The Van Buren press., 1866-09-01

w ui' NiStih-uiNuVu Houoi Va hVthS
called upon to preside over the dclibcra.
tons of this Convention | sincerely
thank you. could wish that its rcspon
sibilliics had fallen upon another, but re.
lying on the courtesy and generous con
fdence which has called me to the chair,
/ enter at once upon It's duties with de
sire Cor the success of that great cause
in which we are now engaged Among
the great events of our own day this con.
vcntion will prove to be one of the great
est, for "peacc hath her victories not
kss renowned u,an war; (applausc) and
|s.his Convention is one Other victories
l,nas, 4 -..~A-eo,r .~..;,.S victory
{ Cheers For the first time in six years
a National Convention, representing all
the States is now asscmbled-six long,
weary years. And as look back, oh
what an interval it is ofblood and agony
and tears during that period! We have
been engaged in the most gigantic civil
war that the world has ever seen, vast
ing our resources, drenching thousand
battle fields in fraternal blood, and car
rying to fraternal graves our fathers, our
sons and our brothers, by hundreds of
thousands, but thanks be to Almighty
God, the war is over. CHEERS. Thrice
blessed peace has come. The assurances
to which we bear witness tell us that
peace has come and come to stay. loud
cheers Oh! my fellow citizens, if the
whole people of the United States could
see what we now witness, the North,
the South, the East and West, joining in
fraternal association as friends and fel-
low citizens our work would already be
done. (Cheers.) If they could have
seen, as we saw, Massachusetts and South
Carolina (applause) by their full delega-
tions coming arm in arm to this great
Convention, enthusiastic applause) if
they could have seen this body, greater
in numbers and in weight of character
and brain than ever has assembled on this
continent under one roof, melting with
tears of JOY and gratitude, to witness this
ceremony, there would be no struggle at
the polls the coming election (applause) I;
when remember that it was Massachu-
sets and South Carolina that in the Con-
ventiOn that framed the Constitution, vo-
ted against the abolition of the slave
trade, that it was Massachusetts, In 1912,
which through some of her men, taught
the doctrine of notification, which South
Carolina reasserted in 1888, and in the
form of secession again reasscrted In
1860; when | call to mind that South
Carolina fired the first gun in this contest
and that the veins of Massachusetts pour
ed out the first blood in this struggle, and
when call to mind all these memories,
and, at the same time ask the people Of
this country to look in on this Conven-
ton and see those two old States of the
Union coming here in fratcrnal embrace,
approaching the common altar of our
common country, ready to make com
mon sacrifice for the good of the whole,
l say again, could the whole people Of
the United States witness all this, there
would remain no further work for US to
perform. cloud checrs) If the people
of Massachusetts could have witnessed
it, not single member would be return
ed to Congress from the State until he
had given sacred pledge that he would
do all in his power to recognize the dig
nity and equality of all the States under
the Constitution, (cheers including the
sacred and inalienable right of every
State under the Constitution to represen-
tation in both houses of Congress.
Gentlemen Of the Convention, shall
go into no argument on this occasion
{ Cries of "go on" The distinguished
gentleman who preceded me, Gen. Dix,
has said all could desire to say much
better than l could say it. l indorse
and take pleasure in indorsing every sen
timent the gentlemen has expressed, SEN
tcnce by sentence, word by word. (cheers)
Fellow citizens, unfortunately the whole
people of the United States are not here
to witness what is now transporting There
fore the greater work still rests upon us.
From this time until the next election we
should be untiring in our exertions to so
do it that the next Congress, if this shall
continue to refuse this sacred right of
representation TO all the States, that the
next Congress shall recognize that right.
(applause. When that is done, the Tn.
ion is restored. And when the Union is
restored, we shall be prepared, in my
judgment, to enter upon higher and no
bier career among the nations Of the
earth than has ever yet been occupied by
any government upon which the sun of
heaven has ever shone. Loud cheers
We shall stand in the van guard of lib
erty and civilization; we shall lead the
way by the light of our examples for all
the other nations of the earth. (Great
Gentlemen, without OBTAINING you any
longer shall enter at once upon the duties
of the chair. -.
The Vice. Presidents and Secretaries of
the Convention were then invited to take
their seats upon the platform. While
they were doing so, the band played sew
elal airs.
On motion Of Senator Cowan, of Pa,
q committee Of two from each State and
TeritOry WA oppoinfcd IN nroparo roo