New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-07-11

came by thOusands-in such vast numbers
mat delegate convention Of REPRESENTATIVES
OF all the States was formed, both from princi-
PIE and from necessity, to give form to its
proceedings.
Many of the ablest men Of the country,
iateiy leaders in the Republican party, were
there and took part in its deliberations. They
were assured that a large number of Liberal
Republicans in every State and from all por-
lions OF the country stood behind ready to
sustain them, and they were morally certain
that II the millions whom we this day repre-
sent lcheers] would only come to their sup
port, the number of Liberal Republicans
would reach half a million or more. [Great
cheers.I That convention presented plat
form and presented candidates to the coun-
try 'sa-@ .t. ed a-.. ett.. {. .,.-.rt
FOR PRESIDENT, HORACE GREELEY
long and continued cheering, ] and for Vice
President. b.. Gratz Brown, lmore enthusi-
asm, and that convention, for the promotion
and success OF the principles declared in that
platform there enunciated by that convention,
have invited and cordially welcomed the CO.
operation of all patriotic citizens without
regard to previous political atfiliation. e..
Those principles were so clearly and CON
cisely stated in the platform itself and restated
IN the letter OF acceptance of Mr.. Greeley,
more cheering,] and they are so we'll known
to you all that 1 will not restate them. For
weeks that platform and these candidates
have been before the country. Meanwhile,
the convention called to nominate General
Grant lhisses] and TO indorse and to continue
the principles, practices, and policy of his
administration, has done its work, fhisses1
as between the Liberal Republicans and the
followers of the Grant administration the
issue is clearly made up;
IT Is GRANT OR GREELEY. ....
Immense enthusiasm, and cries of "Gree-
ley."] '".'
While these events were passing the Demo-
cratic Republicans, whom we represent, held
their conventions in all the States. The
Liberal Republican. movement, the example
OF Missouri, the Cincinnati Convention, its
platform and its candidates, with their letters
OF acceptance, We're all before these conyen-
lions, which. were very largely attended by
their ablest men,. and the paramount ques-
tons before these conventions were, shall we
accept this invitation to cooperate with the
Liberal Republicans? [great applause j shall
we adopt their platform? loud cries of
Yes !'"1es !" and some cries of .'Neyer!nl
shall we nominate the same candidates
VI Yes" !']-and shall we elect
L L
cheering1 or shall we refuse to co-operate--
mol" ''No"1-anf nominate other. can
didates-l" mol" "Nop' Greeley !""Gree-
strive to elect them over both
tickets already in the field? ''.'''i .'..'''7"sf .
Gentlemen, these are the questions which
you are to decide now and here, That you
will decide them wisely / cannot doubt, nor
can any one doubt who looks over this body
OF men, representing, as they do, three mil.
lions Of citizens, land who feels as every one
here must feel. the high and patriotic purpose
which inspires you. Gentlemen, al; 49,.
WHAT. MEANS THIS GREAT AND RISING
........I 80: MOVEMENT ''.
which we everywhere see {? What means
this proposed mion of three millions of Demo-
cratic Republicans, with million, it may be,
OF Liberal Republicans What means the
Union upon acommon platform, and this pro-
posed union, so sudden, so compact; so ear
nest as to surprise its friends and to confound
their enemies, Applause, I which comes as
the winds come, which, to borrow figure,
oyerwhelms the ordinary currents Of public
opinion as the great storms always run coun-
ter to the surface currents ? What means all
this? There are some things, gentlemen, it
does not mean. 1t means no abandonment
OF what is good in human government. 1t
but a union Of the living upon the living is
sues of tine present. (Applause.l IL means
no union for the spells of office. 4 Applause !
But it means a union Of men of the same
faith upon the great and paramount issues of
the present hour A frank, manly, honor
able, and equal union of men who have the
sagacity to see and the moral courage to ac-
cept the situation. ['Goo,l, good W and
loud cheering 1t means the union of men
who have the sagacity to see what IL past
and to deal with the issues Of the present, and
for the future to do their duty to their coun-
try, their God, and their fcllow-men. APP
plause.]
A.> THE ISSUE OF TODAY "a. 80
Is not the repeal of the Missouri Compromise,
nor the question of slavery in the Territories,
upon which alone the Republican party was
in 1856. 1t is upon that which fol-
lowed when the LeGOmpton Compromise for
Kansas divided the Democratic party in twain,
and elected Abraham Lincoln to the Presi-
dency in 1860. 1t is not the question of Sc
cession nor Of war to put down rebellion, nor
the abolition of slavery in the States by mill
tary order or by Constitutional amendment,
upon which Mr.. Lincoln was reelected in
1864; nor yet is 1t the question of reconstruc-
tfon or of the fourteenth or of the fifteenth
nor the question of negro suf-
frage, nor of the establishment by federal
power of universal negro suffrage, on az a
precedent to the States of the South having
any rights Or any existence even as States in
the Union -. H..#
. 1t was none Of these questions that was
now in ISSUE, All these have been issues in
the past-great issues, sufficient in them
selves to create and to dissolve political par
ties, because ideas are stl onger than men or
parties, but they are all past issues. They
have been fought out, and fought to the end
in the forum or in the field, and they are no
more an issue of to-day than the Mexican
war or the war of the rebellion. [Applause.]
We could not reopen them if we would, and
they falsely misrepresent our purpose who say
that we would reopen them if we could
| Loud cheering.l This great Union means
no step backward. [Cheers.] Forward is
the word. Loud cleering.] And first of
all it means to-day for all the other States of
the South what it has done in Missouri.
tCheers.] Instead Of prescription, test
Oaths, suspension of hubeas corpus, and mill
tary despotism, s ..., ..t..... d. a..
..,. IT MEANS PERSONAL FREEDOM
for the individual and republican government
for all. Loud applause. Instead of negro
supremacy upheld by prescription 1t means
equal rights to all men, white as well as
black. Loud applause.l Instead of thiev
ing governments organized to plumber sub
jugated States it means the dominion once
more of 'intellirpnep and INTEGRITY instead of