Litchfield enquirer., 1864-06-23
WHOLE NO. 2O4O

proved, yet their essential soundness on the main question carried them through without a critical suggestion or dissenting voice.
 After the adoption of the platform, strife arose as to who should seize the honor of moving the nomination of Mir. Lincoln-a wransle which, to an impartial spectator, ap- peared little less than disgusting, and in which , many well-known men engaged to their own discredit and to the confusion of the house. 1 A good deal os the customary and inevitable bad taste of political conventions was exhib- ited when the delegates, during the roll,call of states, arose to announce their votes for Abra- ham Lincoln, which many were unwilling to do without spread-eagle speech exciting the | impatieuce of the house--making series of grotesque performances, during which one member, bent on accomplishing little speech announced himself for Abraham Lincoln, the second Savior of the world Missouri, in cast ing her vote first for General Grant, was some what howled at by other parts of the house, and could with difficulty get hearing by req 1 son of the clumor; but the chairman of her delegation, with the help of his good Western lungs, fought his way manfuily through the noise, achieving the attention and good will of the house. This vote was afterward withdrawn and given to AIr. Lincoln, that his nomination
 might be recorded as unanimous.
 Then came the battle for the vice. presidency -nominatons being made in open convention, the chief candidates being Hamln, Dickinson, and Johnson. If Maine had not early deserted Hamlin (seting all example to other and less near friends). he would have been chosen, Then Dickinson, whose name was introduced
 in short and electric speech by Lyman Ire
 maine, would have carried, except for the fact
 that the 'rhurlow Weed party in the New York
 delegation were unwilling to give tke vlce-pre-
 sidency to their own state, nasmuch as New
 York might thereby have less claim to seat in the next Cabinet or to the honor of the next presidential nomination. Dickinson was de- feated bv the same illwill which defeated
 Wadsworth in the contest against Horatio kJeJLAOtl lVl ]AoNAS" SSAA
 son was peculiarly acceptable to tie Tennessee delegation, eyokng speech from Mr. May
 nard, whom the house always heard with re-
 spect and when Pennsylvania changed her 52
 votes from Hamlin to Johnson, the scale was turned. As there had been more struggle over the vice presidency than the presidency, there :, was moro shouting oyer Andrew Johnson s nomination than over Abraham Lincoins. ln- deed, this greater noise over the lesser candi- date may have been the reason why Mir Lin coln at Washington heard of Governor John [son's good fortune before he'heard of his own l! It is known in political circles that Andrew Johnson is firm believer in the necessity of eradicating slavery, and is firm opponent of the Presidents Amnesty Proclamation.
 On Mir. Lincolus receptionday, after the nomination, his face wore an expression of sat. istaction rather than elation. He made Q more favorable appearance, both in manner and dress, than in his late unfortunate exhibi-
 ton before his eloquent and pungent critic. Miss Annie Dickinson, who, being woman, could not help noticing countenance habitu- ally justifes the expression of mingled humor and sadness which Mr. Carpenter the artist has caught in the large picture which he is now painting at the White House, of the President and his Cabinet. Mir. Lincoln's reception of MT. Garrison was an equal honor 10 host and guest. In alluding to our failure to find the old jail, he said, "Well Mr. Garrison, when you first went to Baltimore, you couldn't get out; but the second time, you couldn't get in." When one of us mentioned the great enthu- siasm at the convention after Senator Morgan's proposition to amend the Constitution abolish. ing slavery, Mr. Lincoln instantly said, It was I who suggested to MT. Morgan that he should put that idea into his opening speech" This WAS the very best word he has said since the proclamation of freedom. The President } therefore, and his party of supporters, stand now pledged to the complete eradication of slavery from the land and they will be held
 to the pledge Meanwhile, why should not Congress hasten to submit the same proposi- ton to the people? The Senate voted in favor of such measure by wonderfully large ma } joyiiy, but the House opposed. Will the House now recocsider? Ii not, why not?
 In concluding these rapid and random notes,
 written amid the dust of travel, let us say that in analysing the Administration at Washing ton, it is impossible not to seethat next to the President, the two heads which guide and
 control the Government, which supply it with
 good advice against false counselors, which give it energy where others contribute weak
 ness, which look sagaciously toward to morrow where others see only the half of to day, are Edwin NJ. Stanton and Salmon P. Chase both of whom are placed in Mir. Carpenters picture on the right hand of the President, and
 the other cabinet members on the left as if the artist had unwittingly set the useful men on one side, and the useless on the other We
 regret'to say that some of the members of this
 group are not on speaking-terms with each other. Mrs. Lincoln occasionally opens the door of the artists room and asks, ''Mr. Car , penter, how do you get on with your Happy Family?" We hope that some members of the
 Happy Family will come to grief with the next A Il =