Year: 1868

| TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Mr. President and Gentlemen Of the Convention
We are unanimously instructed, by the unanimou:


vote of the convention of Union soldiers and sailors
now in session at Cooper Institute to return to you


our thanks for extending to the privilege of the


floor of your convention. The objects for which We
are assembled clearly set forth in the address OF
our presiding officer.


Our convention is composed of two thousand dele
gates elected to represent every State and Territory
in the Union, who had served in the Union army and
navy every Of whom believes that in cooperating
at this time with the conservative party of the country
he is still engaged in the cause for which he
risked his life during the war, namely to preserve
the Union and maintain the supremacy of the Const-
tuition. We believe that crimes being perpe
trated IN the name of repubcanism and loyalty that
are not less alarming than those committed by the
armed foes of the Government during the war The
party in power has destroyed the equality of the
States has forced the Southern States to submit to
have their constitutions and laws framed by ignorant
negroes just released from servitude, while at the
North it has denied the negro, although comparatively
| educated, the right of suffrage.


1t has attempted to influence the highest tribunal of


the land by calling meetings of excited partisans TO
condemn all members of the court who might refuse
to act in accordance with their dictation while all the
leading journalists of the party since the close of the
impeachment trial have denounced and vilifed in
measured terms members of their party going so


far in instances to threaten personal violence
and for other reason than that they unwilling
to perjure themselves at the behest of party
| 1t has freely removed political disabilities from
of the South, who, before and during the war
the most violent and malignant rebels but have since
become the sycophants of the party in power, while it
persecates those in the localities who have al
ways been true to the Union but unwilling to be
ruled by their recently eznancipated slaves, at the
North has denied official position to hundreds Of the
veterans of the war, mos: of whom disabled by
wounds received in battle while it has hoisted into
place parsans of its own, having no claims on the
Government many of whom fortunately for the
try, have, during the past few months, become in-
mates of our pententiaries.


1t has placed the General Of the armies beyond the
control of the Presidens of the United States, to-
whom the Federal Constitution makes him subordi-
nate; has nominated him for the Presidency, and the
events Of the last four months indicate that by the
of the army under his supreme control there de-
termination to the electoral votes OF the South
ern States to be east for himself through force and
fraud We solemny declare our conviction that the
free institutions of the country have never been in
greater jeopardy than at this me and we look to the
deliberations of the Democratic party now assembled
in convention with the deepest anxiety feeling that On
its action depends the future prosperity OF our country


We earnestly trust and believe that no devotion to-
men or adherence to past issues will be permitted to
endanger the success of the great party which the
country looks with an anxious eye for permanent
peace and the perpeuity of our Institutions We be-
lieve that there living half million of men who
served in the Union army and navy who are, in SYM
cPtOSs~ w "So' VI P"tSy
in power and at least another half million who have
heretofore acted with the Republican party, but who
viewing with alarm the recent acts of that party, are
now anxious for change of administration.


With platform of principles reviewing po dead
issues, and looking only to the of existing evils
and with candidates whose fidelity to the Constitution
and devotion to the country cannot be questioned We
shall cooperate with you in this campaign with enthu
siasm and confidence that will bring victory and Sal
vation to the country.


At the conclusion Of the reading OF the address.
three cheers given for the soldiers and sailors,
and calls made for Thomas Ewing, Jr., of Ohio,
who was introduced to the convention and greeted
by round of applause.


SPEECH BY GEN WADE HAMPTON AT WASHINGTON
CoLLEGE.-A correspondent of the Richmond Enqui-
rer, giving account of the commencement proceed
ings at Washington College, Virginia. says:


The certificates of distinction and the diplomas hav
ing been awarded and the oraons the part OF the
young men having been concluded, Gen. Lee arose
and said:


81 introduce to you, ladies' and gentlemen, Gen.
Wade Hampton, of South Carolina, who has consented
to address the literary societies"


The general still looks young when he rode in
the of the battle. The theme ofthe address was,
DUTY the best motive to animate US n all things"
He said:


"When you assume the duties of citizenship, let
this order Of the great republic be the maxim to gov
you in all your relations to your State. Determine
firmly that whatever may be your future position,





thought deed to work detriment to your State Be
true to her, come veal come woe; true to her mate
rial interests her spotless fame her unsullied honor
her grand traditions. You this duty to those i'm
mortal men who made Virginia what she was; you
owe it to them who are to come after you you owe
it to yourselves you owe it to your State


She cannot address her in the proud
language of naughty Rome, asking them to to it
that the Republic suffers detriment, for her voice,
that of old so potent, is stihed but in mute agony
ol,a tn he has tn
her younger born how to live for her, and if need be,
how to die for her! As she calls up her mighty dead
to stand before you, methinks | see coming at her
summons illustrious host of heroes sages and pa
triots. see assembled the of the Old Dominion
men of heroic mould-and from their midst hear
the voice of the forest born Demosthenes, he
claims in tones that reused America and still find
echo in the heart of every lover of freedom Give me
liberty or give me death' 1 see Jefferson, as with
impressive soemnity he presents to the patriots of
76, what was once our Magma Charta, the immortal
Declaration Of Independence. I see Madison framing
that Constitution which he fondy hoped but alas in
va to the blessings of liberty to his coun-
try see Madison giving to his State her noble bill
of rights and Marshall adding dignity to the bench by
his justice and learning and shedding lustre on his
State by his virtue Along with them count.
less throng of her noble whose names the world
will not willingly let die and towering above all, see
approach in awful majesty the man who was first In.
war first in peace and first in the hearts of his coun
trymen.'


He concluded as follows, after warning the young
gentlemen against pursuing the dictates of policy
rather than principle: "Should such temptations,
should you be disposed for Che sake of expedency to
sacrifice duty go yonder quiet cemetery and you
look upon the grave of Jackson, think of the great
soldier, pure patriot and humble Christian,


"Who taught US how to live, and, Oh, too high!


For such price, who taught us how to die!"


"Should any further incentive to confirm your
vering faith be then needed from the grave of
the dead hero and Christian to contemplate the living
one and learn to live like him whose inspiration has
been patriotism and whose poe-star is duty"


CHEAP L1GHr-We witnessed last week at No 1l6
Poydras street, the working of gas generator, pat
ented by Mr.. Bearce, of Cleveland, Ohio. layer of
sponges is made to float top of vessel containing
gasoline. Through these sponges, saturated with this
fluid, air is forced by means of an ATMOSPHERIC pump.
This air after passing through the gasoline becomes
gas and is conducted by means of common gas pipes
to the burners 1t burns with steady clear light far
better than common gas and can be manufactured at
about thirty cents per thousand feet One gallon of
gasoline will make one thousand feet of gas, and,