The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-08-15
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
THE CONVENTION.
soutb Carolina and Mass a
, chuseits Arm in Arm. = y. !.
z I'll Is Iss y-L-.--l..aIL s5ilimst I,e
= - ~ . u eUoG91 LjD
aEmAaKs OF GENERAL DIX.
9l,lnE
aEm.RKs OF GENERAL DIX.
TREMENDOUS ENTHUSIASM

Mr.. Randall opened the Convention by
| saying, Gentlemen: 1 have to announce
that the delegates from South Carolina
and Massachusetts will now come arm
/ in arm into this Convention. This an
nouncement was greeted with great ap
plause, the entire audience rising to thell
feet and the band playing the Flag o.
our Union"
Hon. John A.. Hogan, from the stage
when quietness had become restored,
proposed three cheers for the Sc States OF
! the Union, all loyal, which was enthusl
( astically given, This was followed by
| tremendous cheers for President John
| son. I..-I. r,.-Ci-
Mr.. Randall-The Convention will
| please come to order for the purpose OF
| effecting temporary organization 'of
| this Convention. propose the name OF
| General John A. Dix, of New York, as
| temporary chairman of this ConAention.
[Applause. -
General Dix came forward and said:
| Gentlemen of the Convention and fellow
citizens of the whole Union [applause ],
Treturn to you my sincere thanks for the
honor you have done me in choosing me
to preside temporarily over your delib.
erations. Iregard it as distinction of
no ordinary character, not only on
account of the high social and
| political standing Of the gentle
| men who compose this Convention,
| but because 1T is Convention OF the
| people of all the States Of the Union [ap-
7 plause and because We cannot doubt If
/ It's proceedings are conducted with be-
| coming and good Judgment, that it will
| lead to most important results, Ap-
| plause 1t may be said that no body
| of men have met on this continent to
| consider events so moment0us and so
important since the year l776, applause
| the wear when our ancestors assembled
in this city to form better government
| for the States which composed the Old
| confederation-a government which has
| been confirmed and made more enduring
as in trust by the fearful trials and perils
| which it has encountered and overcome.
tJApplause The Constitution which
| they came here to frame we are here to
| yindicate and restore. Applause We
are here to assert the supremacy OF the
representative government over all who
are within the confines of the Union.
IApplause A government which can
| not with out q violation of its fnndamen
tai principles be extended over any but
those represented i'll it; applause over
those who by virtue of that representa-
! ton are entitled to a voice IN the admin,
| istration of public affairs. Applause
4 Jt was such a government that our 1atn
| ers framed and put in operation. III IS
| arch q government which we are bennd
bv eyery principle of fidelity, Justice and
| GOOD faith to maintain. Applause
| Gentlemen. we are not now living under
sncb n government. Applause Thirty
six States have leen governed by twenty
| five States. [Applause.] ] Eleven
| States have been wholly without
| renresentation in the legislative
bodies of the nation, the numerical
proportion of the represented ana uh,
represented States has just been changed
Inv the admission of the delegation from
| Teunessee A unit taken from the small
| or has been put to the larger number,
| bnt fen States are still denied represen-
tation in Congress, to which they are
| entitled under the constitution. The
President, not in pursuance of any con-
stitutiopal power, had called on she Con
federate States to- comply with conditions
for their admission to the exercise oi
their legitimate fupctions as members oi
the union. The ratification OF tne
| amendment 10 the constitution aDoii9u
ing slavery and the repudiation OF debts
| contracted to overthrow the govern
ment were these conditions They
were accepted, The eNactlon OF
new conditions is unjust and IN
violation of the object OF the gov
ernment and the subyerSlon oi the pni-
tposes of our political system, ana Is
dangerous to public prosperity and peace
lCApplause Each house ol Congress
may, as the judges of tho quailhcati9n
Of its own mambcrs, reject individuals
but the two bodies acting conformity
cannot exclude our entire delegation
without an unwarrautab'e assumption OF
mower. IApplausel Congress has not
| only done this, it has gone farther, II
has incorporated new conditions with
| amendments TO the constitution and sub
I mitted them for ratification. There is no
probability that these amendments
will be ratified by three-fourths
| of the States of this Union
| GApplanse. To insist on the condition
ia to pro,ong indefinitely the exclusion
| of more than one. fourth of the States
from their right to be represented in the
legislative bodies. They had right un
der the constitution; they had right
under the resolutions passed in both
Houses of Congress in lo6l' Applause
Those resolutions were not concurIed in
but thew were substantially identical
Aud. moreover, they were entitled to
be represented on other grounds OF fair
ness and good faith. 1t is this wrong
which we have come here to protest
against. and, as far as in us lies, redress
| it, Applause ] When the President OF
the United States declared that armed
resistance to the authority of the Union
was over, all States had right to repre-
sentation in Congress. Applause. Is
tbis the land our fathers fought to es'
tablishq Loud cries of MOI Is this
the government we have been lighting
to nreserve2 ["No,' mo The Pres
dent has done all in his power tG
correct this wrong. Applause.
He has done all in his power to restore
| the rights of the States in the Legisia
. ture of the country by giving 10 eaGl
section its full status. Legislation WIFI
ont representation is an anomoiy III oul
political system. Under any other torn
), of government it would be but another
a word fer usurpation and misrule. Gen
AMI