The Portland daily press., 1872-06-12
The Philadelphia Convention.

The great Convention has passed into MS
tory; themusic of many bands, and the cheers
ofthepeople's representatives, sent to coun-
Gil from farthest east, remote west, and the
distant south, have become silent, and their
echo has been heard, responsive in
every hamlet in the land; the cam
paign is fairly opened for the Repub-
licans; we know our men, and have re-stated
our measures, and the only uncertainty re-
manning in the political situation, is our ad-
versaries. We cannot be certain whether we
are to meet our old political foes under the
leadership of our old, and their new friend,
Mr.. Greeley, or marshaled under the banners
of some of their own well known chieftains:
whether their platform will be presented to
the country with a thin Greeley veneering, or
in its own native grain, with all its ugly knots
and rugged excrescenses fully exposed; in
short, whether we shall have an open enemy,
or one crouched in a Tribune ambuscade.
However uncertain and demoralized our OPP
ponents may be, the Convention at Philadel-
phia, demonstrated in the most effective way,
that the Republican party of the country is
unbroken, firm, and full of heart and hope;
that the dropping out of stragglers, and the
open departure Of deserters has been in the
aggregate so inconsiderable, as not, even tenn
porarily, to disorder the ranks, and that the
great party which has held the confidence and
support of the people so long, is still strong in
their love, and destined to certain victory.
The Convention was emphatically repre-
sentative convention. 1t was singularly free
from professional politicians, office holders or
seekers, and Adventures of every kind. Its
members were business men, practical, SUBJ
stantial citizens, who have a stake in the
country, and whose only motive is the good
of the nation. Nearly every man had store
farm, mill, law office, or newspaper behind
him, and was independent of the vicissitudes
Of political life. That such a convention
should be so vigorously in earnest, so enthusi-
astic in support of our candidates and princi-
piles, so harmonious and so hopeful, is spe-
caly encouraging sign of the time No
words of doubt or Encouragement were heard
among them. A successful result was assum-
ed to be certain. They reported the people
behind them, as overwhelmingly in ia
yor of the denomination of General Grant,
and decliged to listen for moment to the
suggestion of any change of the administra-
ton. Undoubtedly, some politicians would
have been glad to make diversion, had it
been possible, but no such proposition would
have been tolerated for a moment by the con-
vention. Hr
The hearty, confident tone, and the salts
faction with the general results of the admin
was inspiriting, and it would have
confirmed the faith of our doubling and halt
ing brethren, to have mixed for a day with
these representatives of the Republicans of |
the whole country.
The set arraignment of the President by
Mr.. Sumner, prepared by months of study |
and labor, actually strengthened their faith in |
the object of the elaborate attack. They re-
garded the structures as relating to matter of |
detail, and the absence of effective criticism
of essential points of administration, demon
strated the Presidents rectitude on those
points, and was a striking Illustration of
praise by faint damning. Such rebuke is
seldom given public man, as Mr. Sumner re-
ceiyed by the action of the convention, in the
denomination of the President with such en- |
tire unanimity, and the nomination of the
other Senator from Massachusetts, as second
onthe ticket. Whenthe deegationfrom Massa-
chusetts, made up of the best citizens of that
State, distinguished in every walk of life, cast
its vote in consonance with the other States,
solid for Ulysses S. Grant, murmur ran
over the whole convention. that no mora con- |
elusive commentary upon the futility of Sen
ator Summers attack upon the President could |
be made. .r
On the whole, the Convention was great
success, and we have got good ''send off,"
Our candidates are deservedly strong in the
confidence of the people,. our platform is
clear, explicit, and progressive, and victory is
certain, if we but do our duty in keeping the
facts before the people.