Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-09-28
rIIE aFElT coNTENTIoa.


Inft numbers, its composition, its en-
thusiasn and its moral effect the grand
eonvoeation ofTeIeran soldiers which now
throngs every part Of the Iron City is al
together unprecedented. The crowd Is so
uDwieldly. so immense that to estimate
its number requires a stretch of ealeula-
ton almost too romantic for belief The
character of the men who have come TO
this great political gathering can be more
surely told, for it is already written IN
the history Of the Republic. Itisreeord-
ed on many shot plowed field where
rows. ofsunken graves still tell the story
Of great battles fought and victories won
ia behalf Of the Union. 1t is mutely spo-
ken by the MANNED limbs of scores upon
scores of men you meet at every turn
whose sad, honest, manly faces tell far
more surely than the brazeu story of the
braggart that they have borne the. heat
and burden Of the great fiery struggle for
American liberty. These are fighting
soldiers-the men who shouldered their
muskets without bounty, and who stood
by the flag from the dark beginning to
the glorious end. What an awful rebuke
20 the traitor-restoring policy of Andrew
johnson that Shch men should quietly yet
determinedly come together from all
parts cf the land and condemn it What
a scathing rebuke to the insoIent demand
Of rebels to resume their places Of power
that the dauntless heroes. who Wrestled
from them the weapons Of tFeasons should
as one man rise up and in tones. that will
be heard throughout the world say sNo Z
That word spoken by ten thousand times
the Eumber of mere civilians tosay moth
ing of politicians, could have half the
emphasis. Ne, say the soldiers Of Shiloh
and Gettysburgi No. say the victors Of
Richmond and Atlanta, And the echoes
of that word will ring throughout the
South striking dismay to every craven
heart that hopes By the merit Of its trea-
son to receive the immunities of patriot
and rise to the dignity of legislator
At the time Of this writing the Great
Convention has only reached its perma-
nent organization. An honOred soldier
of Ohio, the banner State of the West,
and which has sent here 1000 veterans to
express her condemnation of the policy.
which makes treason respectable and
loyalty odious-Gen. J. ID. Cox, Ohio's
Governor, has been chosen to preside
over the great council of Boys N Blue.
To-day the Resolutions viii be reported,
and the indications are that they win be
more Thoroughly Radical than those of
any previous convention. The. senti-
meuts here clearly manifested by the
men who through four years of storm
and fame upheld the flag. show they are
ready to grasp again the standard and
press forward far in advance of all parties
aud politicians. In the war for Impartial
Justice In their 7inmost hearts they are
determined that al the fruits of the war
shall be safely garnered, and that every
loyal citizen who stands beneath the flag
shall have all the rights of an American
freemen Loyalty alone shall be trusted
aud hon ored, treason alone shall be dis
franohised and disgraced. Such, whatever
may be tie outward expression, is the
inward sentiment, the fixed, uuaIterable
determination of the soldier heroes who
COW meet 10 council beneath the Iron
City's canopy of smoke.
1 have not time to give tithe of the
interesting details which make up the
history thus far Of the Great Convention.
Rank is utterly ignored, and the men who
carry the muskets are equal here to those
who wore the stars. j.. Edwin Dudley,
who was a private soldier in the 18th
Mass Infantry, and more recently a clerk
in the Treasury Department, but dismiss
ed from his position for attending this
Convention, was made temporary Chair
man. Private soldiers were appointed on
all the committees aud take a prominent
part IN all the proceedings Everybody
Is at home in this loyal and hospitable
old city, and everywhere the most bound
less a susiasm prevails. saaed-e4
One Of the most prominent and hon
ored delegates IS Old Abe" theEet-
eran eagle carried by the 18th Wisconsin
regiment through many a battle for the
Union. He occupies a prominent place
on the rostrum, the observed of all OBJ
The Drummer Boy of the
Rappahannoek." who was first to cross /
the river in the attack on Fredericks burg, |
is another object of interest. He enter
tanned the Convention with the long roll. |
beaten on the drum presented to him by
the n Y Tribune Association. The
City Hall where the Convention meets, /
has been splendidly DECORATED by the
charming ladies of Pittsburg, whose beau
ty- dazzles beneath the smoke and SCOT of t
this busy old town like jewels IN their
native mine An immense wigWam has
been erected but may not be occupied, as
t is deemed unsafe go 81
But time forbids further details at
present Letnot any reader of these lines
iuppose that anything like justice has
oeen done to the subject of which they
peak, Like some great battle the Pitts /
burg Convention must. be seen to be ap-
,reciated Thousands upon thousands
vii. never know what it was except by its T
esults. which will be seen and read not
My BY this generation, but by all COM
ng ones, in the history Of this grea
ountrg, and in the future destiny of its f
aillions of millions Of freemen, K
500 A E. L. q
Col. Reid says he is opposed to the
Amendment. and he there I
ore denies to the freedmen protection of I
erson or property, as the first section of
L.