The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-06-04
From Washington.
Editorial Correspondence.
DEAR COURIER.

DEAR COURIER:
Of the grand conven>
tons of Soldiers, Sailors, and Patri-
OTIS who this day week ago ut Chi
cago, put in nomination Grant and
ColfaS, / presume your readers are
already sufficiently informed. There
were however some things connect
ed with those immense, and enthu
siastic affairs. that | had intended |
ere this, to write you of more fully.
The selection of Schuyler Colfax,
who is unqucstionably the most pop
ular civilian in America, is perhaps
mainly due to the Iowa delegation.
He was the choice of nearly the en-
tire delegation from the start, butfor
reasons Of locality, and out of COM
pliment to the New York delegation,
and their distinguished candidate
Gov. Ruben +. Fenton, eight votes
out Of our sixteen were cast for him,
and eight for Colfax, for several bal.
lots, with the express understanding
that when the time should arrive
as we hoped it would--that the cas-.
ting Of our entire vote for our favor.
lite would have the moral effect to
secure his nomination, it should be
so cast. Finally, on the fifth ballot
twenty votes in the Pennsylvania
delegation changed from Curtin to
Colfax which put the latter nearly
even with Wade, at this moment his
only serious opponent. just then,
at the opportune moment, with the
consent of the entire delegation,
Gen. Williamson, our Chairman, an>
nonnced that Iowa desired to change
hor vote, and cast it solid for Colfax.
The effect was electrical. The Con-
vention was completely stampeded.
The favorable break in the west was
most vociferously applauded in the
galleries, where Colfax's friends pre-
dominated immensely, in numbers,
enthusiasm, and what is far better
than all, in convention of three
thousand people, to wit-lungs.-
Instantly the chairmen of a dozen
delegations in our immediate neigh
borhood were vieing with each other
at the top of their voices for the at
tention of the speaker, TO change
their votes, and amidst scene OF
the most indiscribable enthusiasm
state after state wheeled into line
until finally on the motion of that
gallant one legged hero, Gen. Sickles
4 Chairman of the New York delega.
ton he was declared the choice OF
the Convention by reclamation, after
having had cast for him formally the
entire six hundred and fifty votes o.
the Convention. We question il
there is another instance on record
where a Convention Of such magni
tude, and intelligence, was ever sc
similarly stampedcd for a candidate
who at the moment, was second in
: the fight, on a count Of the votes anC
! it is to be attributed to the fact O
Colfax's unbounded popularity, ant
that he was perhaps the seconc
, choice of every man in the entire as
sembly.
Gen. Gresham, the successor O
Croker, in commanding the 4th Di
vision 18th Corps, until shot out o
service before Atlanta, July 81 1856
was the leading Colfax man on tn
Indiana delegation, and he immedi
ately telegraphed .Colfax that h
owed his nomination mainly to thu
! Iowa delegation, fact that the lat
ter has acknowledged with pleasure
! to all Iowans who have called to con
eratulate him on his nomination. l
is fitting and right that Iowa VIII
was chiefly responsible for the nomi
| nation Of the man who now disgra
ces the Presidential office, who ha
been arraigned and convicted of hlgl
), crimes and misdemeanors by ever,
one Of the peoples loyal Representa-
lives in Congress, and by barrel,
one less than the required Constitu
tional two thirds of the Senate, ant
: by the whole people and press 9th
party that with the assistance 0
Booths pistol made him Presiden,
: should now do all in her power t
!, remedy that irreparable blunder, b.
9 leading off in the selection of ma
! Of incorruptible integrity; the high
est moral character, and Of unfinch
ing devotion to the great principle
: of justice and liberty that underli
. the Republican party, and who wi
= bring the office back to the hig
character it bore under Hanniba
! Hamlin.
: A resolution of the Convention
/ instructed its officers to formally nc
tify the successful candidates in pei
son. of their selection, and your col
! respondent having had the honor {
! being Vice President of the Conver
q ton from our State came on her
with large number of delegates, j
part for that purpose. A special CON
mittee from the Soldiers and Sailor
convention are also here for tina
purpose, and by arrangement bot
committees will perform that pleas
ant duty tomorrow at twelve NERD
. ian, whereupon it is expected tina
Gen. 80. Hawley, our Chairman, an,
Fl Gems Sickles or Logan in behalf 0
the other committee will in brie
speeches announce the result deliv
ering at the same time--as instruct
ed-copies of the respective resolu