Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-08-22
Mr.. Doolittle, on taking the chair, said !:

Cheers: For the distinguished honor
# being called upon to preside over the
of this Convention, l sin
,erely thank you. I could have wished
hat its responsibilities had fallen upon
mother; but relying upon that courtesy
md generous confidence which has called
me to the chair, enter at once upon Its
duties, with a desire for the success Of
that great cause in which we are now en-
gagged. Among the great events OF our
own day this Convention, in my opinion,
will prove to be one Of the greatest, for
peace hath her victories not less renowned
than war. Applause. And this Con-
yention is one of her victories; may |
not say a orowning victory. Cheers
For the first time in six years, Ma
tional Convention, representing all the
States. is now assembled-six long, weary
years. As 1 look back, oh, what an IN.
terval it is of blood, and agony, and
tears During that period we have
been engaged in the most gigantic civil
war the world has ever seen, wasting our
resources, drenchiug a thousand battle
fields in fraternal blood, and carrying to
fraternal graves our fathers, our sons and
our brothers, by hundreds of thousands.
But. thanks be to Almighty God, the
war is over. 1Cheers Peace, blessed
peace, has come. The assurances which
yelhere witness tell us that peace has
come, and come to stay. Loud cheers.
Oh, my fellow citizens, if the whole peo-
pie of the United States could see what
we now witness, the North, the South,
the East and the West joining in frater-
nal association as friends and fellow citi-
zens. our work would be already done.
TCheers.7 If they could have seen, as we
saw, Massachusetts and South Carolina
Tapplause7 by their full delegations,
coming arm in arm into this great Con-
ventioD-- enthusiastic applause)--if they
could have seen this body, greater in
numbers and in weight of character and
brain than ever has assembled on this
continent under roof, melting to tears OF
Joy and gratitude to witness this COM
mingling, there would be no struggle at
the polls in the coming elections. Gap
plause.) When 1 remember that it was
Massachusetts and South Carolina that
in the Convention that framed the Con
stitution, voted against the abolition Of
the slave trade; that it was Massachusetts
in 1922, which, through some of hel
men, advocated the doctrine of nulliica'
ton, which South Carolina reasserted IL
1888. and in the form of secession. agar
reasserting it in 1860 when I call tt
mind that South Carolina fred the frs
gun in this contest, aud that the veins o
Massachusetts poured out the first BLOOD
in the struggle; and when I call to mine
all these memories, and at the same time
ask the people of this country to look il
on this Convention and see these two olC
States of the Union coming here in fra
ternal embrace, approaching the common
altar of a common country, ready t,
make common sacrifice for the good o
the whole I say again, could the who'll
people of the United States witness al
this, there would remain no further woIl
for us to perform. cloud cheers.) 1
the people Of Massachusetts bersel
could have witnessed it not single mem
Der would be returned to Congress from
that State-(great applause)-until h
had given a most sacred pledge that h
would do all in his power to recogniz
the equality and dignity of all the State
under the Constitution-(ch Cheers i'm
Guiding the sacred and inalienable RICH
of every State, under the Constitution
to representation in both Houses Of Con
gress. (Cheers)
Gentlemen of the Convention, I sha
90 into no argument or this occasion.-
| (Cries Of "Go on" The distinguishe
gentleman who preceded me (Gen. Dix
has said all I would desire to say muc
better than I could say it. 1 indOrs
and take great pleasure in indorsing, a
that he has said, sentence by sentenc
word by word. (Cheers.)
Fellow-citizens, unfortunately it ma
be. the whole people of the United Statc
are not here to witness what is now tran
piring. TherefoNs, the greater wor
| still rests upon US. From this time unit
the next election we should be untirir
in our exertious to see to it that the nel
Congress-if the present one shall col
tinue to refuse this sacred right Ofrepr
sentation to equal States-that the ne,
Congress shall recognize that right
TApplause. When that is done Il
Union is restored, cheers: and WhC
the Union is restored we shall be prepare
in my Judgment, to enter upon high
and nobIer career among the nations
the earth than has everyet been occupit
by any Government upon which the ST
of heaven has ever shone. Loud cheers
We shall stand in the vanguard of liber
and civilization we shall lead the W;
by the light of our example for all 9th
nations of the earth. Great applause
Gentlemen, without OBTAINING you al
longer shall enter at once upon the d
ties of the Chair.
The Vice Presidents and Secretari
of the Convention were then invited
take their seats upon the platform
While they were doing so the bal
played several airs.
General Steedman, Chairman of Il
committee on Credentials, made repol
stating that there we're no seats contest
except from the States of Maine, Del
ware and New York, and that Of the
cases the committee had made the folio,
ing disposition: The delegates elect
by a meeting in Portland and headed
> Governor Crosby, are entitled to admissi
as the delegation from Maine. The de
. gates elected at a meeting at Dover
> the 26th of July, 1866, are entitled
admission as delegates from Delawa,
:! and the persons chosen at Wilmington
; the I'd of August, are to be admitted
r honorary seats in the Convention. Ge
t.emen attending from the United Servi