Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-06-29

sponded to by Dan Dougherty, a we'll
known lawyer Of Philadelphia, on his
own account. He is ofmedium height,
with a pronounced forehead. curly
lawdy- dawdy whiskers and a d~elieately
chased profile. He is a born orator
and a finished rhetorician, and worked
up to the nam Of Winfield Scott
Hancock with consummate skill, max
ing the first genuine sensation of the
session. Mr.. Dougherty said:
| rise to nominate one whose name
would reconcile all factions, whose
election would crush the last embers
of sectional strife and be hailed as the
dawning OF the day ofperpetual broth
erhood. With him we can fling away
our shields and wage an aggressive
war. We can appeal to the supreme
tribunal of the American people
against the corruption of the republi-
can party and their untold violations
of constitutional liberty. With him
as our chieftain the bloody banner of
the republicans will fall from their
palsied grasp. Oh, my cOuntrymen,
in this supreme moment, when the
liberties of the people are imper-
lied, | rise to present to the thought
full consideration of the convention
the name of one who, on the field of
battle, was styled "the superb" yet
who has won a nobler renown as the
military governor, whose first
act on assuming command of
Louisiana and Texas was to
salute the constitution by proclaim
ing, amid the joyous greetings of an
oppressed people, that the military.
save in actual war, shall be subservi-
ent to the civil power. The plighted
word of the soldier was proved in the
statesman's acts. | name him whose
name will suppress every faction, is
alike acceptable to the north and
south, and will thrill the land from
end to end. The people hang breath
less on your deliberation. Take heed!
Make no misstepl | nominate one
who can carry every southern state,
and who can carry Pennsylvania, In
diana, Connecticut, New Jersey and
New York-the soldier Statesman
with a record as stainless as his sword
Winfield Scott Hancock, of Penn
sylvania. IF elected he will take his
seat"
For the next five minutes after that
telling sentence it was Hancock,
Hancock" Hancock, with a Sc.
ries of yells that nearly raised the root
from every head in the place.
Mr.. Dougherty struck a responsive
chord, or it would not have responded
SO readily. Yet itcannot be questioned
that hetoOk advantage of the occasion
and made the most Of his wonderful
powers, and of an opportunity which
might not occur again in a lifetime.
He struck the match that fred a
magazine Of enthusiasm, and the
Ephesian dome did not burn with a
brighter light than the patriotic i'm
pulse which inspires the people of the
whole country. The speech was short.
pointed and measured. We have not
punctuated with the applause and
the cheers which kept the speaker on
the standtwenty minutes. Such scenes
are witnessed only once in a generation.
They can neither be described or for
gotten. Nothing more picturesque OF
magnetic in the course Of political
events could be imagined than this
ringing little speech of Dan Dougher-
ty. With his finger he held thousands
spell bound, and repressed or liberated
their applause at will. The divine
gift of genius and oratory Vas seldom,
if ever before, felt and acknowledged
by so many people upon a mere mo
ment's notice.