Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-05-29


! PEECHEs BEFORE THE CONVENTION.
CHICAGO, May 20, Last evening and
this forenoon the different delegations were
gathered at their several headquarters com
pleting their arrangements for to-day work,
and before noon they began to move toward
the Opera House, and to file into the seats
assigned by the Committee of arrangements,
who were designated by badges, and took
charge Of the internal arrangements of the
hall Before noon the building was packed
to its utmost capacity, and hundreds were
shut out who had hoped, at the last moment,
70 manage to obtain admittance, and many
ofwhom had come long distances. At quar-
ter past eleven the doors were thrown open,
and the delegates began to pour in through
the main entrance. Only a few States.
Ohio, Minnesota, and one or two others,
came at first and took possession Of the seats
assigned to them. The spectators, who
did not enjoy the prerogative Of reserved
seats, came in greater numbers, ana the first
rows of the upper circles were filed with
people at once The immense stage was
assigned exclusively to the officers Of the
convention and to the representatives of the
press, numbering in all some seven hundred
! The wings and fats were removed from their
| places and arranged into a continuous fiat
wall on either flank. The rear was covered
with the stars and stripes, while splendid
canopy of red, white and blue overhuEg the
whole, from rear to front, and from right to
left. The rear part ofthe stage was lighted
! by an immense chandelier of two hundred
burners For the occupancy Of the chair
man the snowy chair of state belonging to
the theatrical properties of the Opera House
was placed in the front centre. This mani
festation of q disposition on the part Of
somebody to impart something Of the nature
ofpageantry to the occasion was soon re-
buked by the removal Of the chair and the
substitution of another Of a less imposing
appearance-an action which was greeted
with applause by those who witnessed it.
At l23 O clock, Governor Ward, the chair
man Of the National Committee, called the
convention to order, and animpresSiYe silence
fll s the ataai1ra..a, only iutel1tytcd hy
the nervous clicking of the telegraphic in
struments. On the stage, cheers were given
as General Grant father was escorted to the
stage, and afterwards, when Bishop Simp-
son commenced his prayer, the audience
rose eJ maSSe. With bowed heads they
continued standing until he had finished.
and many joined with him when, at the close
Of his truly eloquent supblicatioD, he repeat
ed the Lords Prayer. Carl Schuz, OF
Missouri, was then nominated for temporary
chairman, and was unanimously elected.
Gen. Schurz' speech, accepting the posi-
tion, was characteriscally eloquent and con
sstently Radical with his previous record
The Committee on Credentials was then
appointed, and the Southern States, as wei
as Colorado, were admitted to full participa-
ton in the proceedings. California aud
Maryland, from each Of which States there
are two sets OF delegates, were not allowed
to appoint members of the committee. The
Committee on Permanent Organization was
then appointed, aud the convention took a
recess until five clock. Among the novel
features of the session was the appearance
on the floor Of ten OF twelve col0red delega-
tes from the Southern States The most i'm
posing feature was the en- husiastic demon
stTations Of favor towards the soldiers and
sailors Governor Fairchild, as president
/ of their convention, yesterday presented
| their recommendation Of the nomination of
| General Grant, which he did in a manner
| well calculated to infuse enthusiasm, which
/ was evidently lacking in the morning session.
| Alter reading the recommendation, be
/ briefly forcshadowed the unanimity with
which the soldiers and sailors of the country
would follow their old leader to victory in
the coming campaign against the enemy as
they did during the war. General Sickles
and Logan were frequently applauded and
called on for speeches, but declined.
AT ten o clock on the morning of the
second day the Convention was called to
order by the President, who announced that
the Committee on Resolutions had Just sent
word that they would not be ready TO report
before IL clock
The Opera House was literally flied to
overflowlng with people, and thousands were
on the streets unable to get 10. Grant S
father was on the platform, and there was
a brilliant array Of ladies in the dress circle.
General Palmer, of Illinois, made a
stirring speech. His allusions to impeach-
ment were greeted with applause He said
the Baltimore Convention had made a
mistake IN 1864, Had a proper man been
nominated for Vice President, Abraham
March to welcome General Grant. Tt was
the duty of the Convention to make such a
nomination for Vice President as will leave
no temptation for the assassination Of
General Grant
The Committee on Resolutions anuearea
and their Chairman reported. They con.
| gratulate the country on the assured slccegs
OF the reconstruction policy of Congress;
| declare guarantee by Congress Of the right
OF suffrage to all the loyal people in the
/ South due, and that it must be maintained:
denounee all forms OF Tepeudiation as
| national crime great cheeringl; the national
obligations must be paid 10 letter and spirit.
taxation should be equalized, and reduced
as rapidly as possible; the REDEMPTION of
| the national debt should be extended over
long time; reducing the rate of internal
taxwhenever it can be hOn0rably done; the
/ Government of the United States should be
4 administered with the stFictest economy: the
corruption and extravaganza fostered by
/ Andrew johnson should be reformed: de-
/ plored the death OF Lincoln and the accession
/ OF johnson, and denounce the latter as an
usurper and yiolator Of law. having OBJ
! structed reconstruction and was Justly i'm
/ peached for high crimes and misdemeanors
/ prolonged cheersI; repudiates the feudal
I doctrine once a subject, always a subject "
| No citizen of the United States, natiye,f Tor
naturallzed, must be deprived of liberty
when abroad, except for violation of law:
euioglzes the soldiers and sailors-their
! bountes are obligations never to he forgotten.
their widows and orphans are the nation
wards; immigration should be fostered bv
liberal and just policy; and declare that the
Convention sympathizes with all oppressed
people struggling for their rights. A great
sensation has been caused by the adoption
OF resolution that the Convention shall
continue its organization and come together
at the call Of the President.
A unanimous motion was made to pro-