The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-05-19
me MPHIS.
The Commercial COnTentIeB-OpeFa
70 House Crowded with Delegates
First Days Proceedings.

HOusO OEOWucu Witu DbAcSaboD-
First Days Proceedings.
MEMPHIS, May 18.--The weather
/ to day was cool and pleasant, ant
everything conspiFed to make the
I opening day of the Commercial Con,
vention a1spicious. After assemb bling
sat Headquarters, on Adams Street. q
procession of the Delegates was form.
ed. who. marched, preceded. by a
band, to the Opera House, which was
handsomely decorated and festooned
with levergreens and flags An arch
over the stage was inscribed, Mem
phis' Welcomes Her Guests" On the
right and left of the stage were a
miniature locomotive, a steamboat,
and a ship; underneath the latter was
suspended section eff the Atlantic
cable. Long before II o'clock, the
appointed hour, the house was crowd
ed with Delegates and visitors, who
were RECALLED with national airs.
| Promptly at the hour the Convention
was called to order By W. I'll. Cherry.
Chairman of the Memphis Chamber
of Com after which an appro-
pirate prayer was offered by Bishop
Pearce, of Georgia, which was follow
ed by an official welcome by Mayor
Leftwich, at the, conclusion of which
Governor r NJ Patton, of Alabama,
was nominated by acclamatiou as
temporary Chairman, and W. r,
Moore, of Memphis. as temporary
Secretary. Qlabe a -oll4 TO-
o. motion of Hon. Erastus Wells,
of M ssouri, committee on Perma-
nent Organization was appointed by a
cal of the States, the Chairman of
each delegation announcing the names
eas he State was called. On the call
rof the States, the. following responded:
IN orth Carolina, Missouri. Iowa, Ala
Ebama, Ohio, Virginia, Indiana, Mis-
Esissippi, Georgia, Arkansas, i. West
+ Virginia, Louisiana. South Ciroiina.
Tennessee, California, New York. and
K Kenfucky.
{ After the committee had retired,
Hon. j. w. Clapp. of Memphis, de-
Elivered the. welcome address, which
was heartily applauded. The Con
EYentiou, then adjourned until 4 P NJ
On re assembling in the AFTERNOON,
after some discussion, the Committee
on Credentials was discharged, and
on motion, all who had received invi-
tations from the Memphis Chamber
of Commerce were declared eligible
to seats on the floor.
Mr.. Trezevant, of Memphis, asked
leave to read letter from Gen. Lee,
which was granted amidst tumHltnou5
applause. He regretted his Inability
to be present at the meeting for.build-
ing up the shattered fortunes of the
country, and expressed the greatest
sympathy and interest IN the move
ment. The reading of the letter was
received with renewed applause. 1t
was ordered to be spread on the min
utes.
A committee of one from each State
was then appointed on Permanent Or
ganization. - y. @ s''
III was then moved that Senators
Sprague and Fowler, Gen. Halstead
and Gen. Kirby Smith be invited to
seats on the floor Carried.
Loud calls wereamadei for Sprague,
but it was sscertained that he was not
In the room. and in response to the
call Senator Fowler addressed the
Convention at some length, urging the
Importance of harmony and fraternal
feeling 10 the work of the Convention,
ard also the paramount Importance of
the subjects o be considered, particu
larly leveeing the Mississippi. reform
ing the labor system of the South,
and building railroads to the Pacific,
which could be used at all seasons of
the year. lsaJ ~. ..el .i5i
BE then gave way to the Commit
tee on Permanent Organization, who,
announced the following as perma-.
nent pfieers: Coy. Chas.s Cl Ander-
son, of Kentucky, Formerly Lieuten-
and Governor r0f Ohio, Chairman.
Erasthus Wells, of Missouri; Gen. A.
r Lawton, of Georgia; George II.
Welters, of South Carolina; W. II
Cherry, of Tennessee; Frank O..
Morehead, of New York; Gov r. M
Patton, Of Alabama; Col. W. III.
Gatewood, of California; j. b. Halde-
man, of West Virginia.; .eo. w. Lap
pington. of Arkansas; DIR. Toof. of
Iowa; j. M. Reakert, Of Ohio; Ham
ilton Smith. of Indiana; Warren
Mitchell, OF Kentucky; w. b Isaacs,
Of Virginia; DR.. j A.. Noyes, of
Louisiana, and A. Nj. Clayton, of
Mississippi. Vice Presidents. W. Ii.
Fitch, Of Memphis, Secretary, and
members of the press as Assistants.
Ias Governor FoOte and Judge Will
Hams, of Kentucky. were appointed
COMMITTEES to conduct General Ander-
son to the chair, who, after being
introduced by Governor Patton, re-
turned thanks for the honor, aud
touched upon the duties of the Con-
vention and the work before it, which
brought forth rounds of applause.
After adopting q rule, TO meet here
after at 9 O'clock A. N. aud 3 o'clock
P NJ, the Convention adjourned. The
city is full OF strangers, and every
train coming IN is crowded. Every
| thing Indicates a harmonious con
gvention, as, notwithstanding the many
antagonistic interests to be subserved,
the best Of feeling prevails.