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

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THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATION
AL UNION CONVENTION AT PHILA-
DELPHIA.
We this week devote our columns
chiefly to the proceedings of the great
Convention held at Philadelphia on the
14th, 18th and 18th insts. Nothing which
we may publish, will, we think, more
deeply interest our readers, or bettersub
serve the cause of political truth, and
the interests Of national unity, honor
and prosperity. Never in the history
of our country has there been con-
vention held, from which more useful
and grand results could be reasonably
anticipated. In numbers-in the age,
position, and social and political stand
ing of its membership, as well as in the
fact that it actually represented every
State and Territory of the Union, there
were elements of moral power, as we'll
as of compact and aggregated unity and
nationality, which were adapted not
only to inspire profound respect for the
assemblage, but to awaken the strongest
confidence in the soundness of the prin-
ciples it declared, and in the efficiency
of the measures of relief it proposed.
The harmony of the convention also, in
its deliberations and action, was perfect.
From the arrival of the delegates, to
the close of its proceedings, not one
thing occurred to disturb the peace or
impair the usefulness of the occasion.
All the members of this august repre-
sentative body, seemed moved by one
common impulse-and that the impulse
of pure and lofty patriotism, and con-
trolled by one common purpose, and
that, to rescue the nation from the
perils that threaten it, and restore to it
peace, reconciliation and security, under
the constitution, unperverted and UNI
broken. Hence each result reached by
the convention in its declaration of prin-
ciples, can be cheerfully subscribed to
by every true friend of the Union, and
every supporter of the war prosecuted
for its preservation.
To our mind one of the most interest
ing features of this grand national
gathering, was the fact, that all the
States were here as equals, and acted
together in harmony, uninterrupted by
that spirit of sectionalism which on
former occasions of like character, has
SO often prevented united and efficient
action for the national good. The ex-
tinction of slavery has obliterated the
line that was drawn between different
sections of our republic, and made
identical the interests Of all. North,
South, East, West, we are now one
people, with nothing in the peculiar insti-
tutions or special interests of either Sec
ton to feed fanaticism, awaken jealousy
orencourage alienation. This fact was de-
lightfully apparent in all the delibe-
ratiOns of this convention, and was the
subject of eloquent congratulation by
speakers both from the South and
the North.
The duties which the convention had
to perform, We're, in view of its peculiar
constitution, of n delicate nature-but
they were met with such a calm, delibe-
rate earnestness of patriotic purpose,
and such manifest sincerity of spirit,
that its action was not only unanimous,
but cannot fail to command the pro-
found attention of all the honest and
thoughtful men of the nation.
The members of the body, regarded
its responsibilities as OF too serious ii
character, to be met in the lax and
thoughtless manner of ordinary political