Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-06-13

HOW SALMON P. CHASE WAS NOT NOMINATED
FOR THE PRESIDENCY.

! have assumed to know all about them, as
this case exhibits. \ monument more en-
! during than brass or marble has been built
| out Of the fabrications concerning this ques-
ton, to the illimitable power of Americans
| 10 lie. The present seems the time, once
and for all, to place the political mistake
! which the failure TO nominate Mr.. Chase was
on its proper basis, to reduce it to its exact
proportions of fact, and to prune from it the
tangled and tortuous untruths which have
| got woven round it.
The convention was comedy of errors
1t met in New York. in Tammany Hall, July
4-the date cheap, spectacular wooing Of
the gaudy influences and suggestions of the
| anniversary. Mr.. Belmont made his speech
against centralization, and named Henry L.
Palmer OF Wisconsin, an unknown, for tenn
porary chairman. The unknown made pretty
address OF thanks and was happy that all
the states were represented. The inevitable,
or Indispensable f. O. Perrin, read the de-
elaratlon of independence in tones Of thunder.
appointment of standing committees follow
ed, with Henry c. Murphy Of Brooklyn the
chairman Of the committee on resolutions.
With the ensuing four days of balloting,
and with the fatal resolutions in the plat
form declaring reconstruction unconstitution-
al, revolutionary, null and void, and with
the declaration in favor of paying the debt
in promises to pay it. the country is familiar
On the balloting, Pendleton led, steadily,
but, if he ever attained a majority, be never
attained the two-thirds vote, an unwritten
law of democratic national conventions. Han
cock crept up to a high figure, Andrew John
son retained the steady vote of the South.
4 Al H. 81
a scattering vote, but nobody was nominated
All this time the convention was going as
clearly against the demands of the people as
could be imagined. There never wasa clear
er expression, more definite command Of
the will Of the people, than their expression
and demand that Salmon p Chase be nom
mated. Ii was demand made on all sides.
Ii was a desire Of about every man who did
not make politics a living, and of many who
did-a majority. In retrospectit is safe to say
that every democrat, unpreiudiced, or dis
interested, or honest enough to have common
sense, wanted Chief Justice Chase nominated
Never was a demand. so nearly unanimous.
So ignored. Never had convention which
events since the election of the delegates had
put under new orders, 50 thoroughly discard
ed those orders
The gradual way in which the convention
was drawn up into comprehension of It's
duties, and the treacherous coup by which
it was diverted, aye, stampeded, from those
duties remain TO be told The last dav as it
proved had come. The New York delega-
ton, which been fooling away its influence
between Sanford f. Church and Thomas \.
Hendricks. met at a. m. for consultation.
After considerable interchange of talk it
was resolved that at Il O'Clock. noon. Ilora-
ito Seymour should take the floor and nomi-
nate Salmon p. Chase for president Penn
syyania and Virginia and Massachusetts,
We're by preconceTt successfully to follow
suit. There was no more doubt that the
convention and the people would " take to
it, than there could be no doubt that the
passengers on the Atlantic would have vel
coined universal rescue. With this under
standing New Yolk came into the convention
and kept on voting for Hendricks. to keep the
ballot indecisiye up to the appointed hour.
Twelve o'clock neared. Ii was 20 minutes
of noon. The secret Of New York was
thought to be well kept But it got ont
at 20 minutes of l. m. Gen. George ".
McCook, burly and brilliant Blanerges Of
Ohio. mounted a three-legged stool lust in
front Of the railing round the correspond
ent's stands, which We're in the orchestra of
the building. McCook, with force and dom
inecring and simulated eloquencc. nomi-
mated Seymour for President Of the United
States. lie was particular TO declare his
the one name which could harmonic the
contention he declared that Ohio. which
adUrcd Pendleton, worshiped Seymour, and
that the middle and southern and western
states "as far as California for quantity"
would make his nomination wellnigh unan-
imous.
Clement L. Nallandigham, a very genius
Of marplot. seconded the nomination in
words of compliment which carried in them,
as he hisSed them between his perfect teeth,
as clear a menace to Seymour not to dare
decline, as could be conveyed The fatal
nomination, as all know. was made unan-
imous by a success of clamor and vehemence
which converted wise men into fools. and all
reflection into three times three. \ clearer
case Of collective, unanimous lunacy was ney-
err seen.
The supreme hour in Seymour's life came
and he did not appreciate it, lie was never
to be President, but the democratic party
was then, if perhaps ever, to regain control
of this country. Seymour, who could not be
dent The inyeterate proslavery Ohio demo-
crats, who hated Chase, and who had put
up this Job to break, by 4 coup. Seymours
programme for him, would have had all the
wind taken out of their sails, had Seymour
recognized the GOd-given opportunity not
merely to nominate Chase as a delegate from
New York but to nominate him with the tran
scendent weight of authority, which one who
Ind put aside a unanimous nomination him
self had tP chance and right to exercise.
But he did not. The man never has been
born WI % declined nomination for the Pre-
sidenc'i from any convention which appeared,
even under illusion, to hold out possibility
OF election to the Office. Though Mr.
BE ,mour declined, he reconsidered his decli-
alton and " stuck
Now such was the course Of events, and
there was nothing else behind them. There
was no conspiracy between the Seymourites
and the Pendletonites to head of Chase. This
has been asserted and is false. 1t was not
- on the cards =" for Seymour to be nominated
and then declining, to nominate Chase. This
has been asserted and is false The nomina-
ton Of Seymour was perfect surprise to
him and to all the New York delegation. 1t
was a scheme pure and simple OF the Ono
men to - hurricane - Seymour through, and
then by eloquent bullying and shrew1 reli-
ance upon human vanity, human irresolutlon
and the fatigue Of iaded convention which
thought the coup special providence and
not . put up job . to make Mr.. Seymour
g stand" The thing was successful, and
both Chase and Seymour were hoist by the
latter's petard exploded by IcCook and Val
landigham.
What was, all men know. What might
have been, all men to-day feel. There was
another havoc wrought that afternoon. Tom
Ewing, Jr., degenerate son of a worthy sire,
was booked for vice-presidert. He variousl y
hailed then. as now, from F.ansas, Ohio and
Washington CITY mere political self-seek-
er irving to run in on the older dodge. \
native of Missouri then, an d now resident
of this state, between the hour of ADJOURN
ment and reassembling SC altered broadcast
though Tammany Hall, printed copies of
Ewing 5 infamous order No l, wherein, mere
ly for pillage and plunder he decided that
ii fertile and peaceful Miss ouri counties be
laid by the torch and by bla sting as bare as
the palm of baby's hand that all the in
habitants be driven off, or, refusing to go, be
killed or captured, and tn at every standing
or movable effect be taken O. destroyed. Ewing
fittingly got the vote of Ka nsas and Of Kansas
alone. Blair was nomina ted, and though
that was blunder, it was IN error in the In
terest of honesty, not pro ,eeding in recog--
milton Of wholesale murC ler, outrage and
plunder, unparalleled befor e in the annals OF
war or brigandage or ,iracy.-Brooktyn
Eagle.
A tourist thinks Pompe ii has been inha b.
ited by druggists, as nj ariy every house
has salve " inscribed oy er the door.
..Still | lie In Ronrhnr [ ,,rntv,,l Z No 22l /.