without violating the honor,
logic. conscience. or consistency of either
side. This patriotic union was based upon
higher grounds than ordinarily control
political action. LApplause ] Even those
who fought against each other in battle
clasped hands over the bloody chasm ire
newed applausel, and side by side, like
brothers with hearts beating IN unison,
beating strong with the same high purpose,
they helped to bear its flag to glorious
victory. That gentlemen, is Liberal Re-
publieanism TenthusiasmI, and that is
Democratic RepublicanisIn FGreat eIthu-
siasm1 The victory which came from
that union was the entire proscrip-
ton Of test oaths, of pain and strife,
and of all dislOyalty. Ira word, the real
end of the civil war came with that
victory, and did not come till then in Mis-
souri,. Intense applause. 1t redeemed
the State it gave the right of freemen to
10000 men who had been bound and fetter-
ed. Missouri is now free State il this
Union, with all her rights and dignity and
equality under the constitution, and not
one murmur of disloyaIty is anywhere
heard
Bv that union federal dictatiOn in Mis-
souTi in their local elections was over
thrown, and by that union strife and hate
have given place to peace and good Will
by that union liberty, with equal rights for
all men, have given to the State unbounded
and to her people JOY almost
So great was their joy, aud so complete
their success, the Liberal Republicans Of
that State were not content without making
an effort to extend the same union of Lib
eral and Democratic Republicans, and with
it the same blessing OF liberty, peace and
to all the other States. Rounds
of applause.J
twenty-fourtir of March last, they resolved
to invite the Liberal Republicans in all the
States to meet them in national convention
in Cincinnati on the first day Of May. That
invitation was accepted. There was indeed
a greatrespOnse. They came by thousands,
in such vast numbers that a delegate con-
vention of represent tatives Of all the States
was formed, both from principle and from
necessity, to give form to its proceedings.
Many Of the ablest men in the country,
lately leaders in the Republican party, were
there and took part in its deliberations
They were assured that a large number Of
iheral Rnnnhlieans in eYarY STATE and |