The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-10-05
LONDON, Oct. 4
COMMERCIAL CON-
seGag 4, VENTI0N.y la Fas
Opening Session.-Address OF Hon.
-- Geo. II. PendIeton.
0.3t gl O1Nc1NNATI, o., October 4.

El.st gi CINCINNATI, o., Octobcr4.
The Southern Commercial Convention
assembled this morning at ten o'clock in
Pixies HALL The Hall has been tastefilly
adorned with festoOns Of evergreen hung
on the front Of tho galleries, ,ias well as
around the entrance, and through the
stairway. The United States coat Of arms
with the. name Of the States on each, are
placed in front of the galleries! About
ono hundred and fifty delegates were
present at the opening. The Convention
was called to order by r. NJ. Bishop, Vice
President for Ohio of, similar Convention,
and prayer offered by Rev. j. L. Robert
son. Theodore Cook, Chairman Of the
Committee Of Arrangements, then intro
duced Geo. F. Davis, who welcomed the
delegates to the city! GrG .g .t"
Hon. George Fl. Pendleton was then In
troduced and made'the reception address.
He said: :ci91i stp WWN.Hlii m
"GRNTDRNrEN OF THE CONVENTIONS
My fellow.citizens have done mo infinite
honor to-day. The civic authorities, the
commercial authorities, the Chamber OF
Commerce, the Board Of Trade,t and the
people generally, have commissioned me
to speak toyouin their behalf They have
commanded me to give you most frater-
n0l greeting. They have commanded
met0 say with sincerity and warmth, for
which / find no fitting words, that you arc
their honored and most welcome guests.
They have commanded me to say that they
appreciate and honor your presence here,
and that they desire To- recognize 1t by
every act Of courteous, and attentive and
affectionate hospitality. These annually
recurring meetings Of this concourse Of
representative men; these delegations
from every State, city, chamber OF COM
merce, and combination Of business men
from the Hudson to the Rio Grandei
these earnest, thoughtful debates by the
friends Of every individual interest, and
advocates Of every growing enterprise
from tho Alleghanies to the Rocky Noun
tains, attest tho dignity Of this Conven.
ton and the magnitude Of the questions
committed to It's consideration. Your
predecessors who met at Norfolk in 1865
were few In numbers, and the chief sub
iect Of their consideration was the ocean
trade Of the Atlantic cities with Europe,
Your numbers already reach many hun,
dred, and your debates will touch every
project Of material development; every
phase Of intelligent industry; every tacil,
| itY Of commercial intercourse; every plan
of finance and taxation; every en-
courage .ment to immigration; every
question Of Governmental economy,
Il must bG said this Convention meets
to consider and advance the interests oil
the great Mississippi Valley. say 1t in
no selfish or sectional sense 1 say It In
no narrow spirit Iwould not limit your
duties and your influence to local lines,
Tho interests Of the Mississippi Valley
usually are the centre md the source Of
the we'll libeing Of the other portions Of the
country. It's development Is their
growth, its prosperity their wealth, and
when hand. industry touches into life any
dormant element Of power which nature
has hidden in its fields, mines lakes OF
rivers, they grow by its activity and move
under It's fnpulsion. Z The Mississippi
Valleyl Thevety name icallsup visions Ol
transparent grandeur; mountains filed
with ores, valleys instinct with iecdnd
llfey prairies carpeted with most brilliant
wild flowers, and redOlent to 'sweeb
sweet perfumes over the lands, generous
with wheat, corn and barley, lands team.
ngiWith cotton, coffee and sugar; the
show!clad fields ofIthe North shading
into dusky yellow tho parched and
thirsty South tho freezing fats ol
Canada meltedn into gentle bFcezel
in the warm embrace' lot the ief.
vent winds ofFlorida. Itstretches from