New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-09-03
THE LOYAL SOUTHERN CONVENTION

To-day, Tor the ur5t time III iNA years, tl5 LO1di
men of the North and South meet in consultation.
They have been long separated, and now the repre-
sentatves Of those Unionsts who faithfully resisted
the threats and brides of Rebels during the war; ven
ture to hold Convention In spite of threats from the
dominant party in every Southern State, OF the
sneers Of the Democrats and apOstate Republicans
Of the North, and of the cold and heartless soorn
of tho Executive branch of the Government From the
party which now sustains the President and from the
President himself these loyal Southerners receive no
encouragement, and they know that every man who
has dared to attend this Convention Is henceforh to
BIO marked and prescribed in the South. II required
no ordinary courage for Southern Unonist TO
answer the call for this Convention. One of
the leading members of the Florida delegation wrote
to US lately: "There are thousands of good Union
men in this State, who. having once deserted
the Rebel cause md rendered themselves obnoxious
to Rebels, and having to discover, as most OF
them have, to their most bitter disappointment, that
the Government to which they had proved themselves
faithful has spurned them and has raised to power
and position those who were its aud their deadly enc
mics. will not now take any more such risks without
certain assurance of protection and support"
This has not been given them, but on the contrary
we hear from Alabama and Georgia that delegates
have been afraid TO attend the Convention, having
reason TO fear the destruction Of their homes by Rebel
mobs as a consequence. We have no right to blame
these men; the power which permits the reign of ter
ror to which they bend is responsible but we honor
the more the bold unnching patriots who risk every
thing in supporting this great national movement
But they are net alone The President has deserted
them the South spurns them, the Democracy fears
them, but Congress and the Union party are with
them to the last. All who fervently desire the
pacifeaton of the country accomplished by the union
Of its loyal elements are with them, aud they will be
welcomed in Philadelphia by delegation from every
Northern State. They have had their cross, and
heavy it was to bear, in the prosecutions and mas
sacres that stain with blood the record Of five
years. now they will receive their crown, in the pride
and affection with which the great aud loyal North
moves forward TO Aeet them, and them of its
FULL support.
Elsewhere we print lists of the delegates, which
show tho remarkable character of this Convention.
The picked men Of the nation meet OF Philadelphia,
and in the mere catalogue of names contrast with
the personnel of the Randall meeting of last month
Ia sussss.od, wLloh we leave the reader TO make.
The roll of that Convention, which began with such
ran through hundreds of the worst Rebels the worst
Copperheads aud renegadcs from the Union party is
disgraced by this, which is unstaned by disloysIty
or treaohery. The South sends men who were true
TO the Union when loyalty was synonym for exile
or DEATH To select from the roll of honor is difficult
but Gov Cresswell and the Thomases of Maryland;
Gov. Peirpoint and Bolts Of Virginia. Gov. Foreman,
Senators Wiley and Van Wrinkle of West Virginia;
the Hon. James Speed and the Rev. Robert J. Brock
inrdge Of Kentucky; Brownlow and Fowler OF Ten
nessee Goodloe and Jones Of North Carolina;
Henley of South Carolina; Ashburn and Dunning
of Georgia; Reese aud Griffin Of Alabama;
Hillyer and Robinson of Plorida Field of Mississippi
Hamilton and Paschal of Texas; these are men whose
fidelity to the Republic was not beaten into them by
Republican armies but who voluntarily rendered that
obedience to the laws which the Southern delegates to
the Randall Convention only yielded upon compulsion.
We are glad the Northern States have sent their
leading statesmen and soldiers to welcome the Con-
yention. Senators Morgan, Harris, Sumner, Trum.
bull, Yates, Howe, Conness, Cole, Clarke, Craven,
Poland, Edmunds, Wade, Sprague, Lane, and Others
Gems. Butler, Banks walbridge, Duryea, Crooke,
Averill, Paine, Hurlbur, Kmbal Fogg, and many
other distinguished soldiers; Governors Haw-
ley, Curtin, Bullock, Dillingham;, Smyth,
Cony, Fairchild, Morton The Hon. James
Harlan, The Hon. William Dennison-these
are but few Of the eminent names that recall.
Nor is the welcome extended only by the statesmen
and sodiers but men who have seldom taken part in
politics arc eager to recognize the national Importance
OF this Convention; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver
Wendell Holmes and John E. Whittier represent the
sympathy of true philosophy and poetry with all
great movements for freedom.