The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-08-02
Connsss Abolition ConventISa.

Rogers. A large majority Of the rrc-
cincts were represented, and represented,
too, through the superior management OF
CONFESS, by Union Democrats of This
sort" to the profound establishment and
deep disgust Of his innocent and confdng
Republican allies They, poor dupes'
thought the Convention would be equally
and fairly divided, but they soon discov
cred their error, or, in the significant Ian
guage Of defeated " straight" Eastman,
discovered that they had been Sold"-
John stocked and controlled the conven,
ton, but magnanimouSly allowed the Re.
pubicans to nominate several of their
stripe pledged to support him for the
United States Senate. He may have
been fearful that they would, as they
threatened, bolt" if he nominated ali
half breedS, and he deemed it prudent to
compromise by debating the Republican
nominees. How idle it was for them, in
the primary meetings, to contend against
his mastery strategy" especially as he
knew by his Republican spies, his former
irieDd't-"r' H-,'--'' =, t3g2 qS&0s aud ox1vS
ments Of his opponents .Tah7 is, aad we
are free TO admit it, the most skiIlfuI, en-
sc1EefI. 9'etSeyESlng ,sS5 ina1S itabie po-
litical leader in our county; and he die
tates to and controls his party with an
imperious and undispuie1 aOtSoaiy.-
They are devoted to him and obey his
edicts with remarkable docilty and fdel-
ity, it matters not how arbitrary or hui
initiating they may be. This gives him
power, as the Republicans have reason to
know and regret.
About Il o'clock a. NJ, Postmaster
Rogers, accompanied by j. W. Shanklin,
late a member of the Union Democratic
County Central Committee, with stately
step, SigNi6ed air anu graceful 6earing-
reader, we take it for granted that you
know Rodgers and, 4S@ank!io-aScended
the pulpit and stood before and bowed to
the convention. For this unlocked for
condcscenSion, they were greeted with
profound silence, which had such an eff
feet on brother Shanklin's nerves that he
squatted into a chair in the rear of the
portly form Of the Federal official. The
latter, unabaShed by such whitening ad-
miration, "opened the ball" by "stating
the object Of the meeting" Scarcely had
he ceased speaking, when p. p. Rankin,
an ofIice-hoder under the corrupt Ad-
ministration Of James Buchanan" geStc
ulating violently and yelling boi>tcrousIy,
in order to attract attention and show that
"he, himself, was some pnnkinS, and no
mistake" nominated 5. W. SanderSon,
Esq, for temporary chairman; Tom. Fitch.
almost at the same moment, nominated
Sam. Ensminger {" the butcher boy for
the same posish, and Sam, having an
eye TO vote, nominated Uncle .Abe'S
agent. After considerable wrangling and
innumerable motions, amendments and
substitutes, as to how the vote should be
taken, tellers were appointed and the con-
ventiOn proceeded to elect its temporary
presiding officer by ballot. The election
was regarded by many as test question,
and for this reason it was exciting and
the result looked for with more than or
binary interest. Sanderson was the can,
didate of the ConneSSitcs, EnSminger of
the Republicans, and Sanderson was
elected by large majority.
The temporary chairman was intro
duced to the convention by Postmaster
Rogers. and the introduction seemed to
be mutually satisfactory and agreeable
Loud cheers greeted his appearance in
the pulpit, whether from the novelty Of
the situation or the conversion of the
chairman, we shall not presume to say
In brief and neat speech he thanked
the convention " for the distinguished
honor it had conferred upon him." and
inquired "What is the pleasure of the
Convention" On motion, +. ". Mad
dox was appointed temporary secretary.
\ committee on credentials, consisting OF
one delegate from each township, was
then appointed by the chair ; and the con.
vcntion took recess until o'clock p. NJ
On re.assembling the committee on ere
dentials submitted report which, after
an animated discussion, amusing to out
siders, was adopted. The committee re-
jected the credentials Of the delegate from
Missouri Flat, (Mr. Fitch), and Mr.. En-
sminger, who had run against Mr.. San
derson for temporary Chairman and par
ticipatcd in the proceedings of the Con
vention, gave Mr.. Fitch his proxy. A
strange proceeding, many delegates
thought, foreboding trouble. A long and
fierce fight was made against the admis
sion Of Fitch as delegate, in which B
P. Rankin, Esq, stated that Fitch hat
run for delegate eod been rcppdiatcd b;
the people of his ewn ward, had subse
quently obtained, by questionable means
credentials from Missouri Flat-creden
tails signed by gentleman as Chairman o
the meeting who had not been residen
ofthe precinct for thirty days, had been re
rejected by the committee on credentials
kicked out of the door of the convention by
the people, thrown out of the window by
a delegate, and now sought admission
by the underground railroad" Fitch go
in with singing rejoinder, showing tn
duplicity and malice of his assailant, anC
pathetically appealed to the convention t.
allow him the poor privilege of keepin;