Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-09-26
GLE EVELAND ID.
SOLDIERS & SAILORS CONVENTION,
The National Union Men.
The Oldest General I'm the U. s. Army
the Temporary President,

Ine Ol0e8E General IN she u s. Army
the Temporary President,
CLEVELAND, Sept. 1.-THE soldiers
and Sailors Convention, in response to a
call from those favorable to the action oI
the Philadelphia Convention of August
IA, met in the city to-day A pavilion
$50 feet in length and so in breadth, had
been erected in the Park for the use OF
the Convention, and at 8 clock the dele
gates entered, preceded BY a band of
music, and were seated after which the
crowd from the outside was admitted and
filed the tent to its utmost capacity
Previous to the organization, quite a
spirited scene was witnessed, the dele
gates rising and cheering with all their
might for, successfully, the old flag,
Generals Custar, Rousseau, Wool, and
Mcclellan, the Constitution, the thirty
six States, and Andrew johnson, and
after a brief breathing spell, for General
Grant Secretary Seward, the American
army, and Gen. Steedman and Governor
Bramlette of Kentucky As the cheer
ing was called for and given in each case,
there was a scene Of wild enthusiasm,
delegates and spectators rising and swing
ing their hats and shouting vigorously.
By previous arrangement, Gov. Bran
lette nominated Major-General John E.
Wool, as the Oldest Maj General in the
United States, and probably in the world,
as temporary President. General Wool
was received with loud cheers. and ad-
dressed the Convection as follows:
GENTLEMEN "A grateful heart thanks
you for your cheering welcome A more
fattering and agreeable position could
not be assigned to me than the one just
conferred as presiding officer, although
but temporarily, over this assembly of
patriots and heroes, the true defenders
of their country and the Union. Be
assured it will ever be remembered and
appreciated as the most precious incident
Of long military career
The object of this great military Con,
vention, if I understand it correctly, is
to consider the principles enumerated by
the National Union Convention at Phila-
delphia, and the restoration policy of
President johnson. On these subjects |
woutd simply remark, that the sooner
Congress recognizes the States declared
by majority of its members to be out
Of the Union as component parts of the
Union, and admits their Representatives
to seats in the halls of Congress, and
permits them to participate in the Ma
tional legislation of the country, the
sooner will be allayed the fears and ap-
prehensions of the people Of the dangers
which again menace the peace of the
country and the perpetuity of the Union.
| With the most bitter and vindictive
feelings, war of words for thirty years
was carried on between the Northern
Radical Abolitionists and the Shareholders
of the Southern States. Everything
was done and said to promote and keep
alive the controversy. 1t finally culmi-
mated in a rebellion in the spring of
1861, which for atrocity, the sacrifice of
lives, the loss of property, followed by
pestilence, famine and desolatiop, has no
parallel in the history of nations. This
bloody and desolating contest was brought
to close in the spring of 1865, when
the rebels, unable longer to carry on the
war, surrendered with their armies to
our gallant Generals Grant, Sherman and
others. The rebel armies we're permitted,
under parole, to return to their homes
and there await the await the orders of
the United States Government, the officers
and soldiers of their armies ple6ging
themselves to become true and faithful
supporters of the Constitution and the
laws Of the United States Such were
the terrible results of four years war.
caused by the institution of slavery. A
few days after the surrender of Lee and
his army President Lincoln was assassin
ated. This atrocious crime, greatly
mourned by the nation, placed Vice
President johnson in the Presidential
chair His elevation was hailed by ac-
clamation throughout the land, and this
too because of his love and devotion to
his country, and his boldness while Sena-
tor of the United States, in advocating
the preservation of the Union in opposi-
ton to every other Southern Senator
Few men, North or South, were subjected
to greater sacrifices on account of patri-
otism, than Andrew johnson, and al
though pluudered of his property and
driven from his home, heroturned again,
and by his indomitable energy and per-
severance, with other patriots of his
State, reclaimed Tennessee from treason
aud rebellion. This bold and daring
friend of the Union can be no traitor,
yet. strange as it may appear, he is de-
nounced as traitor and threatened by
the Radical members Of the Republican
party with impeachment 1t NAV be
asked with propriety, what has President
johnson done that he should be de-
nounced as a traitor and threatened with
impeachment? Is it for anything more
than the exercise of the most noble and
generous efforts to conciliate and bring
back into the folds of the Union a brave
people, and make the United States what
they should be-a united, great people?
1t ought not to be forgotten that the
cause Slavery which engendered the
rebellion, has been removed. Three or
four millions of slaves had been declared
free by an amendment of the Constitu-
ton. Those of the Southern States
most interested in the abolition of the
slavery, which deprived them of large
amount of what they called property,