The New York herald., 1879-01-03
Organization Of the National Soft Money
Men for Vigorous Party Work.
WENDELL PHILLIPS SPEECH.
The National Banking System Denounced
As a Danger to the Country.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

The Convention of Greenbackers called to meet to-
day at Goldman Hall. in this city. assembled at ten
O'Clock, but not in large numbers as had been an
tcipated General Butler is laid up quite seriously
i'll at his house in Lowell and could not attend;
Soon Chase has been very busy trying to settle the
statuof the greenbackers of Maine and he failed to
appear at the forenoon session. Alexander Troup.
OF New Haven. on hand, as was also Mr..
Wendell Phillips the silver-tongued orator. and
extreme radical greenbacker. and Colonel 7. A.
Bland, of Indiana The other prominent members
present We're Sidney G. Bancroft. of Peabody; n II.
Bryant of Boston; J. NJ L. Babcock. of Cambridge;
Charles n. Lildman, OF Alarblehead, and II. NJ.
Bearse. of Boston.
The meeting called to order at ten o'clock by
Mr.. Troup, who said the conference was held in con-
sequence Of proposition made At the Washington
conference. in order to organize the party in New
England for active work in every town, village and
school district.
A was taken for the purpose of counting
stock, resulting in the following fgures-Sixtysix
names were enrolled from Massachusetts. nine from
Maine. three from Connecticut, one from New Hamp-
shire, two from Vermont and seven from Rhode
Island. On motion of Mr.. John r. Forrest, of Win
oosk VT. the temporary organization of the meet
ing made permanent. The meeting ad-
dressed by Carl Mohr. of Worcester, who maintained
that the financial system Of this country far in
ferior to that of foreign nations and ought to be
abolished and a system similar to that of France
adopted.
At the close of Mr.. Mohr.s address member moved
the adoption of the following:-
Rsored That 1t is the of this Convention that the
interests Of party and the propagation of principles
in which I'll The New England states shall Be
BY the Chair to at two this
. plan for the organization of New England League
This brought forth lively discussion to the
be Q noisy
WENDELL. PHILLIPS SPEECH.
During the debate Wendell Phillips came in and
was warmly received Ho made brief address to
the delegates, as follovs:-
With regard to the of the proposed
league. have no objection to that suggested
by my friend before (Mr. Raymond), and
If it win increase your strength I should adopt
it. do not care for the name. would name the
party everything would comprehend strength
But this is very great question: and unless peculiar
and exceptional elements help US it is not likely
that for the next ten or fifteen years you will its
settlement. 1t is just big thing to Lincoln's s
phrase the questi between antslavery and free
dom. In some resi- sects it is the same thing; but
when you have the side justice and all the ele
mens that go to pro ect the and tho other
side organized capita the contest will be very
and 1t will not be sc Sled in very short time You
to grid loins for long struggle. developing
strength closer and closer to the enemy.
that it was a very simple issue It seemed to be q
very simple issue whether man might own
another but found the roots OF that lay under
the constitution and the communion table and the
exchange and literature and everything else. In this
case we shall find the same thing. Therefore when
you enlist remember that you enlist for q long
war. The grand thing want to say is this. In my
opinion people can never attend to more than ono
thing at the same time. The great of the
public has settled but one at time,
and If want success have got to present
to the public these issues successfully; not a
complication Of issues in platform containing
many questions To my mind. the great OBJ
o' of the ss soy y %SSs ,Ss
public respect and fear you. Applause.) They are
now counting how many greenback votes there are
sarily-does nothing but count noses. You may
show me the Angel Gabriel. with q clear platform.
thousand votes behind him. Now. then. must
show our strength In the years that we have been
for our measures. Men who have not yet committed
themselves ripe for them, aud to-day what they
need Is PROOF OF our power and then we shali nave
show your strength you have got to In
clude but one general proposition in your
immediate attempt. I am coming to this idea-the
only thing that to to be the issue is
whether this nation shall exclusively issue its
money or let the national banks Issue it; whether
the nation will its sovereignty not. Mr..
Phillips referred to the prediction OF Sir Robert
England would be discussing the resumption
by the government of the issue of the cur
rency. as. having been fulfilled, and then he
our platform we carry with us all the progressive
men Of the North and Of the South. and made the
separate the issues, but thing at time must be
your object. 1 always. as an aoolitonist believed
that the negro should vote, but 10 1860 never
claimed for the negro the right vote. We simply
claimed that man had q right to own another.
slavery. If we had added many other issues
equally just. IL had added forty of land
and mule for each negro. Hayes would never have
risen to the place he holds and General Butler
would have been President. We made the issue
that the negro be free and we succeeded. Mr..
Phillips saio that IL had been found impos-
sible to maintain labor party, labor and
capital intimately connected tina. con-
test between thom cannot be maintained. He
claimed that the national party would absorb and
represent the labor element and he advised the Con-
ference 10 take such action as will make the party in
New England and throughout the land responsible.
aud which will secure to the government return of
that sovereignty which be belongs to It of right.
tion to reconsider put and lost and the Chairman
appointed the following committee:-For Massachu-
setts John VI. Raymond, of Salem, and John Howes,
of Worcester; for New Hampshire. A. B. Robinson
and G. G. Russell; for Vermont J. II. Forrest and ID.
Jarbox for Rhode Island, John Francis smith and
Harris W. Aldrich Tor Connecticut, A. Troup and
George W. Hewett; for Maine. Solon Chase. 1mrne-
diately thereafter recess OF an hour and half was
taken.
The afternoon session was devoted to active buei-
ness and considerable discussion on the basis OF
organization. A series Of resolutions adopted
looking TO complete union of all soft money advo-
Gates in the New England States and the circulation
Of literature tending the sprca these doctrines
After long debate ON the best methods of bringing
about these results and interchange OF ideas 1t
finally voted that . committee be appointed
eistng OF delegate from each Congressional dis
tric n New England and the President and Secretary
of each state Central Committee FOR tho purpose OF
completing perfect and effective organization of all
followers of the national greenback idea. This is
be n committee ON permanent organization, and will
report three weeks from to-day at meeting TO be
held in Boston or Worcester. IL voted to hold .
general meeting Of greenbackers next August in or
near Portland, Me-. which means Old Orchard Beach.
TRouP pEsouScRs THE BASks-
After the settlement OF all the minor disputes
several speeches made. the principal being
by Alexander Troup. OF New Haven. temporary chair
man OF the meeting This gentleman denounced tho
national banks the great and fundamental evil of
our financial system. These institutions he said
collectively bankrupt. although individually they
might he solvent, at least OF them. They pro-
duced nothing. and were gradually absorbing the
wealth Of the country.
charles Mclean. q member OF the Governors Coun-
ell, made . vigorous speech In which he declared
himself straight out grcenbacker. lie denounced
the financial policy of tho administration, and
-. 49,. Ill.,.