Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-24
UNION STATE CONVENTION,


Auditor General and Surveyor General as
sembled Thursday, August 18th, 1865, in
the hall of the House of Representatives,
and at II o'clock NJ were called to order by
Hon. Simon Cameron, Chairman of the
Union State Central Committee.
Gu motion of jeremiah Nichols, of Phila-
delphia the Hon. John Cessna was appoln-
ted temporary President of the body.
On taking the Chair, Mr. Cessna ad-
dressed the Convention cloquently and
ably
\ temporary organization was effected,
as follows Hon. John X Morehead Of Al
legheny, and Hon. jeremiah Nichols "i
Philadelphia, vice presidents and Messrs
j. B. Cara Of Erie, and Wayne McNejgh Of
Chester, secretaries.
The first business in order being the cali
ing of the roll, the order was proceeded
with by districts, the delegates answering
to their names In the cases Of the Berks
and the Lycoming, Union and Snyder del
egates, the seats of the delegates were con-
tested
On motion of Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, of
Lancaster, the Chair was empowered to
appoint a committee of five ON contested
seats, to whom should be referred the Gre
dentials of all parties in regard to whose
seats contest existed
On motion, deputation of gentlemen re-
presenting the Association Of Loyal Penn
sylvanians, resident in Washington City,
D. c., Mr. Thomas Mcnamara chairman,
were admitted to seats on the floor without
the privilege Of participating in the pro-
ceedings.
Mr. Robert B. Carnahan, of Allegheny,
moved that committee, to consist OF one
from each Senatorial district, be appointed
to report officers for the permanent organ
ization Of the Convention. Agreed to-
On notion the rules of the House of
Representatives Of Pennsylvania were a.
dopted for the government of the Conven-
ton.
Mr. Kugler, Of Montgomery, presented
the following from the County Convention
of Montgomery
PesOired. That we consider the idea recently
promulgated i'll the State Legislature, that the
Union men Of that body should al opt no law I'M
acceptable to the Opposition members of the par
ticular locality TO which 1t applies as unsound, un-
just and calculated to destroy confidence among
the members of our organization, since it leaves
the Union members Of Opposition counties en-
tirely at the mercy Of their opponents and We d.
rect our delegates this day elected to Harrisburg to
lay this resolution before the Convention.
The resolution was referred.
The Chair announced the following as
the Committee on Permanent Organization:
Messrs Ketchum, Of Luzerne King, of
Philadelphia Montgomery, of Lycoming ;
Todd of Cumberland, and Fiske Of North
umbCrland.
The body then took a recess of two hours.
REAssEMBLING OF THE CONVENTION.
The Convention reassembled at four o.
clock
The Committee on Contested Seats made
a report i'll the cases of the Berls, and the
Union, Lycoming, and Snyder delegations !;
settling the disputes in those cases. The
report was adopted.
The Committee on Permanent Organiza-
ton reported for President Henry John
son, of Crawford, and list of vice presi-
dents and secretaries.
Mr. johnson was escorted to the chair,
and briefly returned thanks for the honor
conferred.
The next business in order being the re-
port of the Committee on Resolutions, the
chairman, Mr. Wayne McVeigh, Of Chester,
read the following series of resolutions
THE RESOLUTIONS.
The Union party of Pennsylvania, in
State Conven lion assembled declare
lst That as representatives of the loyal
people of the Commonwealth, we reverently
desire to offer gratitude to Almighty God,
whose favor has vouchsafed victory to the
national arms and enabled us to eradicate
the crime Of slavery from our land, and to
render treason against the Republic i'm
possible forevermOre and next to him our
thanks are due and hereby rendered to our
brave soldiers and sailors, who, by their
endurance, sacrifices and illustrious hero
ism, have secured to their country peace,
and to the down-trodden everywhere an
asylum Of liberty who have shown that
war for the restoration of the Union is not
failure" and whose valor has proven
for all time the fact that this Government
Of the people, by the people for the people,
is as invinciblc in its strength as it is ben
efcent in its operations
| Cd. Resolved, That revering the memory
of Abraham Lincoln, the great martyr to
/ liberty, we cannot show greater honor to
! his name than by generous support to
his fellow-patriot and successor, Andrew
/ johnson, the President of the United States,
who has been called to complete task
which was left unfinished. His unbendng
patriotism in the past is a sure guarantee
that in the momentous future the authority
of the Government will be upheld and the
rights and the liberties of all the citizens
| of the Republic secured.
Sd. Resolved, That the mild and generous
method of reconstruction offered by the
President to the people lately in rebellion,
in the judgment of this Convention, has
not been accepted in spirit of honest
| loyalty and gratitude but with such evi-
| dences of defiance and hostility as to i'm
! pei us to the conviction that they cannot be
safely entrusted with the political rights
which they forfeited by their treason until
they have proven their acceptance Of the
results of the war, and incorporated them
in constitutional provisions, securing to all
men within their borders their inalienable
rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happi-
ness.
4th. Resolved, That, having conquered
the rebellious States, they should be held
in subjugation, and the treatment they are
to receive, and the laws which are to gov
ern them, should be referred to the law
making power of the nation, to which they
legitimately belong
9th. Resolred That as the late rebellion
was wantonly prccipitated by the property
holders of tho Soutb II ic but inst thot thav