Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-06-20
REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION


The stage and auditorium Of the Old Athe-
neum we're very prettily decorated yester-
day for the use of the Republican State
Convention.
At l01I o'clock the Convention was call
ed to order by B. R. Cowen, Chairman of
the State Central Committee, and General
Robert Schenck was elected temporary
chairman.
General Schenck returned his thanks for
the honor, as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION: 1
thank you for this honor; and still more,
from my inmost heart, thank you for the
cordial demonstration with which you
have received my nomination as your pre-
siding officer. In such greeting find full
assurance that am in the midst of sym
pathizing friends who will be indulgent to
any error may commit. But do not ap-
prehend that the duties of the chair, In u
body animated by the spirit which per-
vades this Convention, can be onerous or
difficult.
Assembled here from all parts of our
State to sustain by your declarations and
action, principles and cause which are
very dear to you and to those political
friends in each neighborhood who have
delegated you to this work, you have no
selfish or merely personal ends to crafty,
and will be able to deliberate, decide, and
carry home speedily to your constituencies
the harmonious results of your united la
Dor.
1t is not for me to dictate in what your
duties here will consist, or what subjects
will demand your attention. They are un-
derstood, appreciated, anticipated by you
all. take it, however, that you will, as
representatives of the Republicans of Ohio,
and in harmony with the great Republican
party throughout the country, re-atfirm in
uistinctest terms your inextinguishable
love for the Union, and your devotion to
human freedom and equal rights.
You will record again, as often hereto
fore, your undying gratitude to the brave
defenders of our flag and government, and
your fixed determination to stand by them
and theirs.
You will renew your pledge to give con-
tinued support to the wise, firm policy of
reconstruction and pacification, which Con-
gress, in the exercise of its legitimate right
and duty as the great law-naking power of
the nation, has submitted to the country,
and to the people of the rebel States. You
know well that the very leaders of the re-
bellion stand ready at this moment to accept
and abide by the terms of reconciliation
and restoration which have thus been Of
fered, and only hesitate in consequence
of the mad interference of a faithless
President who, having betrayed the prin-
ciples on which he was chosen, would now
also mislead to their destruction the un-
happy people of the South whom he pro-
fesses to befriend. In pursuance of this in
sane or wicked course on his part, he is
even now seeking, by strained and absurd
Interpretation which shocks the common
sense of every honest mind to construe
away and get rid of the obvious meaning
and intention of laws the passage of which
he was unable directly to defeat. 1t seems
to me not inappropriate for this Conven-
tion, In such contingency, to demand of all
the representatives of States and people,.
that they shall be punctually at their as
signed posts at the National Capitol on the
Sd of next month, to provide by unmistak-
able declaratory legislation against this at
tempt to paralyze the popular will. And /
tell you, my friends, that great embodied
will of the people will yet sweep out of
the way of the march of liberty and civil
ization every obstructing agent and every
hair-splitting- word -mongering doubter.
as dew is brushed from the grass, or as
lighted straws are driven before the wind.
But ! must forber remarks which detain
you from proper business.
l will only add that your principles being
reasserted, and the issues which you pre-
sent clearly defined, you will go into the
field again with those whom you may to-
day select to be your standard-bearersa and
candidates to achieve another of those tri-
umphant victories, to which, thank God and
the glory and Justice of our cause, we have
become accustomed in free Republican
Ohio. ...,
On motion, w. T. Perkins, of Hamilton,
j. K. Rukenbrod, of Columbiana. and James
E. Ferree, of Jackson, were elected Secre-
taries. f
The following committees were appoint
ed -