Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-09-18
THE LOUISVILLE CONVENTION.
Chas. O;Conor Nominated for Presi-
0ent-John Quincy Adams for Vice
PresIdens-hetters from the Nominees,

The National Democratic Conven-
ton assembled in the Common Pleas
Court room at Louisville on Tuesday.
and effected a temporary organization
by calling Levi G. Hatfield to the
Chair, and appointing VIM. M. Terry,
, of Michigan, Secretary.
Judge SpaUlding, of Ohio, read the
following letter from Charles O'Conor:
New YORK. Angus 81, 1872.
: To he National Democratic Convention, dp-
pointed to assemble at Louisville September 3,
1872:
GENTLEMEN: A representative Democracy
mus, pc necessarily degenerate in practice,
i and become at last an intolerablv mischieyous
domination, if its official corps be allowed to
WELD without restraint those powers correctly
denominated regal, bv which, from the very
! beginning, and in every cline, civil society has
almost invariably been made the prev of its
rulers. When founding our Institutions. the
fathers were impressed with this belief, and in
order to crush the tendency of power to ae-
grandize itself, they introduced regulations of
| uneZampled complexity. Rejecting two funda-
mental bases of the pre-existing system, they
yet adopted the English policy of checks and
balance. However useful it may be in a land
| OF three Estates king, lords and commons,
experience has shown that this policy is made
| quate to the maintenance of public order where
absolute quality is recognized. With US it
~
| its enormous multiplication Of offices
alone 1t affords no permanent
ly efectual restraint on power. To the
| query, how such a restraint can be imposed to
our country, politicians have responded, ''by
! the virtue and intelligence Of the people - but
! this is a delusive speech. LabOriOus attention,
| constant watchfulness and combined action are
necessary to practical results, and then they
are unattainable. 1t our people were placed
upon a sterile social equality, their perpetual
! hand n hand conf pt c11hciStannp will q
niggard nature, might qualify them for resist
ance to the official plunderer. Their poverty
! would diminish his temptation and invigorate
] their defence. But in grand and prosperous
country such popular guardianship cannot be
! had, and the only efficient protection against
official misrule is in totally prohibiting those
! powers which can be effectuallY regulated by
i law. This fact was asserted in the pubic
/ councils which gave birth to our Constitution :;
! hut It's recognition was prevented by the want
/ OF prior human experience. Under Just sys-
/ TENS Of government history furnished no pre-
else parallels, and consequently that patriot
/ ism which saw and appreciated the right was
! unable t. prove its statements or main
/ tain its arguments by convincing illustrations.
/ Failing to engraft on the written law the Inn
itations deemed necessary, the Democratic
fathers sought a practical establishment of
! them by advocating q strict construction
This doctrine was never thoroughly enforced
by any party, and is now totally disregarded
reaching changes are needed to obviate its
evils, and it is only by such changes that we
can successfully inaugurate the second stage
in that grand social reform which was initiated
by the fathers. A free and enlightened peo-
pie, with capacities matured under the benign
Influences of their experiment, we can now de-
tect and remedy those defects in their glorious
though unfinished work, which experience has
developed a, d laid the foundation. Upon US
is devolved the duty of completing the super
/ Str The Growth IF aial
malversatlOn IN this city and state which was
brought to light during the last year, invited
good men to action The discoveries made af-
forded an opportunity of stirring the general
mind to persistent effort for reform.
