The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-10-13
The Two Ch.ts.noog. Conventions.

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Eleven years ago this month national
convention was held at Chattanooga. large
delegation had arrived from Iuka, over two
hundred miles away, with General Sherman
at its head, and another had come from vir-
glnia with General Hooker There were a
great many others from Nashville and Knox
vile, and from the Southern States there
was quite full attendance. In fact,
there were so many delegates gathered to-
gether that Chattanooga could not hold them
all, and they were scattered in the neighbor-
ing hills and valleys, numbers of them, in
deed, sleeping without shelter in the fields
and woods. They had assembled to decide
several extremely interesting and important
questions, about which there were strong diff
ferences OF opinion. One of these questions
was about the passage of the river.
The delegates from Iuka said it
should be crossed, while those from
Lafayette and other Southern points
were equally earnest that it should not
Another question was as to the ascent OF
Lookout Mountain. Many delegates believed
this could not be DONE A third question
was whether Missionary Ridge could be
crossed. Grant and Thomas thought it could.
The debate which followed was quite exciting,
and, in fact, noisy and sometimes disorderly,
as may we'll be supposed when the Convention
was composed Of one hundred and forty thou
sand delegates There were eighty thousand
who took the affirmative side of each question,
and they took several other things beside, for
instance, several thousands of the minority
members, some guns and banners, five or
SIX mountains, river or SO and o few towns.
This was q Soldiers Convention.
To-day another convention will meet at
Chattanooga. Heaven knows where all the
delegates come from, and some of them do
not know themselves. Sherman is not with
them, nor Sheridan, nor Hooker, nor Hazen,
nor would Thomas be we're he living now.
Grant, it is to be hoped, is also not with them,
though some people imagine he wants to
be. Many Of these delegates come last from
Arkansas, where they have been visiting.
There is Senator Clayton, who is said to have
bought fine seat in Washington, and Senator
Dorsey, who has been extravagant in the same
way. There is Ex-Governor Brooks, who lost
his seat, and Judge Mcclure, who is looking
for another All of these gentlemen carry
carpet bags with them to Chattanooga, just as
they have been carrying these useful substi-
tutes for trunks all over the South for years
There is but one member of this delegation,
SO far as we know, who was born in Arkansas;
that is ex-Oongressman Bowles. whose pres
ence is an insult to his companions which
these naughty emigrants are not likely to en-
dure. Then there are q few delegates
from Nashville and perhaps some New
Orleans statesmen and o crowd from
other cities The majority of them
travel on free passes without which it is not
likely they could travel at all. They come to
Chattanooga prepared to take all they can
get and in this quality only resemble the
delegates of 1868. They are all the time
ascending Lookout Mountain, but it is to
look out for No. l. This is the Suffers,
Convention.
With the lesson Of this brief contrast the
Convention of Southerners at Chattanooga
needs but little further notice. The suffers who
compose it have gathered to pick up the
crumbs Of the war-the spiked guns, the
plumber Of the slain, the dead mules and the
lost provisions. They profess to consult over
the condition of the country. 1t is in q very
bad condition down in that section, and
they have been the cause Of it What they
will do it is difficult to predict, and it is
doubtful If the most of them know for what
they are assembled, besides the general pur-
poses that appertain to sutlery. We advise
them to go home; that is if they have any
homes. But their doings have this much
value for the North, that they will show what
the suffers of the Southern States most want
and what means they will take to get it.