The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-07-07
OHIO coRREsPoNDENcE-NO. 3.
CoLuMnus. q. June I.

DEAR News: write this week from our
State capital. where have been spending 8
shirt time as delegate to the Republican State
Conyention. The Convention closed its
Iabors last evening at dark. and to-day the
delegates are dispensing in their various
homeward directions. ] sit down to give
you short sketch of doings here.
In Ohio. as in most of the States, our
party is divided into two wings-the Con
servatives and the Radicals more properly,
however, our Conservatives are styled Nom
inal Republicans, while our Radicals are
really very harmless. although certainly
an earnest class of men. The Nominals are
old Wings and Americans. who have joined
the Republican party. not from any love OF
its principles. but from constitutional hatred
of the Democracy; and they are seeking
perpetually to lower the standard of Repub-
licanism and resuscitate Whiggery. There
were three points where collision between
these two wings of the party occurred in
the Convention. The irst was on the sdop-
ton of clause in the platform demanding
the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law; the
second was on the denomination of Judge
Brinkerhof az Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court. be having decided the Fugitive Slave
Law unconstitutional and the third was on
the appointment of Electors at Large; Mr..
Delano (who voted against Gov. Chase at
Chicago) being one of the candidates. On
all these points. the Radicals triumphed
overwhelmingly.s
We had some excellent speeches during
the sessions of the Convention. The old
theatre of Columbus, which had been leased
by the Republicans of that city for Wig
wan during the campaign. was dedicated
on Tuesday evening. Gov. Chase and Fred.
Hassaurek, the leader of our German Re-
publicans. making the addresses on the oc-
casion. The appearance and speech OF
Chase, and each allusion to his name, called
forth such wild applause as one seldom
hears. On Wednesday evening. the apostle
Giddings gave us stirring speech. Time
dings' opposition to slavery. nor has expedi-
ency or the hope of place ever modified its
expression. His is indeed a noble spirit
and. while he still keeps ever in the fore
ground of the battle, he no longer utters the
voice of one crying in the wilderness. but
is received wherever he goes with joyful
and earnest recognition of his unselish
services for freedom.
Ohio is all ablaze. and will give Honest
Old Abe not less than s5. 600 majority.
The leading features of Columbus itself
are the State House. the Penitentiary. and
the Asylums. Of these, the Lunatic Asy-
lum left the deepest impression upon me,
after taking the circuit; and. indeed, re-
member few things in my life which have
affected me win SUCH profound sympathy.
Here were inmates in all the stages of luna
cy-subdued. raving. imbecile. Here was
a woman wildly tearing her hair. and shrek
ing so as to be heard over the whole build
ing. Here were men res,lessly pacing the
hall with vacant stare. muttering senseless
words whose meaning they seemed vainIy
striving to recall. Here was the queen. in
ali her pride. Here was poor woman,
kneeling upon the bare floor, before the
blank wall. with the blessed sunlight stream
ing in upon her like blessing from her
Christening Father, repeating the prayers
she had learned in the days of mental vigor
that were gone. ] have stood in the great
est cathedral of America, and have heard
those prayers repeated by richly robed
priests. kneeling upon the carpeted altar,
before the golden cruci6x. in the dim light
of sacred tapers; yet not with the pathos,
not with the solemnity, not with the rever-
ence have they touched me then as here and
now. Here was an aged. red eyed woman.
who saluted me, and said / should be her
brother. God knows what strong affections
are locked within that broken heart! Here
was the invalid. stopping for few days. :"
she touchingly observed-all unconscious,
thank Heaven, of the light which in mystic
rious wisdom has been taken from her. to
be restored only by the light of the sun of
the Eternal World.
But grow lengthy. and perhaps rhap-
sodical, and 80. dear News.
am, faithfully yours,