Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-05-16
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OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL
L MON CONV T. y ITO n
SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS.

to address tho Convention
Gentlemen Of the Convention This great body
ha,in. bestowed the compliment Of nomination
upon our distinguished fellow citizen of Tennes,
see, it becomes an imperative duty. ns it is
pleasure, for income of tho citizens, of Tennessee,
IL return to this Convention the profound thanks
OF that State for your libernlity and your generous
support. We thank you for the nomination con
frrrcl upon John Bell upon the present OCCASION,
We presented his name to the Union party OF the
country, believing that he was sound, constliu-
tonal and able. and that the country could
not, under any circumstances, do better than
! Ia elect him to the Presidential chair. Ap.
plause
! have watched the political ratcer Of John
Bell since | was n boy, and not one w"jd has ever
fallen from the lips of that distinguished man
that did not look to the glory and the honor and
the character of the whole country. Take mp the
volume of his speeches and you will find thai no
sectional sentimcits roll tho sheets upon which
those siccshes are printed. II yea look to his
views upon the doctrine Of internal Improvements,
you will fad iha; lac has always l'rn rrndy to
ul,nncn tie honrr aud glory Of the conngrY, with
out dimhu'ion either ut the North ur tic ,S'uth,
the En~t or tie West. His life has h'ru devoted
to tn" colnnon veal nul the common rr d # MI
America You hnvr the guaranty in la Ia,' his
tory that tie ndministra'i,n n Of I'm Bell thnuld
he he elected viii be pure, constitutional, csono-
menl and patIion.
lncv fUUltiitiIt~ say bi JOul lbeii lnit He lS
slow and cautious. Applausc) That vcucratcd
mtn who led our armies to>yctory IN the darkest
hour Of the Revolution, always ciutlous.--
iApplausc) Caution, let me tell you, Is the
mother everywhere of freedom. Trust not him
who is rash bnt he who is cautious hns The hclm
of reason upon his conduct, and will never err.
Sarh IA mann is John Bell. ] ask you il he is not
tit representative for the party that have assem-
blcd here? We are not Wings; we are not Dem
nerats we are not American or Opposition men;
tnt are Union men, (Applausc.) ~ for my
self could have been brought into has canvas
unicr uo other banner. For Us God is my Judge
| know distinction between the people Of Mas
sarhu.etts and Maine, aud these ol Tennessee AMI
Louisiana. Applause. | hold them ~ brothers
all; brothers everywhere. My only dcv"'ion is to
the Union of the States
! trust ! may be pardoned for talking little tit
about the Union (cres of Ego Oh, 60 ou,' and ap-
plnusc) IN account of the Revolutionary bloc that
! bwS in my ylens.
A voice here called out" He is n grardson of
Patrick Henry" The Convention Immediately
arose in their I,laces and gave three ohcers,)
cannot fight under any banner upon the earth
than that which looks 10 the glory, aud homer and
perpctuity of our glorious country whole
country. (Applausc.) | ought to be excused, I
! say, for dwelling Il little bit unon the Union of
/ these States. The revolutionary blood that beats
and throbs in my veins would prevent me from
! bearing aolt any other banner. There is n cry
! that to me from the battle fields of the Re-
vouion. 1t comes. it is ringing in my ears it
is in the air that is around me it come from the
! bloody fields of Guilford! (Applausc) 1t is the
! the cry of my fathers blood that appeals to me
| from the ground the blood that was shed upon
the field of Guillord-to be true to the Union.
! (Applause.) | intend to obey that voice, and to
! respond to that sentiment.
Shall we sit calmly by and this glorious
Union dissolved" (''Ncver. never!'') Can we
/ stand by and see this glorious government torn
! down? ("Nevcr.") While the Demecrats-the
disunion Democrats at the South, in the Gulf
+ States--the freca'crs, desire to tear it wn, and
and the abolitioniSts OF The North, too, desire to
! dcstroy it in like manner. The charge is upon
vou upon me, upon us ALL to stand by tic Union
! to the death. Enthusiastic applause.)
! What would be the consequence OF II dissoln
| ton of this Union? May point them t, you for
moment? (Crcs Of "Go on, 60 on The
greatest, the most glorious. the most inde pendent
country upon the face of the wide earth, where
mnn is happiest, when he is frcest-uught we not
to dcfrad that country with our blood and our
lives? ('Wc will do it," and applause"
Suppose this Union was to he dissolved; what
then? There arises the sound of war amid and
among rcishhprins States, between brothers upon
side Of the line, and those npon the other
Oar young Southern men marry girls that come
from New England, New York aud Pennsy yvania.
Are their children to be brought into the deadly
conflict of strife and the battle field uf frntcrnal
discord? ["No," "no' have but two brothers
now alive; one of them is from the State Of Ten
nessee, battling side by side with me for the
Union A voice, "Let him get up on the stand. u
The ether lives in the State Of Iowa, in the town
pf Burlington, upon the banks of the Mississippi.
Suppose that civil dScord should ring throughout
our broad land, the tocsin of war be sounded,
and the shrll fife and the spirit stirring drum
should call the hoss of our people to enter into an
int or up Vn | In he tn nv snrtion IN Il
light for and die by it.
NY venerable brother in Iowa must do the same
for his section and rs the conflict RACES, and the
storm of battle roars around us. as the lcaden
shower If death is hailing around u.s. may he
brought in conflict with my brother | may be
compelled to my blade in his blood, or TO be
hung as traitor to the South. o how horrible
The idea | must strike him down, or must be
hung-and by the eternal God would lie hung
first Applause. would mount the scniold
withus much joy AZ the bridegroom mounts to the
bridal chamber, before | would stain my hand
and arm in frlternal blood. l would pray Al
mighty God to strike me blnd-I am nearly blind
now -hefore my eyes shall ever rest upon field
# Luttln red with the blood of brothers. |
would pray God to strike me deaf before my ears
shall ever hear the dread alarm. the heavy tread
Of military parade, marshaoing the hosts in such
aconhct (appanse, where brothers dye their
hands in brothers blood.
We arc Union people shall we throw this Union
away? How can wc avol the responsibility Of
standing up to defend it? With what face
puld we meet the wondering nations if by strife
ind hate and blinded councils, and tie blasted
sway Of demagogues ACQUIRED. we throw away
he richest heritage that God gave to man,
uut our fair escutcheon for all c,-ning TIM, de-
liver down oar names TO be acrnrrcd, teach dcs-
pos that freedom is but dream .,qrorh its fair
light wherever it may dawn; and bld ,nc lovers of
mankind despair II such must he our country :
Early doom, if all her pride, her power, her cher
shed hopes, our stripes, our stars, our heritage of