Official proceedings of the National Democratic convention, held at New York, July 4-9, 1868.: Reported by George Wakeman, official reporter of the Convention.

NA TIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIO.V.
The Secretary then read the following letter, which was ordered
to be placed on the minutes of the Convention, -
NEw YORK, July 8, 1868.
DEAR GENERAL, -At a meeting of the National Executive Committee,
appointed by the Soldiers and Sailors' Convention, held this morning, it
was voted, unanimously, that their first choice for candidate of your Convention for the Presidency is General Hancock. But in the event of failure to
nominate him, and any gentleman not connected with the army should be
selected from the East, then our first choice for the second place on the
ticket was General Ewing, of Kansas; and if from the West, then our choice
would be General Franklin, of Connecticut.
Very truly yours, etc.,
ELI C. BINOLEY,
Member of the National Executive Committee, from Mlassachusetts.
General CHARLES W. BLAIR, Chairman Kansas Delegation.
Kentucky nominates Frank P. Blatr.
Kentucky being called, ex-Confederate General PRESTON, of Kentucky, said, Mr. President, I am instructed unanimously, by the State of Kentucky, by
its delegates here assembled, to place in nomination a gentleman of great
distinction in his State, and in the country. One in the prime of manhood;
distinguished by his devotion to the Union, having served it both in a civil
and in a military capacity with the utmost honor, and obtained a reputation
in the army second to no man of his grade. Kentucky feels that this nomination is due to the great West. No Southern State has presented any
nominee for any place, as you will observe here; but I feel that it is appropriate - for we have entertained different opinions from him —to state that
I am instructed now to nominate himn in order to testify that we, the soldiers
of the South, stretch forward our hands to the soldiers of the North
(Applause), in the spirit of a noble amity that your resolutions have inculcated. (Applause.) It is with that view, sir, after consultation with the
Northern delegations, and one of the most powerful, that the duty is devolved upon me of making this nomination. I now have the privilege,
therefore, of nominating as a candidate for the Vice-President of the United
States, General FRANCIS P. BLAIR, of Missouri. (Applause.)
General JAMES B. STEADMAN, of Louisiana.- Mr. President, I rise, sir, as
one of the humble representatives of the United States Army in the late
war, holding a seat in the Convention, to second, on behalf of Louisiana, the
nomination of iuy comrade-in-arras, Major-General Frank P. Blair. (Applause.) When this Convention adjourned, I went immediately to the headquarters of the Soldiers and Sailors' Executive Committee, on Union Square.
I met there some ten or twelve gentlemen, who were distinguished in the
army, and consulted them in regard to their choice for a candidate for VicePresident of the United States; and by a unanimous vote of all who were
present, I was requested to say to this Convention, without disparagement
to the name of any other soldier that has been presented here, or may be presented, that General Frank P. Blair would be acceptable to the soldiers of the
United States Army. (Applause.) The exhibition of magnanimity that has
been made in this Convention by the soldiers of the Confederate Army, in
coming up and girving a contradiction to the charge of the Radical party
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