The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-08-15

| tien-Teaposary Oe1n01no10on-0 -0eo.
| JsAA a. Dax, eluew Torh, 8lss1sa 4s0>
| peeaxy CAaArna.-Mas OPENING speech
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. l4-12S0 p. m.
Mr.. Randall opened The convsntion BY
saying:
gates from South Carolina and Mississippi
will nov come arm -in>arm into this coavsn-
| ton. This announcement was eteeted with
| great applause, the entire audieo0 ri1inS to
their feet, and the band playing "The Flag Of
our union.'' s
| Here John A. Hogan, from the stage. when
| quietness had become restored, proposed
three cheers for the 80 States Of The Union,
all loyal, which was enthusiastically given.
This vas followed BY trsmeadous cheers for
President johnson.
Mr.. Randall-The convention will please
come to order for the purpose Of efecung
temporary organization. Ipropcse the lame
of Gen. John A Dix, Of New York, ~ tenn
porsry chairman of the conventions. Ap-
plause.
Gen. Dix came forward and said:
SPEECH OF GEN. DIX.
Can't Of The Convention and FsIlor Cisissms
Of tie sehole Union: [Applause.
honor you have shown me in choosing NE 70
preside temporarily over your delibefAtiou.
! regard il as distinction Of no ordinary
character, not only on account Of the high
social and political standing Of the gentlemen
who compose the convention. but because II
is convention Of the people Of all the States
Of the Union. [Applause.] We cannot
doubt, if its proceedings are conducted
with becoming and good Judgment, that it
will lead 70 most important results Ap-
plause. Ii may be truly said that no body
of men had met on the continent to consider
events 80 momentous and 30 important sines
l776. lApplause. The years when our an
cestors assembled in this city to form bet
rer Government for the State which ccmpo-
sed the old confederatoA--A Government
which has been confirmed and made more en-
during, as we trust, by the Fearful trials and
perils which il has endured, and overcome |
Applause. The Constitution which they |
came here to frame We are here to vindicate
and restore. Applause. We are here to
assert the supremacy Of representative Cow |
eminent, to all who are within the confines o Z
the Union. [Applause. A Government
which cannot, without violation of fun. |
damental principles, be extended over any |
plsuse] over those who by yirtne of that rep |
pesentati6n are entitled to a voice in the ad- !
ministration OF public Affairs. [Applause.l
1t was such Government that
our fathers framed and put in operation It is
such . government which we are bound by |
principles of fidelity. justice and good faith to |
defend and maintain. Applause Gentle |
men, we are not now living under such Gov
eminent. (Applause.l Thirty six States
have been for months governed BY twenty
Eve. lApplause. Eleven States have been |
wholly without repre- seDiation in the legisla.
tive bodies of the nation The numerical /
proportion of the represented and non -reprc>
scented States have just been changed by the
admission OF the delegation from Tennessee.
A unit taken from the smaller has been pnt |
to the larger number, but ten States are still l
denied representation IN Congress, 10 which
they are entitled under the Constitution.
The President, not in pursuance OF any con-
s,ituted power, called on the Confederate
States to accept conditions for their admission
to the exercise of their legislative functions
rs members of the Union. The ratification OF
the amendment to the Constitution abolishing
slavery, and the repudiation Of debts contract
ed TO overthrow the Government, were these
conditions. They we're met and accepted. /
The exaction Of new conditions is unjust and
. violation Of the faith of the Government,
subversive Of the pnrposss pf our political I
system, and dangerous to the public pros
perity aud peace. [Applause. Each House
Of Congress may, as the judge Of the qasiat-
cations of its own members reject individuals |
for just cause, but the two bodies acting con-
Jointly cannot exclude an entire delegation /
without an unwarrantable assumption /
OF power. [Applause.l Congress has
not only done this, but it has gone farther 1t
has incorporated new conditions with amend |
ments into the constitution, and submitted
them for the ratification of the States There |
is no probability that these amendments will
be ratified by three.fourths Of the States of
the Union. [Applause.] To insist on the /
conditions they contain Is to prolong indeh |
nately the exclusion of more than one-fourth !
ofthe States from their right to be represen-
ted in the legislative bodies. They had
right under the constitution, they had right
under the resolutions passed in both houses
Of Congress in 1861. [Applause.] These
resolutions we're not concurred in, but they
were substantially identical. Moreover, they
were entitled TO be represented on other
grounds Ct fairness and good faith. It is this
which We have come here to protest against,
as far as in us lies redress. Applause.
When the President of the United States de
clared that armed resistance to the authority
of the Unioa was over, all the States had q
right to be represented 10 Congress. fAp-
piause Is this the government our
fathers fought for to es.sb,ishs [Loud cries
Of ano"l Is this the Governmsnt we have
been fighting to preserve? No, mol. The
President has done al in his power to correct
the wrong. [Applause]. He has done oil in
his power to restore the rights af the States iP
| the Legislation ofthe country by giving each
section its full status. Legislation without
| Representation Is an anomaly in our political
system. Under any other form of Govern
1 -. IL. {D~
| patton and msrule.
| Gentlemen, trust that In our deliberations
we shall con6ne ourselves TO one main
1 purpose-that of redressing the wrong TO
| which have referred. There il much in the
! ADMINISTRATION of the Government which
needs amending. Some things need to be
done, and others need to be undone. There
are commercial and financial reforms which
are indispensable to the public welfare, but we
shall not have power to carry out these until
we change the political complexion Of Con-
gress. [Applausel. This should be
our first land bur immediate aim. ZAP
planss1. It ID 10 the Congressional
district that the vital contest is to take place.
The control of one body will enable rs to
prevent partial unjust perucious legislation
The control of both Houses will give us pow
er to introduce and carry ort solitary reform,
to bring the 0ovsrnmeht back, In the Ian
gaage Of Jefferson, to the Republican track.
believe that public opinion is ripe, and that
it is only necessary to present to the people
clearly the issues betwee us and the other
party which controls the action of Congress-
and gentlemen is not this object for which
va are contending consumation worthy Of
our highest and our most devoted efforts
I Applause Ito bring back the Republic,
pus;ke1 and styengtheae4 BY the Aery ordesl
through Witch il Has pAssed, 70 It's ancient
prosperity and power; . present to TIE
world m example worthy Of i6itasioa. No
n Cfophian vision of GOOD Government but