Governor Hendricks Notified. The Committee appointed by the Democratic National Convention to notify the candidates visited Saratoga July 30th, where Governor Hendricks was spending a brief time, and formally notified him of his nomination. Col. William F. Vilas, of Wisconsin, said: GOV. THOMAS A. HENDRICKS, OF INDIANA: The great national council of constitutional Democracy of the Union, held at Chicago within this month of July, constituted this committee now before you by selection from each of the several States and Territories of our country, and commissioned it as the official voice of the party to declare to you in fitting terms and with appropriate ceremony-not only in testimony of its respect for your abilities and character, but in pledge of its consideration for the interests of the nation-that you have been nominated by that party to the people to be their Vice-President of the United States for the ensuing term of that exalted trust. That honorable duty we have journeyed hither from every part of this wide land with pride and pleasure in this manner to discharge. The interesting circumstances of that nomination cannot be unknown to you, and could not but be gratifying to the sensibilities of any right-minded man. It was well understood in that convention that such a distinction was even there unsought and undesired by you. Yet, sir, after many others were presented your name was suggested followed by repeated seconding. Every other name was withdrawn, and amid universal acclaim the roll-call responded to your unanimous choice. Then, in exquisite enthusiasm the Convention, with the vast surrounding assemblage, joined with cheer and hymn in a prolonged outbreak of gratified satisfaction. Sir, though Indiana's favored citizens may enjoy with just pride a peculiar honor in the distinguished services you have rendered your party, your State and the nation, and may feel a peculiar attachment for the endearing qualities of your heart and mind, be assured that the Democracy of the nation participates in that sense of honor and affectionate regard in hardly a less degree. They witnessed your long and honorable career, sometimes in the faithful performance of high public trusts, sometimes nobly contending as a soldier in the ranks for the principles of constitutional liberty; but always with firm devotion and unswerving fidelity to the interests and rights of the people; and now they confidently expect of your patriotism to yield all professional wishes and undertake the labors of their candidate, as on their part the people can securely repose upon the ripe experience of your years and wisdom to most satisfactorily meet all the responsibilities of the high office to which you will be called. The Convention felt, as the nation will approve, that it was serving the spirit of the Constitution when it designated for a Vice-President a citizen worthy and competent to execute the highest functions of the Chief Magistracy. It is an especial desire of the Democracy, sir, to see you invested with this particular dignity, because they know, as now all the world knows, that once you were rightfully given title to it by the people and wrongfully denied its possession by the success of machinations, of fraud and conspiracy, and the vindication of exact justice will be most complete when you shall be re-elected, now that you may be triumphantly inaugurated to your rightful chair of office. This sentiment has given discretion to the personal consideration and admiration of the Democracy so abundantly manifested in the recent Convention, and will stir a responsive throb in the hearts of all good men. In finishing the grateful office which the partial favor of these gentlemen, my distinguished associates, has assigned me permit us one and all to express the highest esteem and regard. In a more enduring execution of its duty the committee have prepared and personally signed a written communication which the Secretary will now read. The Address of the Committee. At this point Mr. Bell, the Secretary, read the following address : HON. THOMAS A. HENDRICKS, OF INDIANA: SIR: The honor and pleasure of officially notifying you of your nomination as the candidate of the National Democracy in the election about to occur for the office of Vice-President of the United States, whereby the Convention recently heid at Chicago conferred upon the undersigned as a committee of that body, designed to represent in our persons the several States and Territories. In grateful performance of the duty, we are entitled to express the admiration of the Convention and of the party for your long and well-known personal qualities and character and for your distinguished public service and maintenance of the principles and objects which are believed best calculated to promote the security, happiness and welfare of the people, and especial satisfaction in the minds of all good men must follow your election from the reflection that in your person the testimony will be peculiarly given that the American people are never conscious or willing instruments of that great public crime by which, thorough fraudulent returns and a flagrant disregard of truth and justice, others were seated in those high offices to which Samuel J. Tilden and yourself were rightfully chosen in 1876, as well as of the patriotism of your great submission, in confident reliance upon the justice of the people for vindication. An engrossed copy of the declaration of principles and policy made by the Convention is submitted with this communication for your examination, and we may surely expect your loyal devotion in the cause of our party to accept the candidacy imposed by your nomination. NICHOLAS M. BELL, Secretary. D. B. BESTOR, Ala. FRED. W. FORDYCE, Ark. NILES SEARLES, Cal. M. M. S. WALLER, Col. E. D. WRIGHT, Dist. of Col. W. F. VILAS, President. D. E. MCCARTHY, Nev. L. G. KINNE, Ia. C. C. BURNES, Kan. Reply of Mr. Hendricks. 66 MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE: I cannot realize that a man should ever stand in the presence of a committee representing a more august body of men than that which you represent. In the language of another, The Convention was large in numbers, august in culture and patriotic in sentiments;" and may I not add to that that, because of the power and the greatness and the virtues of the party which it represented, it was itself in every respect a very great Convention. (Applause.) The delegates came from all the States and Territories, and I believe, too, from the District of Columbia. (Applause.) They came clothed with authority to express judgment and opinion upon all those questions which are not settled by constitutional law. For the purpose of passing upon those questions and selecting a ticket for the people that Convention assembled. They decided upon the principles that they would adopt as a platform. They selected the candidates that they would propose to the party for their support, and that Convention's work was theirs. I have not reached the period when it is proper for me to consider the strength and force of