The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-10
THE NATIONAL UNION COMMITTEE,
Statement nv MIR. Sperry.

Mr.. N. d. SperTy, Secretary OF the National
Union Committee, who joined the members at
the Astor House meeting, makes a statement
concerning the split in that body. He says:-
According to the votes of the Committee re-
corded on the books, the headquarters" of the
Committee and the place of the meetings we're
fixed at the 'Astor House." New York city.
All meetings of the Committee, special or
otherwise, have been called by the Chairman
and Secretary, unless otherwise fixed by ad-
jOurnment. According to the record of the
Committee, the meeting should have been held
IN New York. Neither had the flour" who
called the Philadelphia meeting lone of whom,
by-the-way, has since withdrawn from the Com
mlttee) any right to call meeting under the
circumstances, for that duty belonged to the
Chairman and Secretary. And here let me say
that neilher the Chairman nor the Secretary had
been called upon to give notice OF meeting OF
the Committee, consequently they could not
have refused.
After the irregular call of the "four" mem bers
OF the committee at an unauthorized place,
namely, Philadelphia, as have plainly shown
by the votes to be such, | consulted with the
Chairman Of the Committee, and 1t was agreed
that if there was to be meeting it should be
legal one IN every sense. Consequently "c9ll'
was Issued for a meeting of the Committe in
legal manner, and at its headquarters" as
designated by its own vote. lnasmuch as the
-four" who had called the Philadelphia meeting
had fixed Monday, the Sd instant, as a time con-
venient for them to attend, we liked the meeting
at the Astor House at the same time in a spirit
In accordance with the above mentioned
"calls,' fifteen met at Philadelphia under the
informal call, and eight in New York under the
legal or formal call. There being no quorum
present, the New York meeting voted to adjourn,
the time OF the next meeting to be agreed upon
by the Executive Committee Ia majority of
whom were present at the New York meeting):
and that two weeks notice should be given, so
that there might not be any excuse for quorum
not being present. But the Philadelphia por-
ton Of the Committee voted 10 transact their
business in violation of the rules established
by their own votes, without a quorum only
fifteen of the forty members being present;
thus following the extreme radical usage OF
overriding any constitutional or legal barrier TO
proposed course Ofaction which seems likely to
promote their success; while at the same time
they pass solemn judgment upon three Of their
fellow members, and sentence them to eXpul.
sion from the Committee, without even q hear
ing or catecEizing them upon their views on
that standard OF Union orthodoxy, the platform
adopted at Baltimore at the tine the Committee
were chosen. ] know not what rule OF action,
or principle, could have governed their coun-
sells, except it be that ianatcIsm never reasons
With the above facts leave the matter to an
impartial public, assuring them that, nOtwith-
standing the action of minority of the Com
mittee, am. as ever, sound on the principles of
the COnN ention whicn made me member Of the
National Union Committee"
Very respectfully, n. ID. SPERRY,
Secretary Ot National Union Committee.