Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-08-23
FORK WILL BNQ UIRBR.
size of the Parliament journal still bears
the name of "foolseap."

size of the Parliament journal still bears
the name of "foolseap." 4
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION,
The gathering at Philadelphia, of dele.
gates from every State and Territory in the
Union, was on Tuesday morning, the 18th
instant, completed ; and the spacious amphi
theatre, styledtbe "wigwam," }" recently built
for this purpose, was by IL M, crowded to
its utmost capacity. 1t was evident from
the moment that delegates began to arrive
and interchange views, that entire harmony
would prevail in the Convention. Men
came there 10 behalf of their constituents,
ready to make and accept concessions and
for once in the history of this country the
sublime spectacle las been witnessed Of
fraternsl gathering of ali the States in
one vast harmonious assemblage, where the
rights and peculiar opinions of each section,
were recognized and respected. Well might
this be the case in this instance, for the is.
sues involved in the triumph or defeat of
tue principles they came there to advocate,
we're of that alarming character requiring
the exercise of more than ordinary patriot
ism and wisdom. For once sectional ami.
mostly was buried, sectional pride forgot
ten; and the word "party"-that baueful
synonym of presagiug ansrchy-obliterated
from the records Of this grand assemblage
of States.
The conservative North has met the sub.
nissive South on middle ground, aud mu.
tually forgetful and concediug, they have
buried the past-accepted the present, and
united hand in hand for the future.
The Delegates having assembled, the
Hon. ALEXANDER W. RANDALL opened
the Convention by saying:
"Gentlemen, I have to announce that
delegates from South Carolina and Massa,
cbusetts will now come, arm and arm, into
the Convention" This announcement was
greeted vito great applause, the entire an.
dience rising. At this moment Major Gen.
eral Couch, of Massachusetts,, and Governor
Orr, of South Carolina, at the head of the
delegation, marched in, arm and arm, ban
ners flying and music playing. Shout after
shout, spontaneous and general, rent the
air. Tears filled the eyes Of delegates and
spectators.
Gen John A. Dix was nominated tempo
rary Chairman, and in accepting said:
81 regard this as convention of no or
dinsry character, not only on account of
the high social and political standing of the
gentlemen who compose this convention,
but because it is convention of the people
of all the States of the Union; (applause)
and because, We cannot doubt, if the pre-
ceeGings are conducted with harmony and
judgment, that it will lead to most import
ant results. 1t may be truly said, that no
body of men have met on this continent un-
der circumstances so momentous and so i'm
portant since the year l787-(applause) y
the year when our ancestors assembled in
this city to form better government for the
States which composed the old oonfedera-
tion--a government which has been con.
frmed and made more enduring, as we
trust, by the fearful trials and perils which
it has encountered and overcome. Gap
plause.) Ten States have yet no represen.
ta6pn in the legislature of this country, and
it is this wrong We have come here to pro.
test against, and as much as in our power to
redress. When the President of the United
States declared that the war had ceased, all
the States had the right of representation.
The exacting of new conditions is subver.
sive of our national liberty and dangerous
to the public peace loud applause) } Is
this the Government our fathers fought to
establish, OF which we have fought to
maintain? He trusted that in the deliber
ations of this Con Vention the main idea would
be to change the present complexion of
Congress, to purify the republic and bring
it back to its original standsrd-oDe Coun,
try, one Flag, one Union of equal States p
After the appointment of Committees Oh
Credentials, Resolutions, and Organization,
the Convention adjourned until Wednesday
at noon. .a.
Senator Doolittle was nominated in Com.
mittee on Organization, as permanent Chair
man.
The Hon G. L. VALAND1aHAM, dele.
delegate from Ohio, and the Hon. FERNAN-
DO WooD, delegate from New York, were
present in the city, but learning that their
presence in the Convention would mar the