Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-08-23

Speech of the President.

Gentlemen of the Convention and feow-citi-
zens of the United States Applause. For the
distinguished honor of being called upon to pre-
side over the deliberations of this convention I
sincerely thank you. I could have wished that its
responsibilities had fallen upon another. But re-
lying upon that courtesy and generous confidence
which has called me to the chair, I enter at once
upon its duties with earnest desire for the sue
cess of that great cause in which we 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 victories not
less renowned than war Applause. And this
convention is of her victories--may [ not say
a browning victory? Applause,
For the first time in six years national con-
vention representing all the States is assem-
hled. Six long, weary years AS look back, oh
what an interval 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 drenching thousand bat
tie fields in fratena blood and carrying to frater-
nal graves ON fathers, sons and our brothers,
| by thousands. But thanks be to Almighty God
the is Applause Peace, blessed
peace has come The assurance which we here
witness tells us that peace has come and come
to stay. Applause Oh, my fellow citizens, if
the whole people of the United States could this
moment look in upon this convention !; if they
could see what we witness, the North and the
South, the East and the West joining together in
fraternal association friends and fellow citizens
our work would be already done. Applause If
they could see, as saw Massachusetts and South
Carolina applausel by their full delegations com
ing arm in arm into this great convention lap
plause If they could have this body, great
in numbers and in weight of character and brain
than has assembled on this continent under
one roof melting to tears of Joy and gratitude, to
witness this comminging there would be no strug-
gle at the polls in the coming elections. [Ap-
plause.
When [ remember that it was Massachusetts and
South Carolina that, in the convention which
framed the constitution, voted against the aboli-
ton of the slave trade that it was Massachusetts,
IN 1872, which, through some of her men, taught
the doctines of notification, which South Caro-
lima reasserted in 1885, and in the form of seces-
sion reasserted in 1867 when [ called to mind
that South Carolina fired the first gun in this con-
test, and the veins of Massachusetts, poured out
the first blood IN this struggle Applause ; and
when call to mind all these memories, and at the
same time ask the people of this country to look
in this convention and see these two old States
of the Union coming here, in fraternal embrace,
approaching the common altar of a common coun-
try, ready to make common sacrifices for the good
Of the whole say again, could the whole people
OF the United States witness all this there would
remain no further work for us to perform. APP
plause. Il the people of Massachusetts herself
could have witnessed it, not single member
would be returned to Congress from that State
lgreat applause]] until he had given most sa-
cred assurance that he would do all in his power
IN Congress to recognize the equality and dignity
| of all the States under the constitutions lap.
plause] Including the sacred and inalienable
right of every State under the constitution to
representation in both houses of Congress lap
plause
| Gentlemen of the Convention, I shall 60 into
no argument on this occasion. TCries of &c Go
ONT The distinguished gentleman (Gen. Dix
who preceded me has said all that would desire
to say, much better than could sayit. endorse,
and take great pleasure in fully endorsing, all that
he said, sentence by sentence, word by word.-
! lApplause.