The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-01

cratic party restore the unioni VIII your
 oemoeratie President recall the military and abolish the infamous state eovern-
 ments, set up over the south! If the army
 Is to stay here and this miserable state constitution is to govern here then, 1 say, let the New York convention alone,'
 The speaker had heard from Wendell
 Phillips that the new southern white man
 aristocracy was more troublesome than the old slave master aristocracy If the
 New York convention refused or neg leeted to promise to revoke the infamous reconstruction acts of Congyess, would an
 Alabama delegation indorse the refusal Or submit to the neglet? MT. Rice said a radical Congress was preparing to legis- late Alabama into the union, in sackcls-h and ashes in order to count her electoral
 vote for General Grant. The national democratic convention would shape its course to get that electoral vote, regard
 less of the methods of restoring the state.
 He would not draw a line between the two dishonest contestants for the cleo teral vote of the state The success of one or the other would carry with it no re- lief here from the military.
 Col Robert Tyler, editor of the Mont gomery Advertiser, replied to Judge Rice, appealing to the convention to replace the state of Alabama even if clothed in the habilaments of war upon the open roll of the national demoe- racy.
 At this moment, the committee charged with the duty, reported a list of names to be delegates to the national democratic convention, the first Ala bama had attended since the Charles ton convention of S60
 A delegate requested General Clan ton to retire from the hall. The dele gate announced that Clanton's name did not appear on the list of delegates to New York, and the convention it. self should place 1t on the list. dele gate explained that the purpose was to place General Clanton at the head of the electoral ticket yet to be made up. Put him in the lead in both places shouted the answer He is the life and soul of our cause" Gen eral Glanton now re-entered He would under no circumstances dsplace any name of the reported list for the convention at New York; he refused positively to go to New York.
 The delegates to New York for the state at large were Lewis E. Parsons, John Anthony Winston, Reuben Chap man and Gen. James II. Clanton. Dis trict delegates were sent also.
 The electoral ticket was, for the state at large, George Goldthwaits of Montgomery and Peter M Dox of Mad ison. For the First district elector, Harry T. Toulmin of Mobile; for the Second, P T. sayre of Montgomery; i; for the Third, John Henderson of Tal- ladega; for the Fourth Burwell Boy kin Lewis of Shelby; for the Fifth, James Crook of Calhoun for the Sixth and last, A. McAlexander.
 This was not the first attempt of the citizens of the state to reorganize political party association with other ct servative union party" was organized at Selma, August 2, 1866, by the ap- pointment of an executive committee with Clanton at the head, and dele gates were sent to the Philadelphia na- tional convention of August IA. No result followed except that Clanton and his committee wisely remained ac- tive. No candidates declared them selves and no election was ever held under the auspices of the party organ ized at Selma or Philadelphia.
 The present Montgomery convention of June 1. 1868, met at the call of of General Clanton as chairman of the exc cutive committee of the conservative union party of Alabama" Late in the night session of the second day Gen eral James T. Holtzclaw of Montgom- cry rose to consider the propriety of d more definite party name. There was no national party of the denomination of the Alabama party and Alabama could not appear in a national party convention under her present party name. General Holtzclaw proposed a new name, to-wit; The Democratic and Anti Radical party of Alabama" Col. Joseph Hodgson, editor of the Mont gomery Mail said all Alabamians were
 anti-radical," but all were not dem ocrats. He himself had been a whig from his youth up Into this non-par- tisan convention, called to devise some way to further the struggle for white supremacy in Alabama, and to ad- vance the national democratic party in the United States, had come many rep resentative men of the honor and yir- tue and intelligence of the state B. s. Bibb, Charles c. Langdon, Thomas H Watts Marcus H. Crulkshank, George D. Shortridge, Joseph w. Taylor, who had fought the democratic party itself up to the secession of Alabama were here to participate in the movement to restore the state and it's customs al.i traditions to the old time place Their early sentiments and attachments were honorable. Some name for the new political organization must be found which would recognize the old time whigs, who would join it. Colonel Hodeson moved to amend General Holtzolaw's motion and proposed the name Democratic and Conservative Party of Alabama" Hodgson's motion prevailed.
 The matter of selection of proper can didate to be nominated by the New York national democratic convention to defeat General Grant wrought intense excite ment throughout all the states of both sections. The candida-e must in any event come from the north. Letters were forced from various public men of that section, giving their opinions by which to take a measurement, of their availa- bilty. President Johnson greatly desired the nomination. Chief Justice Chase, Gen. Frank P. Blair Gen. George B. Me Clellan, Senator Pendleton of Ohio, Gen. eral Hancock. the great Maryland lawyer, Reverdy Johnson, Hendricks of Indiana, Doolittle of Wisconsin, Ewing of Ohio, English of Indiana, Church Parker, Joel Parker. John Quincy Adams, Horatie Seymour, governor of New York, and president of the convention, all received votes in the 2l ballots cast by the con vention.
 Judge Rice of Alabama was not alone in his view that unless the national de- mocracy reversed the reconstruction acts of Congress. the south nac better stani hands off national parties until the re- publicans at the north should quarrel among themselves. lie said in the statc convention he considered 1t wiser in the south to ahape it's course. to encourage "a divided majority rather to attempt to rescue "a united minority This view of the situation was not peculiar to the great Alabamian prophet. Who was Gen Frank P Blair, candidate for the New York nomination? His home was at St. Louis. He was a son of the renowned politician. who was of Gen. Andrew Jack sons Kitchen Cabinet" He had proven