Evening star., 1866-09-03
The PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION.
The Convention Begun with Curieas Re-
Itsieus servicesQaeer Prayers aaS
speeches.

House last evening. Gov. Fletcher, Of No,
acted as chairman, and DR.. Hawkins, OF Tenn.
secretary.
A committee was appointed 70 desgna,e
the speaker 10 make the address IN reply 20
the welcome speech Of Charles Gibbons ESQ
on behalf Of the Union men OF the North Gov
Hamilton, of Texas, was chosen for the por-
pore. Gov. Fletcher Will probably at as
temporary chairman OF the convention, and
permanent President.
The southern delegates will meet a. o.
O'clock this morning at the Club rooms OF the
National Union Club, whence they will be es-
cUrted to Independence Square, where they
will be formally received. The members will
then proceed TO the National Hail. where the
southern loyslists will convene.
Among the distinguished delegates who have
arrived are Gov. falrchild, Of Wis: Fletcher,
of Mo; John Minor Bots, and Senators Wade
Chandler. Harris and Lane
Al the Union Methodist Church this morn
ing, Parson Brownlow delivered a character
istic address. He is laboring under an attack
OF palsy. He said nothing could have induced
him 10 have attended the convention in his
present physical condition but the deep and
abiding interest he felt in the cause of HE coun-
try and the fierce and terrible conflict now
going on between the Executive and Lesisla-
tive Departments Of the Federal Government
He remarked If the President shall succeed
shall conquer in his purpose, all the southern
Unlonists and colored loyalists will have TO
am concerned, he said, have fed from the
South fer the last time, and have sought
IenneN<SQ
for the last time. i would sooner expire al A
lamp post, under the shadow Of the capitol of
Tennessee.
PHILApKLPHIA, Sept. "a PRAYER meeting
in the rooms Of the Union State Central Com
mIttee, on Chestnut street The parlore. which
were capable Of holding about a hundred per-
sons, were crowded, some ladies being present
Senator Harris, Of New York, presided, and
opened the proceedings with a few approx riate
remarks. He said they had assembled in this
city from various parts OF the country 20 At
tend a convention, the results of which might
affect essentially. II not vitality, the welfare OF
this distracted country. Ii was therefore ap-
propriate that on the evening of the Christian
Sabbath they should meet together TO con- nmend
that country 10 God, who had so sienally IA
yored the country in the trials through which
II had passed, and plead with God that as the
country has now entered on expected trials tt
would not be deserted by Him. He closed by
announcing that prayer would now be offered
by the Rev. Dr. Newman, Of Louisiana.
DIR. Newman, after reading q portion of the
scripture, offered up prayer asking. among
other things. that men would be assigned 20
rule over the country who would be void Of
PRIDE and egotlsm and ambition, and particu-
larry Of partisan prejudice.
After prayer, Senator Harris, in view of the
fact that those present were personally stran-
gers to each other, gave general invitation to
such as desired TO address the meeting
Mr.. Eaton. Of Memphis, was the first 70
respond TO the invitation. HE principal idea
was the individual responsibility of man 70
whether the Government or the church. The
church in the South has been the soul and con-
science OF the rebellion, and the clergy there
were still busy making the same arguments a.
they did before the war and teaching thai the
negro was lower than man.
The Rev. Mr.. Conway, late Assistant Com
missioner OF the Freedmens Bureau. next fol-
lowed with prayer, in which he asked wisdom
Tor the rulers of the country, and especially for
the President OF the United States, thai he
should be prevented from dsing mischief and
nh N fhof hfS hoar
softened by the spirit OF love and turned from
the error Of his ways and made a righteous
magistrate, so that he should not be afraid 20
meet his God. A fervent amen.l He also
asked a blessing on the Presidents adviser.
for he feared that many Of them were going
astray. He would not pray fer vengeance, but
necessary, let the nation be scoureed.
Senator Lane, OF Ind, was The next speaker
False prophets, he said, were crying Peace,
bens thes snSsp no peace Their srssh
by day and hour by hour. Conventions le-
gally assembled Were being dispersed, and the
streets OF Memphis were being made to run
with the blood of the only loyal men left there
Even recently. in the neighboring State OF
Maryland, men OF God kneeling at the altar
were slaughtered by ruffian hands, led on by
that same wild spirit, LED on by the institution
of slavery. He acknowledged that the coun-
try owed much TO the newspaper press not
withstanding the signal detection Of those
clerical teachers 10 whom they had looked in
tunes past with Difference and respect III the
Government was TO be saved, il would be by
the interference OF Providence, and by the ac-
tied Gods footstool Their politicians were
IN the main faithful, honest and true For
himself and for his household, they would he
found standing on the great platform enuncia-
ted by the Declaration Of Independence and in
the sermon on the mount, that great utterance
which is yet 10 redeem a world that now laws
In darkness and sin.
Mr.. Strong, OF St. Louis, and Mr. Maynard,
member OF Congress from Tennessee, briefly
addressed the meeting; then Lieut. Gov Bross.
OF Ill, led the meeting in prayer, after which.
had not occurred to min before.
Mr. Mullins, OF the Tennessee Legislature.
next addressed the meeting in a rather inco-
nefeHt ne Msy style; he was followed oy The Rev.
that this was the first occasion in the history
OF the country when great political conyen-
ton was preceded by a prayer-meeting The
fact was more interesting as the meeting mad
been improyised and not precopcerted He
believed in his heart OF hearts that this was a
religious struggle. He had lived long enough
IN the south TO know that all the great princi-
pies OF religious liberty were involved Those
who do preach Christianity IN the South with
simplicity and power were marked men, 70 be
shot, stabbed, or clubbed. Whenever a church
was built there dedicated TO God and 20 low
atty, that church was subjected TO the matches
Of disloyalty, rebellion, and slavery. His
brethren in churches which he had built had
been shot down and now slept in martyr
dom. In the struggle in which they were en-
gagged they must be successful, or religious
Liberty would GO down in the South. He
deeply regretted TO say that those who were in
power favored the restriction Of religious
speech. The man who had the greater
power in the country had said TO himself
~ on and your brethren are not wanted"
That individual was now exercising a potent
influence for evil in the lano; but he believed
that God was selecting the sheep from the
goats; was drawing the line Of demarkatlons
was testing the line OF Gilead, and those whom
he addressed were the chosen band. He prayed
that they might live TO see the day when the
great principles they cherished should be uni
versally Triumphant
Mr.. Palmer, ofTenn., was the next speaker
He denounced the President as a public dis
grace and an outrage TO the decency Of the ma
uon, as man who feared and respected the
institutions OF the country.
Mr.. Tucker, Of N. g; the Rev. J. W. Hun
nicut, of Va, and Mr.. Winds, of Tenn, fol-
lowed; and the proceedings Were closed with
prayer by the Rev. Mr.. Eaton, OF Tenn
THE PRESIDENTIAL DINNER IN NEW Yong
The dinner given at Delmonieo's on Wedn,s
day evening was probably the most elegant
and expensive affair Of the kind ever enioyed
by so large party in this country. When the
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