The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-03
An Important Political Anniversary

We shall have this month the anniversary
of one of the important events in the history
of the nation. 1t is that of the first national
nominating convention of the Republican
party, which was held in the city of Phila-
delphia on the 18th, 18th. and 10th of June,
1856, and put in nomination JOHN C. FIRE.
MONT of California as it's candidate for the
Presidency and WILLIAM L. DAYTON ofNew
Jersey for the Vice-P presidency. In fact, it
may be said hat the anniversary is n double
one, for the convention that nominated
ABRAHAM LINCOLN at Chicago four years
later also took place on June 16, II, and Is.
In both of these conventions the State of
New York bore a distinguished part. Each
of them was called to order by the patri-
otto EDWIN d.. MORGAN, and the temporary
Chairman Of the first one was the pure and
noble Judge ROBERT EMMETT. EMMETT was
at the time a Frce-Soiler, and his accession
to the ranks of the new party was of ma
tional Significance. His speech to the con-
v%ention, repudiating what he considered the
false Democracy of BUCHANAN and the pro-
slavery men, fairly embodies the sentiments
of hundreds of thousands of the present day
in regard to the anarchistic, so-called Dem
ocratic platform formulated at Chicago.
Among other things Judge EMMETT said:
My autecedents have been all Democratic. For
fifty years l consider that I have been allied to that
party until that party left the only platform upon
which I could remain with II. The foundation OF a
new party in a republic like ours, after an existence
OF eighty years, is n singular event in history. and
one that. perhaps. will require explanation at the
hands OF the historian. 1t Is one. however, that can
only be justified by strong and irresistible causes;
and Tho uupstiOn here Is whether wp- In orpaniZ.
ing this new Republican party in this country
at this late day, are justified by the causes
which have induced us to form that organ.
ization. . . . The great Democratic party
OF this country-a name which, independent Of the
late acts OF the party, l have always honored and
have always looked up TO till l ceased to belong to
it-that great party calling itself tho Democratic
party has met and adopted Its platform. And a worse
platform for a Democratic platform l never read.
Let us. then, fellow citizens, proceed to the
good work. and trust that we Will strangle this
hydra OF the Union which Is now menacing our liberty
and peace; that we Will extirpate this canker that is
eating ont our very vitals. and cxtinGuish the
smoulderIng Are OF treason and dlsunion that is under
our feet at this moment, and which may burst forth
in an instant and swallow up all the fair liberties
which have been our boast and pride since the estab-
lishment OF this republic"
Read in these words of Judge EMMETT
socialistic spoliation for slavery, dishon-
esty for disunion. national thicvery for
treason, and this speech, made more than
forty years ago, has, to-day, all the patri-
otto appositeness it had in 1856. Glori-
ously, indeed. Mas history indicated the
loyal, devoted Democrats Of that day who
helped TO create the new party. They saved
the Union and they saved Democracy until
again, in the fulness of time, it won ma
tional victory, but only, unfortunately, to
be bascly betrayed.
Bad as BUCHANAN's Democracy was, that
of BRYAN is infinitely worse. 1t must be
destroyed if the republic is to live, and the
one effective way to do it is by voting
when necessary with that party ut whose
birth so many nobly patriotic Democrats
like ROBERT EMMETT were present.