The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-07-10

Il
They came by thousands in such vast num-
hers that delegate convention of rcprcsen-
fatiVes 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 large number Of Liberal
Republicans in every State and from every
portion Of the country stood behind them
ready to sustain them; and they were
morally certain that If the millions whom
we this day represent rcheers1 would only
come to their support the number Of Liberal
Republicans would reach half-million
or more. [Cheers.l That Convention pre-
sented q platform and presented candidates
to the cOuntry-for President, Horace Gree
Icy [long and continued cheeringl, and for
| Fice-Prcsdent, +. Gratz Brown [more en-
thusiasm]; and that Convention, for the pro-
motion and SUCCESS of the principles declared
on that platform, there enuncilted, and the
support Of the candidates nominated by that
Convention, have invited aud cordially wei
coined tho cooperation Of all patriotic citi-
zcns without regard to previous political al-
flliation. Those principles were so clearly
and concisely stated in the platform itself,
and rcstated in the letter Of acceptance
OF Mr.. Greeley [more checringl, and they are
so well known to you all that will not re-
| cite them. For weeks that platform and
these candidates have been before the coun-
try. Meanwhile the conveuhon called to
nominate General Grant [1fEscs] and to in
dorse and to continue the principles, prac-
tices, and policy Of his Administration has
done its work. [Hisses.] As between the
Liberal Republicans and the followers of
the Grant Administration the issue is
already made up. It is Grant or Gree
ley. Immense enthusiasm and cries of
"Grcclcy."] While these events were
passing, tho Democratic Republicans,
whom we represent, held their conventions
| in all the States. The Liberal movement,
the example of Missouri, the Cincinnati
Convention, its platform and its candidates,
with their letters of acceptance, were all be-
fore these conventions, which were very
largely attended by their abest men, and the
paramount questions before these conycr-
t ons were: 'Shall we accept this invita-
ton to cooperate with the Liberal Re
publicans?' [Great applause.] Shall we
adopt their platform?' Loud cries of Yes
yes! and some cries of 'Neverl'] 'Shall
we nominate the same candidates. Yes
Yes and 'shall we elect them Yes ! yes
and loud chcering!l or shall we refuse to
cooperate, nominate other candidates, No
No! Greeley Greeley u and strive to elect
| them over both tickets already in the tcld!'
Gentlemen, these are questions which you
are to decide now and here, and that you
will decide them wisely / cannot doubt, nor
can any ono doubt who looks over this
body of men, representing, as they do,
three millions of citizens, and who feel,
as every one here must feel, the high
and patriotic purpose which inspires you.
Gentlemen. what means this great and rising
movement which we everywhere see! What
means this proposed union Of 100000 of
Democratic Republicans with million, ii
may he, of Liberal Republicans? What mcanS.
this union upon Il common platform, anu
this proposed union on the same candi,
datc-a union so sudden, so compact, so
earnest as to surprise its friends and
rontound its encmies-[applalse]- (which
comes as The winds come, which, to
borrow figure, ovcrwhelm the ordinary
current of public opinion as the great
storms do the surface currents? What
mems all this? There are some things, @cr-
tlcmen. it docs not mean. 1t means no aban,
donment of what is true, of what is just, OF
what is good, in human government. [Ap-
Dlausc.1 1t means no union Of the dead upon
dead issues but union of the living upon
the living issues OF the present. 1t means no
union for the spells Of office, but it means
union of men with the same faith upon The
great and paramount issue of the present
hour. a frank, manly, honorable, and equal
union of men who have the sagacty to sec
and the moral courage to accept the SitlE,-
ton. [Goodl good! and loud cheering.
Ii means Il union of men who have tho sag;l-
city to see what is past, and TO deal With the
issues of the present, and for the future to
do their duty to their country, their God
and their fellow-mcn.
"Thc issue Of to-day Is not the repeal OF
tho Missouri compromise nor the question
of slavery in the territories, upon which
alone the Republican party was organized i'll
1856. 1t is not upon that which followed
when the Lccompton constitution for kansas
divided the Democratic party i'll twain and
elected Abraham Lincoln TO the presidency
in 1860. 1t is not the question of secession,
nor a war to put down rebellion, nor the
abolition of slavery in the States by military
order or by nStitutional amendment, upon
which Mr.. Lincoln was reelected i'll 1864.
| Nor vet is it tho question OF reconstruction,
or of the fourteenth or fifteenth amend
mcnts. nor the question of negro suffrage,
nor the establishment by Federal power of
universal negro suffrage. rs a condition pre-
ccdcut to the States Of the South having any
RIGHTS or anv existence as States in the
lIIniou. II is none of these questions that
is now in issue. All these have been ISSUES
of the past-great isSlles-sutliclcnt in tlicnl-
selves TO create and dissolve political parties.
because ideas are stronger than men or par
ties: but they arc all past issues; they have
been fought out and fought to the end III the
forum or in the field, and they arc no more
in issue to-day than the Mexican war or the
war of the rebellion. [Applausc.] We
could not reopen them ii we would, ana
they falsely misrcpresent our purpose WI o
say that we would reopen them il we could
This great Union, therefore, means no step
backwards. GChecrS.] Forward IS the word
rloud chcering1, and first Of all, 1t means tG-
day, for all the other States of the South,
what il has already done in Missouri. III
stead of prescription, test-oaths, suspension
of habeds corpus, and military dcspotism, 1t
means Dcrsonal freedom for the individual
and republican good for all. Loud ap-
pla1se.i Instead of negro supremacy, up
held by prescription and the bayonct, II
means equal rights to all men, white rs well
as black. Loud applarlse.l Instead OF
thieving governments, organized to plunder
subiugated States, it means the dominance
once more of intelligence and integrity. In
stead OF strife, hate, and robbery, it means
Justice, liberty, peace, loyalty, and goodwill
And, gentlemen, for our whole country
East, West, North, and South--it means, in
stead of war, President trained early in
a military school, and whose whole character
has been formed In the ideas, arts, habits,
and dcspotism of military life. Instead OF
| this. it means the election of peace Presi-