The Van Buren press., 1876-07-04
Tile EVENING SESSION.

80 p. m
Mr. Ensr sh, of California, from the
committee on credentials, reported that
there were no contested seats, applause
and that the states were all represented.
A petition was presented for the adj
mission Of the delegates from the Dis
trict Of Columbia
The char said the petition, under the
rule, goes to the committee on creden-
tials.
A MarYani delegate moved to amend
the report of the credentials committee
so as to almt the District of Columbia
delegates, Columbus Alexander and Mr..
Ball, without a vote.
Mr.. Clyner, Of Pennsylvania, moved
to amend further by including delegates
from the Territories.
This bdng accepted by the mover of
the original amendment, it was adopted,
and tn report was then adopted.
Mr.. Hanna, of Indiana, from the com
mittee on permanent organization, re
reported, for permanent president, John
4. McClemand of Illinois; also, a list
of vice presidents and secretaries The
report ofthe committee also recommends
that the rules AMI regulations Of the ma
tional democratic convention of 1872 be
adopted by this convention for the gov.
crnmcn. Of its proceedings. This sus-
+ lains th1 two tbieds rule The report
was adopted,
A delegate from Nevada moved to add
to the reading secretaries f. O. Perrin,
of New York, which was rejected. The
Significance Of this motion lies in the
fact that Perrin, he had been a reading
clerk for the last convention, had been
dropped off for his orpositioto Til
den 5 nominuatio
Gen Fitzhugh Lee. of Virginia, and
Col Dorsheimr, of New York, were ap-
pointed committee to conduct Gen,
McCernand t. the chair. Both being
absent, Messrs, Manton Marble, Of New
York, and Bocock, Of Virginia, were
substituted.
Cen McCernand. on being conducted
to the platform, addressed the convention
as follows
Gentlemen of the National Democrat.
ie Convention: thank you for the dis.
tinguishea sonor you have done me in
directing me to preside over your delib
rations. You are the delegates Of the
democracy Of the whole union Of thirty
seven states, once unnaturalIy estrangei
/ but now forever united in one indiyisih.e
repubIc--brethrcn Of one political fami
! ", with the same heritage of liberty un-
der equallaws, and heirs Of one destiny
/ Shall we preserve and transmit that grea
! Ihelitagep Shall we make that destiny
| the most glorious in the history OF free
people :? II your deliberations, fellow
democrats, to day, shall be wise-if YOU
perception Of the necessities Of our time
our county, our politics shall be JUS
| and harmonous-it your syApath'
shall be quick with the hearts Of gre.
people, then beyond all peradventure w
will transmit to our children and on
children's children, unimpaired, .nis pre-
cious legacy, and yours will be a bette
rcnown than the renown most priz
ed by the Romans, copdHoreS mpori0run
for greater than the founders of empire
are the preservers of republics, There
are no enemies of the union, to day, Ul
this continent, except that administrative
centralism which is coHgesting at the cap
ital the vital currents which ought t,
Gow outthrough every part, giving lif
to the iarthast eXtrcmitics of the body
polite, and energy to its mcmbers--eX
ccpt that corruption which is the ours
that ccntralism has never failed in an,
age or any land to entail upon any gov
ognno,r ,,,.,tralism and corrnotioI
have imposed upon ten states the rapa
cious tyrannics of carpet bag rule, an,
since peace have added $500, 100000
to their dobts; they have infected th,
government Of orr northerl states ant
northern cities with the same disease o
extravaganza and fraud; they have de
bauched the federal government itself anC
made the names of some Of its high of
/ iicers and public men our public scanda
and our open shame. The record is ter
/ rible in ,rapacity, venality, waste, anC
! fraud, and the party which has beeu pow
! oress to tread down ard trample undp
| foot its eolruptiOnists with stupendoui
cllrontery is pledgng itself to a reform
! of which it has become incapable. So
that party, pledged itself to restore spe.
! Gle payments, every year, taking us far.
| ther from specie payments so it pledgeC
! itself to ciyil-seryice reform, and thel
/ dropped and mocked its rcformers; SO i
4 pledged itself TO protect American labor
and with its monstrous Customhouse tax
1 alton on over three thousand articles, i
/ has Impoverished American labor. A
few score monopolists and fow thousand
corrupionists have been enriched, but
capital in the hands of those that earned
it by industry, and saved it by frugality,
is everywhere distr ustrul and rests unus
ed while honest labor goes about the
streets begging read. Is this, then, the
final outcome of century of republican
self govern ment? Forbid it, graciou,
God But we have wandered far from
the right paths. We must return to the
constitutional principles, the frugal ex-
penditures, aud the administrative purity
of the founders of the republic This is
the first, the imperative drty Of our day
and nation this is the appeal we have to
make to our fellow-citizens of every for
mer political afliliation; this is the one
supreme commanding issue, to which all
others are infcrior-all others triviai.
Reform, reform. If you shall recognize
this imperative necessity-if Won shal