The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-08-23
II Il o CE INGS
or THR
PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION,

/
at -! O'Clock, by the Hon. A. w. Ran
dali, of Wisconsin, who said:
For the purpose of the temporary or
SANITATION of this convention, | propose
the name of Gen. John A. Dix as it's
temporary chairman. This proposition
was received with a unanimous "aye."
Gen. Dix came forward, and after
being greeted with loud and prolonged
cheers, proceeded to speak as follows:
| Gentlemen Of the Convention ond Fello,c-
citizens Of the Whole Union: [ return to
you my most sincere thanks for the
honor you have conferred upon me, in
allowing me to preside, temporarily,
over your organization. regard it as a
| distinction of no ordinary character, not
only on account of the high position and
political standing Of the gentlemen who
compose this convention, and because it
is a convention of the people of all the
States of this Union loud cheers) but
because l cannot doubt, if it's proceed
ings are conducted with harmony and
good Judgment, that it will lead to the
most important results. 1t may be truly
said that no body of men has met on
this continent under such circumstances,
so momentous and so delicate, since the
year 1857, the year when our ancestors
assembled in this city to frame better
Government over the States, under the
Old confederation; Government which
has been confirmed and made more en-
during as we trust by the fearful trial
and peril which it has encountered and
overcome. The Constitution which they
came here to frame, we are here to vim
dictate and restore. Weare here to assert
<,f f,ks
lnent over all who are within the con-
fines Of the Union-a government which
cannot, without a violation of the fun
damental principles of liberty, be ex-
tended over any Of those who are not
in it. All who are in the Union are en-
titled to a voice in the administration Of
public affairs. Cheers. 1t was such a
government our fathers framed ard put
in operation. 1t is a government which
we are bound by every consideration OF
fidelity and good faith to defend and
maintain.
Gentlemen, we are not living under
such government. Thirty-siX States
have for months been governed by
twenty-five, eleven States have been
wholly without representation in the
Legislative body. The numerical pro-
portion OF the represented and unrepre-
sented has just been changed by the adj
mission of the delegation from Ten
nessee. A unit taken from the smaller
and added to the larger. Ten States are
still denied the representation in Con-
gress to which they are entitled by the
Constitution
1t is this wrong which we have come
here to protest against, and, as far as in
us lies, to redress. Cheers. When the
President of the United States declared
that armed resistance to the authority of
the Union WAS over, all the States had a
right to he represented in the legislative
body. They had the right under the
Constitution they had the right under
resolutions passed in both houses of Con-
gress in 1861. Those resolutions were
not tie same, but they are substantially
identical. Moreover they were entitled
to be so represented on other grounds of
fairness and good faith. The President
had called upon the Confederate States
to accept conditions for their admission
to the exercise of their legitimate func-
tons as members of the Union. The
ratification of the amendment of the
Constitution abolishing slavery, and the
Reputation of the debt contracted to
overthrow the Government. These
conditions have been accepted and acted
ditions is unjust and violation of the
faith of the Government, and subyersive
OF the principles Of our political system,
and dangerous to The public peace and
to our prosperity and happiness. Each
house Of Congress may, as the judge of
the qualification OF its members reject
individuals for just cause, but the two
bodies acting conformity cannot exclude
an entire delegation without an un-
warrantable assumption OF power. Con-
gress has not only done this, it has gone
further. 1t has incorporated in the. con-
dtions amendments to the Constitution,
and submitted them to the ratification
OF the States. There is no probability
that these amendments will be ratified
by three fourths OF the States OF the
Union. 70 insist Oh the conditions they
maintain here to-day is to prolOng in
definitely the exclusion of more than
one-iourth of the States from IA repre-
sentation in Congress. Isthis the Govern
ment our fathers fought to establish
, Loud cries of "No, no." l, this the
Government we have been fighting to
preserve: Repeated shouts OF " No,
-, mo i,r,s,ln,,t hos dana .,ll n h iS