the statements made in the platform. It is enough for me to know that it comes at your hands from that Convention addressed to my patriotic devotion to the Democratic party. (Applause.) I appreciate the honor that is done me. I need not question that, but at the same time that I accept the honor from you and from the Convention, I feel that the duties and the responsibility of the office rest upon me also. I know that sometimes it is understood that this particular office, that of VicePresident does not involve much responsibility, and as a general thing that is so. But sometimes it comes to represent very great responsibilities and it may be so in the near future, for at this time the Senate of the United States stands almost equally divided between the two great parties and it may be that those two great parties shall so exactly differ that the Vice-President of the United States shall have to decide upon questions of law by the exercise of the casting vote. (Applause.) The responsibility would then become very great. It would not then be the responsibility of representing a State or district. It would be the responsibility of representing the whole country and the obligation would be to the judgment of the whole country, and that vote when thus cast should be in obedience to the just expectations and requirements of the people of the United States. It might be, gentlemen, that upon another occasion great responsibility would attach to this office. It might occur that under circumstances of some difficulty-I dont think it will be next election-but it may occur under circumstances of some difficulty, the President of the Senate will have to take his part in the counting of the electoral vote, and allow me to say that duty is not to be discharged in obedience to any set of men or to any party, but in obedience to a higher authority. (Applause.) Gentlemen, you have referred to the fact that I am honored by this nomination in in a very special degree. I accept the suggestion that in this candidacy I will represent the right of the people to choose their own rulers. That right that is above all, that lies beneath all; for if the people are denied the right to choose their own officers according to their own judgment, what shall become of the rights of the people at all? What shall become of free government if the people select not their officers? How shall they control the laws, their administration and their execution? So that, in suggesting that in this candidacy I represent that right of the people as you have suggested, a great honor has devolved upon me by the confidence of the Convention, As soon as it may be convenient and possible to do so I will address you more formally in respect to the letter you have given me. I thank you gentle men. (Applause.) Ex-Gov. Hendricks' Letter of Acceptance. INDIANAPOLIS, August 20, 1884. GENTLEMEN-I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication notifying me of my nomination by the Democratic Convention at Chicago as candidate for the office of Vice-President of the United States. May I repeat what I said on another occasion-that it is a nomination which I had neither expected nor desired, and yet I recognize and appreciate the high honor done me by the Convention. The choice of such a body, pronounced with such unusual unanimity and accompanied with so generous an expression of esteem and confidence, ought to outweigh all merely personal desires and preferences of my own. It is with this feeling, and, I trust also from a deep sense of public duty, that I now accept the nomination, and shall abide the judgment of my countrymen. I have examined with care the declaration of principles adopted by the Convention, a copy of which you submit to me, and in their sum and substance I heartily indorse and approve the same. I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant, T. A. HENDRICKS. To the Hon. WILLIAM F. VILAS, chairman; NICHOLAS M. BELL, secretary, and others of the Committee of the National Democratic Convention. 2 Life of Grover Cleveland. GROVER CLEVELAND, Governor of the State of New York, was born in Caldwell, Essex county, New Jersey, on March 18, 1837. The house in which he was born, a small two-story wooden building, is still standing. It was the parsonage of the Presbyterian church, of which his father, Richard Cleveland, at the time was pastor. The family is of New England origin, and for two centuries have contributed to the professions and to business, men who have reflected honor on the name. Aaron Cleveland, Governor Cleveland's great-great-grandfather, was born in Massachusetts; but subsequently moved to Philadelphia, where he became an intimate friend of Benjamin Franklin, at whose house he died. He left a large family of children who in time married and settled in different parts of New England. A grandson was one of the small American force that fought the British at Bunker Hill. He served with gallantry throughout the Revolution and was honorably discharged at its close as a lieutenant in the Continental army. Another grandson, William Cleveland (a son of a second Aaron Cleveland, who was distinguished as a writer and member of the Connecticut legislature) was Grover Cleveland's grandfather. William Cleveland became a silversmith in Norwich, Connecticut. He acquired by industry some property and sent his son Richard Cleveland, the father of Grover Cleveland, to Yale College, where he graduated in 1824. During a year spent in teaching at Baltimore, Maryland, after graduation, he met and fell in love with a Miss Annie Neale, daughter of a wealthy Baltimore book publisher, of Irish birth. He was earning his own way in the world at the time and was unable to marry; but in three years he completed a course of preparation for the ministry, secured a church in Windham, Connecticut, and married Annie Neale. Subsequently he moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, where he preached for nearly two years when he was summoned to Caldwell, New Jersey, where was born Grover Cleveland. When he was three years old (1841) the family moved to Fayetteville, Onondaga county, New York. Here Grover Cleveland lived until he was fourteen years old, the rugged, healthful life of a country boy. His frank, generous manner made him a favorite among his companions, and their respect was won by the good qualities in the germ which his manhood developed. He attended the district school of the village and was for a short time at the academy. His father, however, believed that boys should be taught to labor at an early age, and before he had completed the course of study at the academy he began to work in the village store at fifty dollars for the first year, and the promise of $100 for the second year. His work was well done and the promised increase of pay was granted in the second year. Meanwhile his father and family had moved to Clinton, the seat of Hamilton College, where his father acted as agent to the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, preaching in the churches of the vicinity. Hither Grover came at his |