Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-10-12
THE NEW yOUK STATE DEMO-
CRATIC CONVENTION.


having reassembled at 4:2O p. IN, Pete
Mitchell, of New York, offered the folow
ing Resolved that the democracy of New
York in convention assembled send greet
ings to the democracy of our sister STATE
New Jersey and congratulate the voters O
that state on the nomination Of the patriot
and soldier General George B. Mcclellan -
The resolution was adopted by the conven-
tlon rising and giving three cheers. Mr.
, Brooks from the committee on permanent
organization, reported the following: For
permanent president, CIarkson n Potter,
Of Westchester for vice presidents, Pai k
f. Goodwin, James LOdghran, John H.
Douglass. Brewster KisSam, p. G. Duffy.
Thomas Shields, Samuel Lewis, and Others
The reports was agreed to. and the chair
appointed Messrs. Sehell and Beebe a COM
mittee to conduct the permanent chairman
to the platform. On the appearance of
Mr.. Potter he was greeted with applause,
and proceeded to address the convention as
follows:
Mr.. POTTER's SPEECH.
Gentlemen of the Convention: | thank
you for the honor you do me in selecting me
to preside over your actiouS. The honora-
ole gentlemen " no discharged with 50 much
success the difficult and delicate duty Of pre-
siding over your organization. in his open
in odHragl H., .
wrong which has been done to the Demo
cralic party and to popular government in
excluding from Office that great statesman
whom the people had selected Tor their
Chief Magistrate--a wrong due to the un-
constitutional protection of fraudulent re
turning boards by federal troops, and to the
deputing by Congress OF its duty of deter
mining disputed electoral votes, to q COM
mission. lt is indeed as fortunate As unex-
pected that the minority candidate thus
wrOngfully installed in his place should
have adopted cOurSe toward the Southern
States at once constitutional aud wise and
Just. Whatever may have been the
motives which influenced him, wheth-
er OF just AID lofty patriotism or mere
selfish calculation a to what was
the better policy for himself and his party,
it yet remains that the course he has pur-
sued 'oward the south was the only wise,
Just and as We think, constitutional course
for him 10 adopt, and deeply as ieel the
wrong that was done tn the people in de-
ciaring him to be elected and the danger to
our constitution arising IRON the methods
by which that result was procured, | also
remember that in respect OF his actions now
that he is installed in office, he is entitled to
be treated with justice and Judged with
fairness. But while commenting as | do
upon the conduct of the President towards
the south we should not forget that self
government by permission OF any man is
liberation but not freedom, for you will OBJ
serve that We owe it to the accidents of the
Cincinnati convention that the republicans
have installed as chief magistrate one dis
posed to deal wisely and Justly with the
southern states instead of one who will pur-
sue the cruel and tyrannous policy Of his pre-
decessor Had that convention selected rs
their candidate SEINE other OF the prominent
names before them, We might still have an
administration 1y to repeat the orders Ut
Durell and enforce them with the zeal OF
Sheridan. and We might thus have
still continued through the south the
same measures sOfupprtssiUn, ,the same organ
izatiOn to cLntrUl the colored vote. the same
support OF carpet Oaggers' rule, the SINE
effort to make the prosperity OF that :. ctlon
subordinate to Its political use, t. which 1t
has been heretofore suhjccicc. Now,
whether the great states shall have the
right to- govern themsesyes, or shall be kept
under the rule Cf kell0ggS and Chamber
lains by the aid of federal trn"ps, Is A
question mat oag hit not To he irit dependent
on any mans will nor To the accidental
choice OF any cUnveutIon Such things
ought to be settled by law and be beyond
discretion; and while we may we'll be thank
ful that since diIrretion IS to be used it has
fallen into the hands of those that use II
wisely ard justly as Mr Hayes
has done, in tins regard, We shall never
have discharged Our duty to ourselves, to
our children. ard TO the government. until
we have done our part to put an end to the
condition ot things that admits of such
abuse; that puts the Protection Of the pe1
pie ni all states against mlltary uSurpatI1u
and carpet-bds government under fixed
and impartial laws, and beyond the
discretion or violarin" OF any man. But
the action Of the President towards the
South /, only a part ., his coninct which
has been remarkable. Although more de-
pendent on the support Of flee holders than
perhaps any President who preceded him,
'ihNt iio hhbiitN ib AhlSN iHtlHhi NlibC1
hardly tquailcd the number of federal Office
holders, yet he la~ declared that the pat
r0nage Tor which his followers c1ntended
shall not be gwen them Whether, il this
be really meant, his parry will sustain him
in it, may well be doubted. ALREADY Lead
ing republicans declare his purpu>c t. he
impracticab!e and - he IN part abandoned.
None but republicans get flee.
His order against the icipatiun
OF officials in politics Is d, fed, and
his action dtnuuuced ard repudiated
at the convention at hI~ party in the chlei
state Of the uuiun Far he 1t rom me t.
speak OF the President 5 action without gt-
socct. The evils arising from our system
of civil seIvice aud from ths ma nItud.
of the federal patronage are iadeed ~
great that nry honest ttfJTt to be rid Of
them ought To ht favored, ard lur myself
say that heartily respect the President
and HI, advisers III Just 50 tar H. they are
earnestly and honestly rd,ayorIas To carry
into effect the rtflrm t. which they make
claim. But should he succeed IN with
holding from his followers the patronage
to secure which they outraged the whole
system OF free government. the aHru for tx
i>tng evils would still lie uncerttin and
transient. Here. again. thd Il pubiicIl
reform prui pses only personal reformation.
Doubtless persona! government by laves Is
better than personal goyernm sut ny Grant,
but the reformation proposed l. nue IN ad-
mInistratun. No one believes thit bal tbs
choice ut the convention at Cincinnati itllen
upon Cuuklipg. Morton or Blain, we should
have heard anything Of such m thod Oi
disposips oi federal patronage Is l. proposed
by President Hayes, and therefore if the
Dr.atI.,.f ~ rt.f - - Ill he
Il purely personal ami mpurary one, be
ginning AMI ending wi'h him No; We
shall never secure real civil s,iyice reform
until We have changed the poser OF ap-
pointmeuts. and when an eud Is put to the
GENERALIZATION OF all appointments IN the
President and distributing the ap-
pointment of LEGAL officers IN some
way to localities. and making the
tenure of subordinate Hiters Tor Il fixed
time. The evil of this enormous executive
patronage Is greater thaL that Ut any civil
lz'd monarchy. and Yet an evil which was
III the bcglT nInS So insignificant and un-
lurrsecn that the Ia eIs tailed to make any
provision III respect to 1t whatever. From
the beginning Ot tins government there has
been but one Dtrmancpt party, that great
democratic parry which You represent. 1t
is the party Of limited and localized
government. Its duty and purpose
should be To secure rights and remove
abuses by law. To that end 1t ought,
as | think, tu take steps wh,Gh Will make
such contryance- AS returning boards Tor
hidden such interference by federal troops
as that in Louisiana Impossible, u make
such changes in fundamental law and 10
regulate the tenure OF cticj by law not 10y
party zeal OF executive will; ; bat, as |
think, it should 20 beyond even