The opportunity was improved, and
I exe~at the portion disturbed by
the inopportune recurrence of a Presidential
canvass, the current of popular sentiment has
ever since moved steadily in the right dlrec-
ton. A desire has been extensively entertained
that this movement originating in the ma
tiOnal metropolis, should be permitted to run
its natural course, draw into harmony with
itself the honest masses throughout the coun-
try. and thereby lead to the establishment of
efficient, self-sustaining and permanent bar
riers against prevalent evils. Facts, however,
warrant an apprehension that the pending
conflict for control Of the federal power has
broken in on the tendency to reform, and may
completely reverse it. Governmental inter
meddling with those concerns of society
which, under Judicial laws, might beneficially
be left to individual action, is the only real
evil actually developed in our system. This
emInencels assigned to it because it is the
fruitful parent of all others existing, and be-
cause the measures required to correct it are
precisely those which would eXtirpate the un-
reStralnable powers now so mischievOuslv eX-
ercisedby our officials. If, instead Cf prohib-
ltlng or diminishing this vicious practice our
people should impart to 1t new sanctions and
greater vitality, reform must become impcssi-
bic.
Above all other Americans Mr.. Greeley is
the recognized champion, and no body of or
ganzed opponents to it has ever existed in
the country except the Democratic party.
Yet, by the decree of a convention assuming
to represent that party, Mr.. Gre eley has been
gazetted as It's standard bearer. Opposition
Il to that proceeding has, in my mind far
deeper source than mere attachment to party.
That L at least am unduly influenced by that
sentiment may appear by the measures adopt
ed against the recently detected municipal
maletaetors in organizing the forces employed.
Equal opportunities for purging itself from
completely we conceded to each of the great
political parties and every class. Thus inno-
cenco has been shlel ed from the discredit Of
evil associations inadvertently formed official
YlllaIny stands literally defenseless under the
} actual or impending judgment, and all honest
men IN this great clty and state are united as
a brotherhood in common defence. AS do.
then, from party sentiment, my views of
, the public interest and of existing pub
he necessities compel me to repudiate
the Baltimore nomination of Mr.. Greeley
Whenever speaking OF writing on the subject,
have uniformly condemned it, and declared
my readiness to support a Democratic candi-
date This circumstance has led to a sup
pOsal, IN some quarters, that | had aspirations
to office, and it has been suggested that nv
name be offered to your acceptance as a can
didate. The object of this letter is to avoid
mlsapprehenslons on that point. If compelled
to decide between Gen. Grant and Mr. Greelev
as candidates Tor the, Presidency, the Democratic
electors must rely very much upon mere conjec-
ture. Those who incline to the latter as a
choice Of evils, gest that mitigation of op-
preston at the South would result from his
success. There may, however, be equal ground
to hope for that good result in either issue OF
this rivalry. Once his second term shall have
been secured, Gen. Grants only motive for in
tilctlng misery on that portion of his
countrymen will cease. An effort to
!, secure a third term, or to establish
dictatorship, cannot reasonably be
apprehend, and consequently comparison OF
probabilities offer us merely blank Olympiad
on one hand or four years of undefinable ac-
tlvlty on the other That wise people whose
usageS we have generally followed had occa-
sion to pass through trans tional period
somewhat similar to that now affecting the
Southern interests. In their action at that
time we could find safe precedents for a course
OF policy which would promptly reinstate the
OtIS
the master spirit of the age who, even if
clined, could not adopt that policy, tits Mr.
Greeley. The success of Gen. Grant might in
Y0lYe no important consequence, but tuat OF
, Mr.. Greeley would consecrate the evil referred
to, whicn, IN my opinion is absolutely incom-
p@t1ble with the permanency of Republican i'll
stltutiOns. In saying this it is not intended
/ highly to pronounce for anti-protectionists
! IDEAS. That question is left untouched. L
, the support of our home manufactures against
Tt0,I
pohcT, it can be afforded as much as
) neediu! by a much SIMPLER less
J expensive, and a far less demoralizin9
!. process than ever govern the Gus
toms establishment. The true policy is
national regeneration, 1t is far more compre
henslye than mere free trade. Its aim is tC
create the spectre of the trading politician ant
; emanclpate the masses. Four-fifthS of the
? governmental Intervention now practced il
carrying on the affairs of society sho1 d he dis
Z Pensed with; existing Indebtedness should in
deed be held, and the last cent redeemed; bu
the power Of borrowing money on the public
| credit, either bY ISSUpS otherwise. should be