The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-08-23

GeItlemen OF the Convention and fel-
loweitizens of the United States, Jap
plause:) For the distinguished honor of
being called upon to preside over the
cerely thank you. | could have wished
that its responsibilities had fallen upon
another; but relying Oh that courtesy
and generous confidence which have
called me to the chair, l will enter up
on its duties with an earnest desire for
the success of that great cause in which
we are now engaged.
Among the great events of our day,
this Convention, in my opinion, will
prove to be one of the greatest, for
peace hath her victories,
No less renowned than war
Applause.]
And this Convention is one OF her vic
tories-lnay | not say a browning victo-
ry? For the first time in six years, %
national convention, representing all
the States, now assemblies, Loud and
long continued applause. Six long
weary years!
AS we look back, 0 what an interval
of tears. and agony, and blood! Du-
ring that period we have been engaged
in in the most gigantic civil war the
world has ever wasting our resOur-
ces, drenching thousand battle-telds
in fraternal blood, and carrying to pre-
mature graves our fathers our sons, and
our brothers; by hundreds of thousands.
But thanks be to Almighty God. the
war is over. applause. Peace, bles-
sed peace, has come (cheers); and the
assurances which we here witness tell US
that peace has come and s'eome to stay"
Applause. Oh! my fellow-citizens, if
the whole people of the United States
could at this moment look upon this
Convention, if they could see what we
now witness-the North and the South,
in fraternal association as friends and
fellow citizens, our work would be al
ready done. Great applause. If they
could have seen, as we saw, Massachu-
sets and South Carolina (cheers), by
their full delegations, coming arm and
arm into this great Conventions; if they
could have seen this body, greater in
numbers, in weight Of character and in
brains, than ever yet assembled on this
continent, under one root, (applause,l
melting to tears ofjoy and gratitude to
witness this commingling, there would
be no struggle at the polls in the COM
ing election. Loud applause. When
| remember that it was Massachusetts
and South Carolina, that in the Conven-
ton which framed the Constitution, vo-
ted against the abolition Of the slave
trade; that it was Massachusetts that in
1912, through some other citizens, taught
the doctrines of notification which
South Carolina reasserted in 1888, and
in the form of secession again reasserted
in 1860; when | call to mind that South
Carolina fired the first gun in this con-
test, and that the veins OF Massachusetts
poured out the first blood in the strug-
gle |applause); when | call to mind all
these memories and, at the same time
ask the people of the country to look in
on this Convention and see those two
leading States Of the Union coming here
in fraternal embrace, approaching the
common altar Of a common country,
ready to make common sacrifices for the
good of the whole say, could the
whole people of the United States wit
ness ali this, there would remain no fur
Their work for us in the fall elections.
APPLAUSE II the people Of Massachu-
sets could have witnessed it, not sim
Gle member would be returned to Con-
gress from that State until he had given
the most sacred pledge that ne would 40
all in his power in Congress to recOg-
nize the equality and dignity of all the
States under the Constitution, including
the sacred inalienabe right of eVry
State under the Constitution to repre-
sentation in both houses of Congress.
Loud and prolonged cheering.
Gentlemen of the Convention, shall
90 into no argument on this occasion.
Cries OF 500 ONT" The distinguished
gentleman who spoke from this place
yesterday General Dix said all that
would desire to say, and much better
than | could say it. | endorse, and take
great pleasure in fully indorsing, ali
that he said, sentence by sentence, word
by word. Fellow-citizens, unfortunate
~, it may be, the whole people of the
United States are not here to witness
what is now Transporting. Therefore the
great work still rests upon us. From
this time until the election of the next
Congress we should be untiring in our
exertions to see to it that if the present
Congress shall continue to refuse the
sacred right of representation to equaE
States, the next Congress shall recog-
nize that right. When this is done the
Union will be restored, and when the
Union is restored we shall be prepared
in nv iudrmeni to enter upon a high