Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-10

where see? What means this proposed
union Of three millions of Democratic Re.
pu5licans with million, it may be, of Re-
publicans? What means this union upon
common platform and this proposed union
upon the same candidates, a union so sud-
den, socompact, so earnest, as to surprise
its friends and confound its enemies, Zap
4 plause,) which comes as the winds
come, which, to borrow figure, over
whelms the ordinary currents of public
opinion as the great storms always run
counter to the surface currents? What
means all this? There are some things,
| gentlemen, it does not mean. 1t does not
mean any abandonment of what is true, of
what is just, of what is good in human
| government. (Applaase.) 1t means no
union of the dead upon dead issues, but a
union of the living upon the living issues of
the present. (Applause.) 1t means no
| union for the spoils of Office, applause but
it means union of men of the same faith
upon the great and paramount issues of
the present hour, frank, manly, honorable
and equal union of men, who have the sa-
gacity to see and the moral courage to ac-
cept the situation. [Cries of good and
loud cheers.] 1t means a union of men
who have the sagacity 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-men.
| Applause. The issue of to-day is not the
repeal of the Missouri Compromise, nor the
question of slavery in the territories, upon
which alone the Republican party
was organized in 1856. It is
not upon that which followed, the Lecomp.
ton constitution for Kansas, which divided
the Democratic party in twain and elected
Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency in 1860.
1t is not question of secession nor of war
70 put down rebellion, nor the abolition of
slavery in the States by military order or
by constitutional amendment, upon which
Lincoln was reelected in 1864. Nor yet is
it question of reconstruction, nor of the
Fourteenth or Fifteenth amendment, nor
the CUES ton of negro suffrage,
nor of the establishment by the
Federal power of universal suffrage,
as condition precedent to the States of
the South having any rights, or the exist
ence of States of the Union. 1t is none of
these questions that is now the issue. All
these have been issues in the past, great
issues, sufficient in themselves to create
and to dissolve political parties, because
ideas are stronger than men or parties, but
they are all past issues. They have been
fought out and fought to the end in the
forum OF in the field, and they are no more
in issue to-day than the Mexican war or
the war Of the rebeEion. (Applause.) We
couldn't reopen them if we would, and
they falsely misrepresent on purpose who
say that we would reopen them if
we could. cloud cheers.) This great
union therefore means no step backward.
Forward is the word, cloud cheers,) and
first of all it means to do for all the other
States of the South what it has already done
in Missouri. (Cheers) Instead of pro-
scriptiVe test oaths, the suspension of habeas
corpus, and military despotism, it means
personal freedom for individuals and re-
publican government for all. cloud ap-
plause.) Instead of negro supremacy, up
held by prescription and the bayonet, it
means the equal rights Of all men, white as
well as black. cloud applause.) Instead of
thieving governments organized to plunder
and subjugate States, it means the domina-
ton once more of intelligence and integrity.
Instead of strife, hate, and robbery, it means
justice, liberty, peace, loyalty and good will;
and, gentlemen, for our whole country,
east, west, north and south, it means, in
stead of a war President, trained only in
the military school and whose whole char
acter has been formed in the ideas, arts,
habits and despotism Of military life, in
stead of this it means peace President,
(cheers,) trained in the ideas, arts, bless
ings and republican simplicity of peace
and universal freedom, Loud cheers,] of
peace not enchdired, of liberty not under
arrest awaiting trial, sentence and execution
by drum head court-martial, but that
liberty and that peace of which the Consti-
tuition secures by placing the civil law
above the sword, Dy preserving in full vigOr
the sacred writ of hatels corpus, by the
right of trial by jury. [Applause.l 1t
means another thing, and perhaps the most
important of them all; it means TO arrest
the Capitalization Of power in the Federal
Government. Loud cheers 1t means
to assert the vital principles OF our Republi-
can system in which it lives and moves and
has it's very being, that constitutions are
made by the people in their sovereign ca
pacity for the express purpose Of defining
and limiting the powers of government,
Gapplause,1 the powers Of all governments,
State or National. 1t means we are de-
termined that the Presidents and Govern
ors, the Congress and State Legislatures,
and every department of the Government
applause 1t means also a
genuine civil service reform,
beginning with the Presidential Office. Cap
plausa.) 1t means to put an end forever to
certain practices which have grown up with
this administration, which have driven so
many of the ablest Republicans to join this
liberal movement, and which have deeply
wounded the hearts OF all Republicans as
well as Democrats in the country, Zap
plause,) practices which never existed under
any other administration, which are bot
too well known to all the world and which
our nations good reputation will be
best consulted by not even nam
ing. (Cheers.) 1t means also
to give strength and stability to our inan-
cial affairs and our national credit, by bring
ing honesty and economy and fidelity TO
every position, Federal, State and munich
pal, where the public moneys are collected
and disbursed. TCheers. 1t means also
the honest payment of ali our obligations.
ERenewed applause.1 1t means to give a
higher tone and greater vigor OF admins
Iration to our foreign and domestic affairs,
so as to command the respect and conf
dence of our own people and Of all the
civilized world. 1t means to place IN
the highest of offices of our government,m men
of whom all the world will say "They are
honest and they are capable. (Applause.)
Gentlemen have thus briefly stated the
situation, the duties and purposes which
bring us here. A great responsibility rests
upon this convention. If its action shall be
such, and doubt not it will be, as to put
| an end to the misruler which for the last
few years has afflicted our beloved country
this generation and generations to come al
ter us will remember with pride and graft
tude, the convention at Baltimore OF the 9th
of July, 1872.
Amid loud and long continued applause
Doolittle took his seat.
The Vice Presidents then, upon INVITA-
ton of the President, came forward ana
took their seats upon the platform.
Committee ON Resolutions
The President-The chair awaits the &C"
ton of the Convention. Ke understands
that nc Committee of Resolutions has been
appointed. What is the pleasure OF the
| Convention?
Gen. McClernard, of Illinois, move
| that committee of one from each state De
named by the respective delegations ana Oe
appointed Committee on Resolutions
The President-The gentleman Will
please send Up his proposition in writing. g.
/ l4.w0h