The Van Buren press., 1866-12-28
DIsUNI0N CONVENTION.
Grand Fizzle IS Delegates Present =
Squabble in the Camp D Couldn't go
Negro Suffrage Wool Stuck to
their Teeth.
FoET SMITH, Dec Is, 1866.

| L oRT SMlTll, Dec 10, 1910.
On Thursday last, the 18th inst, a so
called Convention was held in this city,
by the Radical element, in accordance
with Instructions in widely diffused hand
bills, profusely scattered all over the
State 1t was naturally expected from
the loud and frequent fulminations of
their newspaper organ here, that immense
crowds would be in attendance; when
the fact was, there was not sufficient
number asaspbyd dntfpt,tf Is / vH r., + sef
tAIe temporary court house OF all DO.
litical gatherings that have ever attend
ed this was the tamest and most soulless.
The meeting oaganized by eccting DR..
Naylor to the chair and Rev Mr.. Powell
was called OH for prayer, and he prayed
the Maker to bless the President and bless
the Congress, and for Peace throughout
the land and for good will towards all
men, The meeting silently acquiesced in
these prayers and wishes, although every
thing around them was at total variance
to the echo of the prayer for President
johnson and peace and good will to all
bat 1t only exhibited the more plainly
what janus faced assembly the Reverend
gentleman was addressing.
a committee Of organization 70 con.
sist Of five members were then elected;
Committee Oh Credentials was also elect.
cd
y motion was made that the delegates
from each county of the State show him
self to the meeting by standing up-this
move fell suddenly, for bakers dozen"
would have embraced all the standees.
This did not suit the junta of the meeting,
it showed their seal weakness too con
spicuously, even for that crowd, not to
appreciate their rotten position in Arkan-
sas, and it was Immediately resolved, that
the Committee Oh Credentials retire to
report on the same.
Lawyer Sear!e was then called on by
Dr. Naylor for 4 speech, to occupy and
amusc the audience during the absence of
the committee the gist Of his remarks
were ''that the State needed new orpan-
ization, that union men were not secure
Ill life orproperty, and that no honor or
respect was accorded to them by the
rebels, that in the late elections the rebels
had elected men to almost every office in
the State, to act for them and the State
interest, with whom they were well, and
had been long acquainted; that the rebels
should have voted into oillce Radicals
and men who had been in their midst but
= short time, or that they well knew were
incapable or socially totally unfit to be
placed in any position of trust and honor
or profit; that change must be made in
the State organization; that an Enabling
Act, given and carried out at all hazards
by Congress, was the one thing needful
to change all their present fears and
troubles to JOY and gladness, and office,
and give the Radicals the full power to
crush out entirely the white rebels, and
place over him, and on n equality with
the Radicals, the blackman-the negro"
The Credential Committee returned
and reported so delegates or proxies from
the different counties, ",ShicoH" was not
represented; n tangible smile went over
many countenancc, when so delegates
were announced as present, but the after
"6y proxy remark, brought the curva.
lures of the face in line again, and the
report was silently received.
Messrs. Stevenson and Scarlc, were ap.
pointed to conduct Lafayette Gregg of
Washington county, to the chair as Pres.
plGGt Of the Mcctinv. On takinr tbo