The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-09-27
PITTSBURGH CONVENTION
TBE FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
The Grandest Demonstration of
tho Campaign.
The Boys in Blue" Find the
People with them.
no West Virginia Delegation
and their Banners.
Tho Scenes and Excitemonts of
the Occasion.

n mCNg gre account of the first days pro.
cecdingS up ut the great Convention of
Soldiers and Sailors at Pittsburgh. We
lind in our exchanges from that city
very full accounts, Tuesday wns
great day in the Iron City" beyond IA
doubt. Tho asscmblage far surpassed
all expectation. Adequate accommodate
ton for it had not been made i'll the
way of IL hall, and great difficulty was
experienced in getting the delegates
seated. The Commercial says that
Within tho memory of no inhabit-
ant of Pittsburgh has such day of
wild excitement and glorious feSIiVity
been known as yesterday. Therein
culminRted all the patriotic feeling and
political enthusiasm that could be
crowded into one ordinary diurnal Pc
Rod of the worlds rotation on its axis"
The Dispatch says that
THE city was all AgoE at an early
hour, aud at every point strangers were
seen hurrying hither and thither, with
carpet sacks, VAliSeS, and other travel
ing appendRgeS. The hotels were liter
ally damned, and the public houses
Were filled to Overlooking. There new
er was such an influx of strangers into
the Smoky City, but thanks 10 the eX-
cellent management of the Committee
of Reception, no one was left unpro-
Vided with comfortable quarters. The
private dwellings in the two cities and
vicinity were freely opened to the dole
gates. and it affords us great pleasure to
notice the very generous action OF our
steamboat owners aud officers, who
surrendered the cabins of their fine
SteSSPetS to the use of those who were
CroNaed out of the hotels. Excellent
nrfN f-1
ed to hundreds of the delegations, and
their quarters were thus placed within
few minutes walk of tho hall. The
city was decorated in manner never
before witnessed, and reflected the
highest credit upon the liberality aud
patriotism OF our citizens. In word,
nothing WAS LEFT UndOne to extend IA
cordial, heartfelt welcome to our brave
defenders, and make them feel that in
the Iron CITY, they were perfectly Eat
home" The best of order prevailed
throughout the city, and thus far the
great demonstration has not been
married by "a single disturbances.
THE STATES REPRESENTED.
The following States were represent
ed in the Conventions:
"The following States answered {:
! District of Columbia, Maine, New
2 Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont.
Ne
! New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
[! Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia,
North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota,
kentucky. Missouri, Texas, California,
Nevada, Utah and Tennessee"
L. Edwin Dudley, "a private who had
served in the 18Th Massachusetts regi-
ment, was made temporary Chairman
of the Convention. y few days ago he
held position in the Treasury De-
partment at Washington which he re-
signed because refused leave of absence
in order to attend the Convention OF his
brother soldiers at Pittsburgh.
OUR WEST vIRGINIA SOLDIERS.
| Among the other officers of the meet
| ing we notice the following West Vir-
ginia soldiers: Col. II. b. Hubbard
and Col. J. II. Lockwood as members
of the Committee on Permanent Organ
iZation; Colonies Lockwood and Curtis
as Nice-Presidents; Sergeant c. j. Raw
ling and Sergeant G.. b. Crawford as
Secretaries; Captains T. Il. Tay-
Tor and C. Freeman as members
OF Committee on Resolutions.
SPEECH OF GEN. COX.
General tGovernorl Cox, of Ohio, was
made permanent chairman OF the Con-
ventiOn. Before taking the chair he
made noble address to his fellow SOL
diers.
1t is so good that we think our read
ers will thank us for publishing it in
this connection. The General, after a
few preliminary. remarks, spoke as fol-
lows:
The only merit I
can claim is that of the most unbound
ed sympathy with every man who has
| worn the blue. [Applause.1 From the
| beginning of the war to the surrender
of the last rebel army, my heart and
my work was with the army: and hence
If my own service could make me feel
at home with you, feel that am in
| deed at home. l feel, further, my COM
| rades, that we are here one in senti-
ment, and that, whether the presidency
| of this organization had fallen upon
one from the East or from the West, SO
that he were soldier of the great Re
| public, he would have its support.
lApplause.l We are here as citi
zen sOidiers-and remember n
time, and perhaps our distinguished
| friend, the Chairman of the Com
nittee on Permanent Organization, will
1 also remembeB the time, in some of the
| rather dark days of 1852. when IL was
debated in this country whether or no
the army which seemed able to save the
republic could under any circumstan-
ces be made the tool of any chieFtAn in
or out of the army to destroy those lib.
| critics; and know that there were men
in the Army Of the Potomac and in the
Army OF the Great West, there were
men everywhere to spring up and saw
SOLDIERS of the American RepubIic
are citizens first and soldiers afterward''
l-lCueerSl-that they recognized that
their paramount duty is the duty thew
owe to their country-that no aIlegin nee
to any military or political chief could
ever, under any circumstances. make
them forget that they have bound them
| selves and pledged their lives and their
! honor to the support of the Government
against all its enemies, so long ms there
is the least danger that that Government
shall fall or even be imperilled. Ifanv
foe within or without, whether he be a
military man, or whatever may be his
| political sentiment, should strike at the
| perPetuity of this nation, the army of
the Republic will be found arrayed as
one man against all such foes, II is n
great satisfaction to me to meet here not
only our comrades of the volunteer
army and volunteer navy, but also our
comrades of the regular army and reg
| ulAr navy.
We have come to thank God
to day that although tn ere are instances
in which men who have faithfully
served the country through the war
may have been bought, or occupy such
unfortunate positions chat they may
seem TO have been bought by the hope
Of preferment, yet the great mass of all
! those who have worn our uniform,
whether II has been the uniform of our
Boys in Blue on land or our Boys in
Blue on water, are true to the princi-
| Piles which they were fighting Tor during