The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-09-04

Judge spAldlug, of New York, Judgl
Lyons, Of Virginia, and Hon. William
Wheaton, OF Michigan, as q commit
tee to conduct the Chairman 10 hi
seat He said he returned his mos
hearty thanks for the honor ten
dered. The crisis In which the Demo
cratic party Is found to-day, slaughtered
In the house OF ita friends, makes necessa
ry an appeal TO such remedy as Is In oul
power. Our foreiathers thought they hat
laid the foundations Of our government sc
strong that they would Withstand tht
storms Of time, ! was trained In thii
school. My first vote was cast for Andrew
Jackson. have not seen any reason Il
adopt heretical doctrines. The time can't
when the old Federals found an opportu-
nifty to plant the principles Of Concentra-
ton In the government, and in 1861 II wa
planted on the blood and ruin OF our citl
Eens; but dlsafection was SO great, had w
not been sold out, we would have beer
again successful and turned back the tide
Of Capitalization. We never sold out Il
the old white hat-that Is all there Is lelt
Of the man. I deny that the men who
met at Baltimore had any right TO transfer
such as you or me 10 Grant 0I
the Wing party, or 10 Greeley. We are
here to-day to see II we cannot remedy
this evil. This protesting spirit has cul.
minated in this Convention. We are
here to gather the fragments and build
a new edihCe Of the Democracy. Were
there nobody but myself, l would wraE
our party flag about me and fight Tor Ii
doctrines. This is a working COnven,
tlon, not % talking one, will therefore
close. a ~, -. l.. asEFS
The speech was interrupted by frequent
applause.
Col. Duncan said he was instructed by
the committee, to propose the name d
Col. VIM. NJ. Terry, Of Michigan, as tenn
porary Secretary. aC-.s
Judge Spaulding arose, and said he had
sealed letter from Chas. O'Conor, and
he now wished TO perform his trust by
placing said letter in the hands Of the
Convention. Three cheers were given
for 0'Conor.
Amotion was made and carried, that
the communication be read. 1t is as fol-
lows:
Nav YORK, August 81.
To Tie National Democratic C0nuenti0n an
pointed 10 ASSemJIe at LOuiSrls on Sep
teHlber 8, 1879: ~. :
GENTLEMEN A representative democ.
racy must be necessarily degenerate in
practice, and become, at last, an intolera-
bly, miSchievous domination, ii its official
corps be allowed to WELD, without effect.
ual restraint, those powers, correctly de.
nominated regal, by which from the very
beginning and in every cline civil society
has almost invariably hitherto been made
the prey of its rulers. When founding
our institutions, the fathers were impressed
with this belief, and in order to curb the
tendency Of power TO agrandizing ITSELF
they introduced regulations of unexam.
pied complexity. Rejecting the two fun.
damental bases Of the pre-existing system
they yet adopted the English policy oI
checks and balances. However usual II
may be in a land of three estates,
king, lords aud commons, experience has
shown that this policy is inadequate to the
maintenance of public order where abso-
lutte equality is recognized. With US It
has proven exceedingly mischievous by
its multiplication OF offices. Alone it
affords no permanently effectual restraint
on power, To the inquiry, how such a
restraint can be imposed in our country,
politicians have responded, by the virtue
and intelligence Of the people. But this
Is q delusive speech. Laborers, attention.
Constant watchfulneSs and combined &C
tion are necessary to practical results. II
our people were placed upon sterile
soil, their perpetual hand to hand conflict
for subsistence with niggard nature
might qualify them for resistance to
the official plunderer. Their power
ty would diminish his temptation and in
Vigorate their defense; but in great and
prosperous country such popular guardi.
anship can't be had and the only efficient
protection against official mlsrule is in
totally prohibiting those powers which
can't be efeCtually regulated by law.
This fact was asserted in the public coun.
ellis, which gave birth TO our Constitution
but Its recognition was prevented by the
want OF prior human experience under
Just systems OF government. History
furnishes no precise parallels and conse-
quently that patriotism, which saw and
appreciated the right was unable to prove
It's statements or maintain its arguments
by quoting illustrations. Failing to engraft
on the written law the limitations deemed
necessary, the Democratic fathers sought
q practical establishment Of them by ad.
vocating strict construction. This doc.
trine was never thoroughly enforced by
any party and is now totally disregarded.
Hence our present political condition.
Far-reaching changes arc needed 10 oh.
viate its evils, and il is only by such
changes that we can successfully inaugur.
ate the second stage In that grand social
reform which was initiated BY the faith.
ers. A free and enlightened people, with
capacities matured under the benign in
fluence ol their experiments, VIC can now
detect and remedy those defects in theiI
glorious though unfinished work which
experience has developed. They laid the
foundation; upon US is devolved the duty
of completing the superstructure. The
enormous growth OF official malversatio1
in this city and State, which was brought
to light during the last war, invited
good men to action. The discoverie.
made afforded an opportunity Of stirring
the general mind TO persistent effort fol
refnFnn This onnOPtIInitv WAS imDrova1
and except so far as disturbed by the in
opportune recurrence Of Presidential
canvass, the current oil popular sentimen
has ever since moved steadily in the righ
direction. A desire has been extensively
i entertained that as this movement orig
mated in the national metropolis 1t shouit
be permitted TO have its natural coursr
to draw into harmony with itself thl
honest masses throughout the country, ant
thereby lead to the establishment Of ar
efficient, sell,sustaining and permanen
he rrinr ipcf T1raua1nnt nvi1a Tho fa nNu