Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-05-10
National WING Convention
for the nomination of Cam
didates for President and
Vice President Of the United
States,


States.
At eleven o'clock A. M. on Wednesday,
the LIST of May, the delegates to the Wing
National Convention for the nomination OF
candidates for President and Vice President
of the United States, assembled in the
Universaist Church, Baltimore.
The delegates were in full attendance,
and the Church was crowded to overlooking
with eager and earnest spectators.
Reverdy Johnson, Esq. called the Con-
vention TO order.
Senator Huntington Of Connecticut an
nounced the organization as follows: MIR.
ii. said the day and the hour had arrived,
and he would propose the Hon. Arthur l..
Hopkins Of Alabama as President of the
Convention, pro TEN.
The name was received with cheers. Mr..
Hopkins took the chair, and submitted to
the Convention, that the blessings of God
should be invoked upon the assembly on the
occasion. For that purpose the Rev. Mr..
Johns would pronounce the first prayer
made before the Continental Congress.
The Lords prayer was then uttered, fol-
lowed by some of the most appropriate pray
ers of the Episcopal service The immense
assembly stood while the prayers were read,
and the scene was most impressive.
Another of the city clergymen, Rev. Mr.
READ, read appropriate passages from the
word of God, exhorting the people ito walk
worthy of their vocation"
Hon. AMBROSE SPENCER, of N. Y,
was then nominated as President of the Con-
vention, and 25 Vice Presidents were cho-
sen.
The name Of the Honorable Ambrose
Spencer was received with applause, and all
the officers appeared to give entire satisfac-
ton to all the members Of the convention.-
The names were unanimously accepted
Loud applause greeted Mr. Spencer as he
took the stand, and the array Of distinguished
sneu from all parts Of the country upon the
platform was very imposing.
The President, on taking the Chair, made
the following address:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION;
Selected to preside over the deliberations
ef this august assemblage Of Wings and
Patriots from every part of this wide spread
Republic, / return you my unfeigned and
grateful thanks for the distinguished honor
conferred on mean honor far surprising
any have ever received and which ] can
not but regard as GROWING one Of long
life, much Of which has been devoted to
public service. Unaccus.omed to presiding
over such an assembly, l should have felt
great diflidence in my capacity in discharg-
ing the duties of the Chair, but for the con-
federation that we meet as brothers in prin-
cipe, animated by one common purpose to
rescue our beloved country and its institr-
tons from the degradation with which they
have fallen, and to place on firm basis
its honor, its prosperity, its happiness. and
its glory. In Convention thus constituted,
feel confident that any want Of tact or par
iiamentary experience on my part will be
unimportant, for among the friends Of order
and the law, disorder will not be found
What a spectacle is here presented for the
consideration OF the world representation
by delegates emanating Immediately from
the people Of all the States Of this glorious
Union, TO select from among our most talent
ed and patriotic statesmen, two citizens 70
be presented to their approval as candidates
for the Presidency and Vice Presidency of
these United States.
The inappreciable Importance of wise
and right selection of candidates for these
high trusts is so obvious that l need not say
word to enhance in your minds the great
duty imposed upon US. / may, however,
remark, that public opinion, which is ON
nipotent here, has anticipated our selection,
10 the first station, in designating an indi-
vidual pre-eminent as apatriot and states
man, whose name has conferred honor on
his country, and whose counsel and voice
in our Cabinet and our Legislative Halls,
have had potency in favor Of liberty, the
honor of the country and its best interests,
which no other name has obtained since our
immortal Washington.
Averse as am in general to the binding
efficacy of instructions, ia this case | cheer
fully yield my hearty assent to the mstruc-
tons imposed on me as regards the selection
Of a candidate for the Presidency. need
not name the man, Tor there is but one name
that thrills our bosoms, and arouses and fix-
es our hopes as the saviour Of our country
from the misrule which has distracted and
.disgraced it, and brought reproach upon
Representative governments.
Gentlemen, it is not to be expected that
we come here with any thing like unanimity
in the selection Of candidate for the Vice
Presidency. The first difficulty to be met
and overcome is the fact that many persons
Of high attainments and distinguished states,
mansbip. and withaI oflofty and unsuspect-
ed integrity, have been named in various
sections Of the Union, having equal OF
psarly equal pretepsions. These Gentlemen