Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-06-11
THE PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION.
Interesting Incidents of It's Proceedings
It's Work a Certain Assurance of Vic.
tOry-The Spirit and Character of Its
Delegates.

tOry-The Spirit and Character of IT.
Delegates.
PHILADELPHIA, June 6th 1872,
Editorial Correspondence
The telegraph and press have furnished
you before this with details of the pro.
ceedings of the National Republican Con-
vention. I shall not, therefore, attempt to
narrate its deliberations, but attempt only
to give you some impressions of its lead
ing features. And first IN importance we
say a word about the
CHARACTER OF THE CONVENTION.
The Democratic press did the Repub-
lican party good service in proclaiming
that this great assembly would be all " Of
fice-holders' Convention" The opposition
Senators in Congress likewise rendered it
good service in their bitter personal and
malicious war on General Grant. These
two causes served to bring out from almost
/ every State the oldest and truest friends
of Republican principles. In very many
States those old, fire-tried abOlitiOnists and
early friends of the patty came out, and
! by their presence and earnest enthusiasm
gave pointed and Stinging answer to the
claims of the GreeleyS aud Summers that
those who stood at the cradle of the party
were not of it now. Foremost in the
ranks Of these men were Gerritt Smith, of
New York, Henry ;. Lane, of Indiana, and
Hon. VIM. A. Howard, of Michigan.
Their white heads earnest cOunsels and
deep feeling gave the strongest assurance
that in this coming campaign the old tried
leaders of the party would give to its work
some of that old spirit and enthusiasm
that made its earlier struggles memorable.
/ have only named few of these men.
The large number of Old and influential
men in the Convention was remarkable
These men came out from their retirement
to show that the builders Of the OrganiZa-
ton were still its strong timber5.
Another element of the Convention that
excited general comment was the large
number of influential business men like
Dodge, Clafiin, OrtOn and hosts of others
that participated in its cOunsels. The old
political hacks were left at home. The
earnest friends of the party, those whose
national interests are at stake in this cam
vass came out to give to the cause their adj
vice and sympathy. So noticeable were
these two elements of the Convention that
it provoked from the Democratic Age of
this city the highest compliment as to the
intelligence and high position Of the dele
gates. 1t was evidently body representa-
tive of those solid, earnest, patriotic men
who compose the party, who carried the
country through the l W9Fo WT9aFotHRtr tfRT fonr years
an honest and tried Administration. |
would like to comment at great length up
on this feature of the Convention, for 1t was
to me by far the most gratifying and en-
cOuraging fact developed by its meeting.
1t was an assurance not only Of UictOTy but
l,o+ 4 do e ~ 1anInr- did moi
in any perceptible degree lessen the conf
dence or impair the efficiency of our great
party. AS to
IT'S ENTHUSIASM AND NUMBERS
[ can only say that old conventionists
assure me it was the largest and most in
tiuential body of men ever assembled in
political convention. | have this from
Democratic newspaper men who have at
tended every convention since 1860 AS
there was no uncertainty about the Pres-
Dental nomination, and as General Grants
history is so familiar to every voter it was
rather expected that there would he less
enthusiasm than usual. But the mean
abuse heaped upon the President and the
insinuations that the proceedings were
"cut and driedn by office holders, aroused
such Indignation among the delegates and
attendants that more than usual feeling
and earneStneSS was manifested. The
demonstrations were sincere and positive, |
and only showed that unmerited abuse |
drives the friends of the President closer to |
him. Every mention of his name from
the beginning of the convention was the |
signal for some new demonstration and at
times scenes were enacted that defy de- |
ScriptiOn.
The numbers and enthusiasm of conven-
tiOns are not always indications of the |
real significance of their work, but in this |
case they are noted, because to large de- |
gree the work Of the assemblage was de- |
creed by the voice of the State Conventions |
1t is noted again because there was no |
money or effort made to secure anything |
of the kind. There were no delegates in |
attendance with fare and hotel bills paid |
as at Cincinnati. There tCuS no trRisEy; |
there was no buncOmbe; no outside pres |
sure; nothing of the clap-trap of cOnven- |
tions. 1t was body of earnest men who |
did their business in Il straightforward |
way.
SCENES OF THE CONVENTION.
The first scene that demands notice was
the Academy of Music itself, as decorated |
inside and outside. The building is OH
Broad street, which is about twice the |
width of your Market Square The build |
ing is the largest in the city. and one of |
was covered with flags and banners. |
Across Broad street were suspended i'm
mense flags, banners and paintings |
While the Convention assembled or ad- |
iourned, and most of the time during its |
session, this wide thoroughfare was crowd |
ed. Inside the building, the scene was
too grand for me to describe. The Acad-
emy is near one hundred feet high. Four |
tiers of galleries semi-circle the room.
The dome, the galleries and the immense |
stage front. were all tastefully decorated. |
Hanging baskets of flowers of large pro-
portions were suspended from every point. |
Their fragrance filled the immense room. |
The stage itself was one vast bed of flow
ers, rustic arbOrs, and by the aid of seem
cry, it looked like a vast park with streams
of crystal water, groups Of trees, moscow
cred rocks and smooth rocks. 1t was con-
ceded by every one the most elaborately |
and successfully decorated hall ever used |
on such an occasion.
THE SECOND SCENE