The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-07-05
Congressional Convention Of the Isms.

as from the incongruouS ana antagonlStlcal
nature of the elements that composed the
conventicle sharp time was anticipated,
the court house was at an early hour filled
not only with delegates, but with large
crowd Of curious spectators.
The convention was called to order at
about eleven o'clock, a temporary organiza-
ton effected by appointing q. r. Potter, OF
this county, chairman, a committee ap-
/ pointed on permanent organization, the de
/ lcgates presented their credentials, &c, and
( the convention adjourned to o'clock.
I On reassernbling, the name Of j. F. Dag
gctt, of VIII, was reported as permanent
president, and Mr.. Ormc, of Vermilion,
and F. \. Dean, of La Sale, secretaries,
who were accordingly appointed.
On calling over the roll Of delegates, all
the delegations appeared to be full except
that of Kendall, from which but one, Mr.
Stinson, appeared, who asked the privilege
of adding another, and that the two be al
lowed 10 cast the three votes OF Kendall
! The motion brought Gen. Gridley, of Nc
Lean, to his feet. 1t appears the Kendall
DELEGATE was understood 10 be for LovcjOy,
a man Gen. q. has especially come to de-
/ feat. and he made such 4 fight on admitting
/ the two additional votes against him, that
/ Mr.. StinsOn became alarmed, and withdrew
! his request. The motion was, however,
| subsequently renewed and carried.
/ The convention were now ready to proceed
to ballot. An informal ballot was first
agreed on, which was taken, and resulted
Lovejoy 81, SWEET 70, Norton II.
Mr.. Potter now moved to proceed TO vote
for candidate rirG roce. lie was ready,
and wanted everybody else to show his
hand. '.No, no, 10" from all parts of the
room. II was therefore agreed to vote by Sc
crct ballot. The ID vote resulted Lovcjoy
%, SWEET 10, Norton9. Third ballot Love
iov ~, SWEET 10, Norton Q. Some delegate
appears to have slipped in two votes for
LoyciOv, as there were more votes cast than
there were delegates, so the ballot was pro-
nounccd vicious, and was taken over, re-
sultiug Lovejoy 26, SWEET 10, Norton 9
vote by which the convention agreed to vote
by ballot. Strenuous opposition to the mo-
ton from the Lovcjoy side Of the house.
Gen. GridlCy plead, argued, threatened
the Fremont and state ticket i'll lis pant Of
tie district, that ;hc delegates from that
quarter should be able to show ow they
voted, intimatiug that if Lovejoy was nomi
mated, and they were unable to show they
had voted against him, the charge Of aboli-
tionsm would be fastened on them and they
would he beaten 1000 in Mclean, Nermi-
lion. Champaign, and De Witt Counties
These were not his words, but what he
meant. He concluded 10y demanding the
av,s and noes on his motion, which were
taken and resulted ~ for to - against the
rjg1 cocs vote.
Mr.. Funk. Of Mclean. then moved that
the convention adjourn. Great excitement,
and the motion finally amended t, adjourn
for half an hour, but voted down. More ex
element. and another motion made to ad-
iourn for % minutes, which was carried by
- to 2G.
On rcasscmb!ing, after the recess, the
Loycioy men surrendered the secret ballot,
and agreed to show their hands. \ delegate
from Nerlnlion now arose and said there ap
pearcd to be much feeling in the convention
against some Of the candidates voted for, in
tinated that if certain one was nominated
lmeaning LOvcjoy) they would be knocked
Skv-high in his end of the district. Said his
end had never had man and would feel sore
on that account, but cxhortcd to harmony
and concession, and proposing that all the
candidates before the convention be with
drawn and new man taken up, proceeded
to put his plan of pacitication into execution
by Withdrawing the name of Mr.. SWEET, and
nominating Churchill Cofiing \ delegate
from VIII thereupon also withdrew the name
of Mr.. Norton but the Lovcjoy men, being
sure OF their game, were not to be caught
with 4 sugar plum, and refused to withdraw
his name. Mr.. Kelsey, of Bureau, made an
animated speech, declaring Mr.. Lovejov was
not hal; as bad an abolitioEist as people INA
gincd, and could convince the southern
folks of il when he took the stump among
them.
The convention was now ready for the
final ballot, which was taken amid OCCASION
al Interruptions, explanations, &c. The re
suit was so for Lovcjoy, p for Coiiing. \
motion was then made TO make the nomina-
ton unanimous on which Gen. Gridlcy de
mandcd the yeas and Lays, which resulted
III II votes against the motion. Another
motion, that the delegates present pledge
themselves to support the nominee, elected
such signs Of Gisapprobation, that the mover
withdrew it. Gen. Gridley then took his
hat, and followed by the other delegates
from the southern end Of the district left
the convention.
Mr.. Lovcjoy was called out TO make
speech. lie commenced by expressing his
regret that the delegates who had just left
did not remain 10 hear him. He thought
they were mistaken as TO the rabdncss of
his abOl;tionism, and he yet believed, when
he got among those Kentucky wings Of the
lower counties and explained his position to
them they would say Oh it, we'll sup
port him yet in preference to a doughface"
CIhis hit of profanity on the part of the
Rev. candidate ticklcd the audience immense
ly) lie SAID he had always been opposed
to congressional interference with slavery in
the states, but admitted he would give his
team to help off a runaway slave. Mr.. L.
spoke at some length, induging in many
playful salles, elicting much laughter and