The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-06-23
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CON.
TENTION.
THE PROCEEDINGS.

| BhTlM REPORT OF THE ENTIRE PRO
CEEDINGs.
AT two minutes after 12 o'clock, ex
Gov. f. ID. Morgan, Chairman Nation,
/ al Executive Committee of New York,
dropped the gavel oil the desk, asked
the delegates to be seated, and an
nounced that the proceedings would be
opened with
PRAYER BY THE REV. d. II. MUELLER,
ID. d., OF CovINGToN.
On the appearance of DIR. Mueller
beside the desk, the great majority OF
the delegates arose to their feet and
remained standing, and retained the
utmost quiet during his prayer of five
minutes duration.
The prayer was one of beautiful,
quiet, and impressive eloquence, de-
void of all ostentation.
At the close of the prayer Ex-Gov.
Morgan delivered his address, as fol
lows:
GEN. MoRGAN's ADDRESS.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION:
| The day and the hour have arrived
for which the representatives of the
Republican party were invited to as
semble to nominate candidates for
President and Vice-President of the
| United States; and, in obedience to
the authority of the Republican Ma
tional Committee, / now respectfully
ask that you Will maintain order.
In 1856, at Philadelphia, in 1860, at
Chicago, and in 1864 at Baltimore, act
ing under the same general authority, it
has been my privilege to call Republi-
| can Conventions to order.
If L accept the action of the Conven-
| ton of 1864, the duties which this in
telIigent body has to perform. in COM
parison with former ones, are the most
important Of all.
There is no special or preliminary
authority for any remarks from the
Chair. In the nature of things there
can not be any. Custom only is my
excuse Of excuse is needed) for even
few words.
In June, 1864. we were In the midst
of the war for the preservation of the
Union. We had great armies in the
field, but they had achieved only par
tial successes, and when successful, al
ways at very great cost of life; the
bravest and best of our young men had
fallen in battle by tens and hundreds
of thousands, or were in prison at An
dersonville and Libby. President Lin
coin, seventeen months prior to this,
had, by proclamation, but only as Il
l.a a1 SIn fro
while their masters kept them within
their lines, and held full dominion over
them.
1t was then modestly suggested by
your Chairman of the National Com
mittee that the Convention would not
discharge its whole duty unless, among
its other resolves, it should declare for
such an amendment of the National
Constitution as would, when adopted
by the requisite number of States, for
ever prohibit African slavery on this
continent. The suggestion was received
with unexampled enthusiasm by the
Convention. The resolution to secure
this National blessing was written in
your party platform on that day.
Both houses of Congress very SOON
after passed the required amendment
Twenty nine sovereign States ratified
it. The noble Lincoln proclaimed the
result to the people, aud from that
hour to this ''the sun has not risen up
on a bondman nor set upon a slave" III
all this fair land. Not to the North,
not to the South, but to that Supreme
Being alone, who controls the desti
niss of nations, as well as the affairs of
individuals, let us give all the glory.
But all this is past, and the past we
conclude is secure.
Pardon me, gentlemen, ifagain, with
like modesty, | make suggestion or
two bearing directly on the present.
This Convention should emphaticaliy
demand the prompt and efficient exc
cution of those solemn promises of
both Houses of Congress and the Pres
ident to redeem in coin the legal ten
der obligations of the Government on
the 1st of January, 1879, and signify
its opposition to any modification or
repeal of this law that does Dot guar
antee a still earlier or better method OF
returning to specie payment. Let no
doubtful word go out from this Con-
vention upon the subject Of honest
money. Prices are already at specie
point. Stand firmly by your numer
Gus resolutions and platforms little
longer, and your currency basis will be
transformed into a coin basis, so easily
and so naturally that you will be your
selves surprised, regreting only, rs you
will. that it was not determined upon
at an earlier day.
Resumption accomplished, then, i'll
all human probability, will follow ten
or fifteen years of prosperity, equal TO
that of any former period, perhaps
greater than the country has yet seen.
If you will. in addition, put plank in
your platform, declaring for such an
amendment TO the Constitution as will
extend the Presidential Office TO six
wears. and make the incumbent ineligi-
BILE for re election, you Will deserve the
gratitude of the American people.
''As the mariner, when tossed Tor
many days in thick weather, avails
himself of the earliest glance of the
sun to ascertain how far the elements
have driven him from his true course,
so in like manner, at the end of one
hundred years from the foundation of
our Government, we too have come
from the North. the South, the East
and the West to take political obser-
vation for the purpose of amending
and improving our system of National
government, so far as Improvement Is
really necessary and possible With
this view we have come to this great
and beautiful city of Cincinnati, on
the banks of the grand but placid Ohio,
containing nearly three hundred thous-
and souls. and where we now find
every luxury that wealth, nature or
art can produce; but where not even a
log cabin had been erected or a white
man born, when our government was
organized.
The last three National Conventions
of our party have had indicated to
them, in advance, the names of the
candidates for the National ticket, so
that they have been little else than
ratification meetings of DEGREES that
have been made by the people, merely
putting in form that which had already
been decided upon. / allude to Presi-
dent Lincoln's second nomination, and
to the nomination and re nomination
of the splendid soldier and patriot
General Grant But such a state of
things no longer exists; there appears
to be, at the present time, no one TO
whom the unerring finger points as the
only candidate. There seems to be no
man rising so far above all Others as
to cause exultant voices to exclaim,
"Thou art the man"
The consequence is that many dis
tinguished names among our party
friends have been mentioned as candI-
dates. and will be brought before the
Convention when the proper time ar