The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-06-08

The National Democratic Convention.


Democracy at st. Louis, not only justi.
fies but provokes and demands inquiry
and discussion as to the views and duties
OF the gentlemen who were some time
ago elected to represent Louisiana In
that body.
These delegates were elected SO far
back so many changes and events have
occurred since as to require much de.
liberation, thought and observation OF
popular sentiments and study OF tue
situation on the part OF our delegates.
be aided in the satisfactory discharge
OF their mission by suggestions, counsel
and argument In the public journals,
and among their constituents. And
these should be freely presented and
needed without approximations OF serious
discord or divisions In the party. For
tunately, the spirit and condition Of the
party permit such DISCUSSION, without
danger OF exciting disagreements ana
factions calculated to impair the solid
ity. and endanger the success OF the
party.
Louisiana, though q small State, has
generally played q prominent part IN
the Presidential drama. 1t was here
Andrew jackson was first brought for
ward for that high Office. 1t was while
living In his favorite residence at the
Barracks at Baton Rouge, that Zachary
TAYLOR was first announced as proper
candidate for the chief magistr acy ana
the celebrated Allison letter, prepared
In the rough, In one OF the newspaper
Offices OF this city, gave the hero oil
Buena Vista the leading position among
the candidates. who had already been
put prominently forward by the Wing
party for It's nomination and eventual
election. It was through the vote OF
this State. suddenly changed by the
anti Texas letter OF Mr.. Van Buren,, that
james X. Polk suddenly leaped to the
front and displaced an old and favorlte
chieftan of the Democracy, ana by an
overwhelming vote OF the people rode
into the Presidency.
I allude to these incidents in the po-
Iitical history Of our State to vindicate
our claims to prominent agency in the
nomination OF the candidate in the great
contest about to begin.
On these several occasions the action
OF our State was prompted and guided
by wise policy and q sagacious compre-
hension OF the broad national grounds
upon which Presidential nominations
should be made. Before the war. Lou
isiana was more national, less sectional,
| than any Of the Southern States. She
| ia even now inclined to resume her old
position, and when she does, will WELD
| her influence In the choice OF the
| Presidential candidates.. The oppor-
| tunity was never more favorable than
at present. The Democracy at the North
| is much divided upon subordinate and
sectional issues, and upon the personal
claims of prominent politica! chiefs;
Our friends there do not take the broad
national views. nor adopt the wise
strategy, which were so successfully
pursued by the Democracy when Lou
| isiana occupied a front position in the
great national Presidential contests.
Let our State embrace the present OPP
| portunity and advance to the front to
relieve the party in the nation from the
disorders into hich it has been thrown
| by the sectional iealousies and rivalries
so prevalent and threatening at the
| North.
Our Democracy stands aloof from
these conflicts. We have no sectional
| acknowledgements. We belong neither to
the West nor the East; we eschew all
divisions in the currency questions.
content to leave these to legislative dis
| cussion and determination. We are for
| the National Democracy and its tri-
umph over its national foe, without re-
gard to sectional interests. We are for
1.-THE restoration OF constitutional gov
eminent and a wise and honest admins
| H..
cured by the National Democracy and
its perfect union. To make these effect
tive we must agree upon chief who is
n,diiable, who can concentrate the votes
and confidence OF all factions, who is
| impregnable to any assaults OF faction
| or preiudices of section or OF classes.
| Who is that man?
| Not Hendricks, of Indiana, able and
| faithful Democrat as he has always
been, but distrusted by that large class
OF the party in the East because OF Inn
puted INDIGESTION on the currency ques-
| ton.
| Not Tilden, because sof his emphatic
opposition to the largely prevalent
opinion in favor OF certain currency
Views. ardentlv embraced and cham
pioned in the West.
Not Bayard, because OF the sectional
prejudice to Southern man and the
abnegation of Presidential aspirations
on the part Of the South.
| Not Thurman nor Allen, because ofthe
fatal discords which their names pro-
woke in their own great State.
But man entirely free from all these
assaults and assments--mailed
against these prejudices, these unjust,
and. perhaps, material, but largely in
fiuential prejudices. A man who en-
bodies and represents the idea, SEN
timent and principle upon which
the National Democracy stands q
unit. That man Is Winfield Scott Han
cock. The great idea he embodies and
represents Is the one upon which the
| Democracy will present solid front, to
which it can draw the sympathy and
enthusiastic support OF the majority OF
the American people.
It is the great national idea that must
be vindicated and restored to Its former
proud and controlling prominence as
| the cardinal and fundamental one in our
Republican system. The experience OF
the last twelve years has left it in doubt
whether this principle has not been
| ignored or obliterated from our govern
ment and from the minds Of powerful
division Of the people. These doubts
must be cleared up. Nowhere more
than in Louisiana has this principle
been SO disastrously disregarded and
trampled upon. There is an eminent
propriety In our State initiating the