Weekly Minnesotian and times. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1859-1860, 1860-05-26
The Chicago Convention.
THE NOMINATIONS MADE
TIE CHOICE UNANIMOUS!
UNITY! HARMONY! ENTHUSIASM
Great Enthusiasm for Hon.
est Old Abe"
He IS FULLY ENDORSED BY THE SEWARD, BATES
AND OTHER DELEGATIONS.
ELOQlEIr SPEECHES AND NOBLE SENTIMENTS!
Firing Gums and Great Rejoicing.
NATIONAL REPU BIICAN COMMITTEE.
He IS FULLY ENDORSED BY THE SEWARD, BATES
AND OTHER DELEGhT IONS.
ELOurEyl SPEECHES AND NOBLE SENTIMENTS!
Firing Gums and Great Rejoicing.
NATIONAL. REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE.
Proceedings of First Day In Detail.


Proceedings of First Day In Detail.
-, rhi,a~, .l,v,rti 6. "Wednesday says
The National Republican Convention com
menced its session this noon 1T twelve O clock.
L5ug before the hour of opening, the streets
y th,. vicinity of thu Wigwam were ttrongcd
Lv thousands of peopic, who crowded around
The doors and windows, consregated upon the
bridge sat on the curb stones, and, III line,
used every available inch Of standing room.
The doors were thrown open at hali-paSt
eleven and the vast throng poured in and
rapidly filling the galleries and the seats be-
meath them The side galleries and the front
seats on the main gallery were filled with la
dies The area in front of the platform was
filled with the alternate delegates and editors.
The platform was divided off and marked fer
the delegations by printed cards.
At twelve o'clock the seats were filled, and
at - minutes past II CLOCK, Governor Nor
gan Of New York, Chairman of the National
Republican Committee, called the COnyen-
ton to order, and delivered the following adj
dress:
On the twenty second of December last, the
Republican National Committee, at meet
ing convened for the purpose in the city Of
New York, issued call for a National Con-
vention, which will now read:
This call has been published in our col
umns.
In compliance herewith, the people have
sent representatives here to deliberate upon
measures for carrying into effect the objects Of
the call.
y Usage has made it my duty to take the
preliminary step toward organizing the Con-
vention a Convention, upon the proceedings OF
which. permit me to say, the most momentous
results are depending. No body of men of
equal number was ever clothed with greater
responsibility than those now within the hear
ing of nv voice. You do not need me to tell
YOU, gentlemen, what this responsibility is
While one portion of the adherents of the ma
tional administration are endcavOring to insert
slave code into the party platform, another
portion exhibits its readiness to accomplish
the same result through the action of the SUI
preme Court of the United States, willing by
indrection to do that which, if done directly,
would bring blush even to the cheek Of mod
crn Democracy.
While these and other stupendous wrongs,
absolutely shocking to the moral sentiment Of
the country, are to he fastened upon the PEG
pie by the party in power, if its leaders are
able to bring the factious elements that COM
pose it into any degree of unanimity, there
seems left no ray of hope except in the good
sense of this Convention.
Let me then invoke you to act in spirit OF
harmony, that by the dignity, the wisdom
and the patriotism displayed here, you may
he enabled to enlist the hearts of the people,
and to strengthen them in the faith that yours
is the constitutional party of the country, and
the only constitutional party; that you are
actuated by principle, and that you will he
guided by the light and by the example of the
fathers of the Republic.
Fortunately you are not required to en,In-
ciate new and untred principles of govern
ment. This has been we'll and wisely done
by the statesmen Of the revolution. Stand
where they stood avowing and maintaining
the like objects and doctrines; then will the
end sought be accomplishment Constitution
and the Union he preserved, and the govern
ment be administered by patriots and states
men.
Hon. DAVID WILNor was then chosen Pres
ident pro ten.
The chair named Judge MARSH, of Mary
land, and Gov. CLEVELAND, of Connecticut, to
conduct him the chair, which they did amid
the cheers and plaudits of the delegates as
well as the spectators.
Col. CLEVELAND, of CT, introduced Judge
WlLMor, who was received with three enthu-
siastic cheers.
Gov. CLEVELAND said:
have the pleasure of introducing to you a
gentleman whose name is known to every
lover of liberty throughout this land-the
Hon. David W ilmot-a man who dares to do
right, regardless of consequences, With such
men for our leaders and spokesman, there is
no such word as fail. Applause.
SPEECH OF JUDGE wILMoT.
GENTLEMEN II have no words with which
properly to express my sense of the honor
an undescrved honor / feel that it is-of be.
ing called to preside temporarily over the
deliberations of this Convention shall not
attempt the task which | feel inadequate to
perform. BE assured, gentlemen, that am
not insensible to this high and undcserved
honor. l shall carry the recollection of it,
and,of your manifestation of Partially with me
until the day Of our death.
1t is not becoming of me, gentlemen dele
gates to remind you of the importance of the
occasion which has called this assembly toce
ther, nor Of the high duty which devoves upon
you. y great sectional and aristocratic in
terest has for years dominated, with high
hand over the political affairs of this country.
That interest has wrcsted, and is now wrest-
lng, all the great powers of this government
to the one object of the extension and the
naturalization of Slavery. 1t is our purpose
gentlemen, it is the mission of the Republican
party-the basis of its organization, to resist
this policy of sectional interest. 1t is our
mission to restore this government to it's orr
ginal policy and place it again upon that basis
on which our fathers organized and brought it
into existence.
1t is our purpose and policy to resist this
unconstitutional dogma that slavery exists in
virtue of the Constitution, wherever the BAN
ner of the Union floats. 1t is our purpose to
restore the Constitution to its original mean
ing, to give to it its true interpretation to
read that instrument as our fathers read It.
That instrument was not originated and es-
tablished for the purpose OF extending slavery
within the limits of this country 1t was not
originated and established for the purpose of
giving high guarantees and securities to that
institution. Our fathers regarded Slavery as
blot upon this country. They went down to
their graves with the earnest hope and conf
dent belief that but few more years and the
black blot would be extinguishcd in our land.
Applause.
This was the faith in which they died. Had
the proposition been presented to them in the
carly conflicts Of the Revolution, or in the
outset of that great movements, that they
were called upon to endure the trials and
hazards and sacrifices Of that long and peri