The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-08-22
TIT PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION.
EVERY STATE REPRESENTED.
Gen. Dix Temporary President.
senator DOOiittIe Permanent
President-PIatGOrm OF Prin-
cIples AdOpted---An Address
10 The PeOpIe---All COncerva-
tive Men 10 Unite 10 Defeat
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. this FAN.

ClDttA AaNAl GAs ]
10 The PeOpIe---AlI COncerva-
tive Men TO Unite 10 Defeat
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. en- this Fall.
PHILADELPHIA, August 14.-At half
past twelve p. NJ, Mr.. Randall opened the
Convention by saying:
GENTLEMEN: | have to announce that
the cclrgates from South Carolina and
massachusetts, will now come arm in arm to
tli~ Convention.
Ills announcement was greeted with
.rrq applause, the entire audience rising to
heir icqt, and tho band played the Flag
Of Our Union"
Hon. John A. Hogan, from the stage,
when the uuietness had become restored,
.rruuosed three cheers for the thirty-six
States ofthe UniOn-all loyaI-which was
enthusiastically given. This was followed
by tremendous cheers for President John
son.
Mr.. Randall-The Convention will please
come TO order. For the purpose of atfec-
ting temporary organization of this Conven
tlou, ! propose the name of General John
A. Dix, of New York, as temporary Chair
man of this Convention. Applause.
General Dix came forward and said:
Gentlemen of the Convention and fellow
citizens of the whole Union. Applause.
[ return you my sincere thanks for the honor
you have done me in choosing me to pre-
side Temporarily over your deliberations.
| regard it as a 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 be-
cause it is a convention Of the people Of all
the States of this Union, and because We
can not doubt, ii its proceedings are con-
Quoted with becoming and good judgement,
that it will lead to most important results.
Applause. 1t may be truly said that no
body of men have met on this continent to
consider events so mOmentuOus and so I'M
p%ortant since the year l776-lapplause :
the year when our ancestors assembled in
this city to form a better Government for
the States which composed the old Confed-
eration-a Government which has been
confirmed and made more enduring, as we
trust. by the fearful trials and perils which
it has encountered and overcome. APP
plause.
The Constitution which they came here
to frame we are here to vindicate and re-
store. Applause. We arc here to assert
the supremacy OF representative govern
ulent; we all who are in the confines of the
Union. Applause. A Government which
can not, without a violation of its funda-
mental principles, be extended over any
but those who are represented in it; APP.
plause; over those who, by virtue of that
representation, are entitled to a voice in the
administrations public affairs. Applause.
1t was such a Government that Jul fathers
framed and put in operation. 1t is such a
Government which we are b und by every
principle of fidelity and justice and good
faith to defend and maintain, Applause.
Gentlemen, we are not now living under
such aGovernment. Applause. Thirty
six States have for months been governed
by twenty-five States. Applause. Eleven
States have been wholly without representa-
ton in the legislative bodies Of the Nation,
The mr. merical proportion Of the represen.
ted and unrepresented States has just peer
changed by the delegation from Tennessee.
A unit taken from the smaller has been put
to the larger number. But ten States are
still denied representation in Congress, tt
which they are entitled under the Constitu.
ton. The President, not in pursuance OF
any Constitutional power, had called on the
Confederate States to accept conditions for
their admission to the exercise Of their
legitimate functions as members of the
Union.
The ratification of the amendment to the
Constitution, abolishing slavery, and the re.
pudlation Of debts contracted to overthrow
the Government, were these conditions
They were met and accepted. The exac-
tion Of new conditions i unjust, and a vio-
lation of the faith of the Government, sub
v%ersiye Of the purposes of our political sys-
TEN, and dangerous to the public prosperity
and peace. Applause. Each House Of
Congress may, as the judge Of the qualifca
ton Of its own members, reject individuals
for a just cause, but the two bodies, acting
conformity, can not exclude an entire del"ga-
ton without an unwarrantable assumption,
of power. Applause.
Congress has not only done this. 1t has
gone farther: 1t has Incorporated new con
ditions, with amen lnents to the Constitu-
ton, and submitted them for the r%atifica-
ton Of the States. There is no probability
that these amendments will be ratified by
three-fourths of the States of this Union.-
Applause. To insist on the conditions
they contain, is to prolong indefinitely the
exclusion Of more than one forth of the States
from their right to be represented in the
Legislative bodies. They had a right under
the Constitution. They had a right under
the resolutions passed in both Houses Of
Congress in 1861. Applause. Those re-
solutions were not concurrent, but there
were substantially identical. Moreover,
they were entitled to be represented on 9th
er grounds OF fairness and good faith. 1t
is this wrong which we have come here to
protest against, and, as far as in us lies, re-
dress it. Applause.
When the President of the United States
declared that armed re %.istance to the au-
t~iiorit!es Of the Union was over, ell the
States had a right to representation in Con
gres. Applause. Is this the Govern
ment orr fathers fought to establis h?-
Loud cries Of MOI! Is this the Govern
ment we have been fighting to preserve? F.
mo, no.! The President has done all in
his power to correct this wrong. Ap-
plause.] He has done all in his power to
restore the rights Of the States in the Leg
~islature Of the country, by giving to each
! section its full status. Legislation without
representations an anomoly in our p~olitica
system. Under any other form OF Govern
ment it would be but another name foI
! ~usurpation and misrule.
5 Gentlemen, | trust that in our delibera
I tions here we shall %confine ourselves to on
' main purposc-that of redressing the wron
" to which | have referred. There is mucl
u in the administration of the Government
9 which needs amendment. Some thing
. need to be done, and others need to be un
G done. There arc commercial and %inancia
reforms which are indispensable to the pull
u lie welfare, but we shall not have the powe
to carry out these until we change the polit
d ical complexion Of Congress. Applause.
This should be our first and our immediat
9 aim. Applause. 1t is in the Congress
9 sional districts that the vital contest is t
, take place. The control of one body wi
o enable us to prevent partial, unjust ard pei
!, nicious legislation. The control of bot
d Houses, with the power to introduce an
= carry out salutary reform, to bring the Gov
eminent back, in the language of Jefferson
20 tbo ropuhlicon frock will ooua t,tou