The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-30 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF ELECTIONS.

At the Republican State Convention of Massa-
chusetts, held at Worcester ou the 9th inst., it ap-
pears that the Lieutenant-Governor, William Claf-
lin, was unanimously nominated for Governor. 1)r.
George B. Loring, of Salem, withdrew in a graceful

speech ; wherein he stated that, judging by the re-
ception extended to him, it was almost as well to be

a defeated as a successful candidate.

There were

about 1,500 representatives at the meeting, one of
the largest ever held in the old Bay State, and it is
supposed that the canclidate nominated at such a
meeting is certain of election. The Hon. William
Claflin was proposed by General Butler, who in-
terrupted a motion for a committee to collect and
count the votes for Governor, and proposing this
nomination as an amendment, it at once was carried
by acclamation. Judge Russell, of Boston, nomi-
mated Col. Joseph Tucker of Lenox as Lieutenant-
Governor. A delegate from Plymouth County nomi-
nated Whitney Griswold of Greenwich. The name
of Chas. A. Stevens of Ware was also mentioned.
Oa the first ballot there was no choice. After this
result had been announced the name of Charles A.

Stevens was withdrawn, and the Convention pro-

seeded to a second ballot, with the following re-
sult :--Whole number of votes cast, 1,210 ; neces-
sary for a choice, 606 ; Joseph Tucker had 622,
Whitney Griswold 574, C. A. Stevens 11, scatter-
ing 3. Colonel Tucker's nomination was made
unanimous, on the motion of Mr. Griswold. A
resolution was offered calling for Senator Sumner's
re-election to the United States Senate, and greeted
with loud cheering. These gentlemen were chosen
electors at large :—David Sears, Boston ; John 11.
Clifford, New Bedford. The following resolutions

were adopted :
Resolved, That the Republicans of Massachusetts
heartily approve the platform adopted by the Republican
party of the nation at Chicago, and pledge their earnest
support to the election of Ulysses S. Grant and Schuyler
Colfax as essential to the peace, safety, and honour of the

country.
Resolved, That the rights of the loyal citizens of the
South, won by war and secured by national legislation,
shall be maintained.
Resolved, That we heartily approve the system of re-
construction established by the law-making power of the
nation, as wise and humane, and as demanding no more
than the security and good faith of the country require.
Resolved, That we repudiate the position of the Demo-
cratic party recently and authoritatively taken, which has
resuscitated the Rebellion, and proposes to overthrow, by
force, if necessary, the already effected Reconstruction
Acts.

Resolved, That the success of the Democratic party tends
directly to revolution and civil war.
Resolved, That the success of the Republican party is
essential to the public credit, as this party alone can be re-
lied on to make the actual and honest payment of the public
debt in gold and silver a matter of sacred honour, while
the Democratic proposition is an evasion of our duty and
a fraud upon those who have trusted the nation.
Resolved, That the public life of the Hon. Charles Sum-
ner, during the three terms of service in the Senate of the
United States, has fully justified the confidence which
has been successively reposed in him ; that his eloquence,
fearless and persistent devotion to the sacred cause of
human rights, as well in its early struggles as in its later
triumphs, his beneficent efforts after the abolition of
slavery, in extirpating all the incidents thereof, his con-
stant solicitude for the material interests of the country,
his diligence and success as Chairman of the Senate Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs in vindicating the policy and
maintaining the just rights of the Government against
foreign powers, and, at the same time, of preserving peace
with the nations, all present a public record of rate use-
fulness and honour, and that his fidelity, experience, and
honourable identification with our national history, call
for his re-election to that high office in which he has ren-
dered such illustrious service to his country and to man-
kind.

General Butler was well received by the Conven-
tion, and made, both at a caucus on the preceding
evening and at the meeting, effective speeches. He
said the extraordinary spectacle had been lately
seen of Congress on the one side giving laws to the
Republic, and the Executive upon the other side
insisting that those laws should not be executed
until anarchy reigned at the South, and no Union
man's life was safe there. The issue now is pre-
cisely the same which was fought over in the war,
and under the same leaders ; the very men that
were met in the field. The Forrests and the Lees
are at this hour the leaders of the Democratic party.
General Butler then referred to the recent letter of
General Lee, and said that he had told the North
in that letter that the negroes who fought the Union
battles and were faithful among the faithless can
never have any political rights in the South. Butler
contended that uo mutually beneficial arrangement
could be made, for those who have no political
rights are slaves. The old leaders have only changed
their flag, which now is the Stars and Stripes, but
all could remember when the war opened these
leaders acknowledged they had made a great mis-
take in allowing the North the prestige of the old
flag. At present they had determined "to steal the
livery of heaven to serve the devil in." Minor
questions before such issues should be laid aside.
With General Blair he held Reconstruction to be
the issue, because it involved peace or war. " Un-
less the constitutional amendment is ratified by all the
States necessary, the payment of our national debt is
not made a sure thing, and the chances for the pay-
ment of the Rebel debt look up. The party
should not be divided upon the question of the
manner of the payment of the national debt until the
fact that it would some time be paid was assured.
The Democracy, it is true, are carrying on the
campaign upon entirely different ideas, inasmuch
as it is their policy to keep the people ignorant of
the true issues of the contest. In regard to their
candidate for Governor in this State, he simply
wished to say that his main recommendation for
the nomination was in the fact that he once be-
longed to the Republican party. It was not
to he forgotten, however, that only three years
ago, in the Legislature of Maisachusetts, as a
Republican, the same gentleman warned his
party against receiving Democrats into their
ranks, because ney might not always be faith-
ful. Upon this point General Butler said:—" If
you are going to choose a man for any position,
take one who has become a Republican from con-
viction." Men change their habits frequently, but
rarely their convictions. In this connection Gen.
Butler referred to Judge Abbott, complimenting
his legal ability, but saying that he thought about
as much of his political sagacity as he did when,
in 1818, he was a Free-Soiler. Instead of discuss-