Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-06-21
The Republican National Con.
ventiOn the Largest Ever
Assembled.
Immense Enthusi iasm-Gov.
+. ID. Morgan Calls the Con-
ventiOn to Order
And Hon. Theodore NJ. Pomer
Oy the Temporary Presfd-
Ing Officer.
Hayes for President.

OF Us guests OI nOnOf, upon the raised
platform in the rear OF the presiding
officer. To those who had not attend-
ed the convention four years ago, in
Philadelphia, the number of colored
delegates present, caused some sur
prise. Among them were Congress-
men or ex-Congrcssmen from South
Carolina, Alabama, and other South
ern States.
The delegates were admirably
grouped upon the floor, facing the
tage. The solid mass of New York
men occupied the left center OH their
right were the New England States
formed in single file, Maine at the
head and Rhode Island at the rear,
with Iowa Immediately behind her.
To the left of New York, and 'front.'
ing the stage, is Indiana, and behind
her the Morton men of Tennessee,
Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia. To
the left again, come Kentucky and
the Carolinas, with Virginia bringing
up the rear. The extreme lett flank
was allotted to white hated Pennsyl-
vania, who came to fight for Har-
tranft. The right flank fell to the lot
of Ohio, behind which were placed
in order of merit Illinois, Michigan,
and Wisconsin, Territorial delegates,
and those from some of the petty
States were tucked away in the rear,
wherever they could be used to util-
ize some waste plat of ground. The
hall in which the convention assem-
bled this morning, is an immense
frame building, with seating capacity
70: an audience of at least 1900. The
building was erected in the spring of
1870 for the Saengcrfest held in this
city during the following summer.
The Fall of the same year witnessed
the Inauguration of the Cincinnati
Exposition, which has been since held
yearly in the same building. In 1872
the hall was fully dedicated to polit-
ical purposes by the Greeley Conven-
ton, and has since been used for var
ious political demonstrations, the last
of which was the Democratic State
Convention in Ohio three or four
weeks ago. The interior arrangements
have apparently been made with a
view to the capacities of the human
voice. The platform is located in the
center of the hall, and raised about
six feet above the level of the floor.
The Chairman's desk is handsomely
decorated with red, white and blue
bunting. In the rear Of the platform,
rising by easy stages to level with
the balconies, are seats for some zoo
or 800 invited guests, among whom
are number of fladies.
A space fifteen feet in width eX-
tending along the face of the plat
form has been set apart for the use of
the press. In front of this the dele
cations are placed in an enclosure
separated by rail from the main
body of the hall. The position of
each delegation is indicated by cards
fixed on pole and bearing the name
of the State. TO the east of the en-
closure the remainder of the hall is
given up to the alternates and gener-
al crowd who have possessed snffi-
cicnt influence or assurance to pro-
cure tickets of admission. There has
been fearful and general dissatisfac-
ton, especially among the newspaper
men, whose proper claims have been
strictly ignored by the local commit
tee.
Ample as the building is,it could be
filed thrice over if all the appli-
cants for entrance had been graft
fed. As the hour for the beginning
proceedings approached the rush
grew more and more intense, and al
a few minutes to twelve o'clock the
aisles were jammed, and the rush
and hustle of the crowd could be
heard above the changing of brass
bands i'm the balconies. Upon either
side and at the rear of the hall are
platforms occupied by miscellaneous
crowd. A few minutes after, the con-
vention was called to order by Gov
z. ID. Morgan, chairman of the Re
publican National Committee, who
INTRODUCED the Rev. DR.. Muller, OF
Covington, Ky, who made prayer
after which Governor Morgan said
after thanking the convention for tht
honor, and saying that he accepted
not through inclination, because hi
was practically out of politics, bu
because of custom. He continued -
Events have chased each other 81
rapidly from the Inauguration O.
Abraham Lincoln to the closing yea
of the administration of Gen. Grant
fraught with such fundamental chan
ges in the whole theory and praetic'
of the government, that the briefes
consideration of them i'm the briefes
manner is precluded upon an occa
sion such as this. Brief as may b,
considered the existence of the Re
publican party, none other in the his
tory of the nation has for SO long
consecutive period controlled its gov
ernment without encountering popu
! lar defeat, and shall Notwithstanding
: popular jealousy Of political ascen
, dency long continue. 1t is in tn
power of this convention to dcsignat
the coming President of the U.
Loud and continued applausel.
Mr.. Morgan then,b by request of tn
T National Committee, nominated q
, the temporary presiding officer, Hon
Theodore nj. Pomcroy, Of New York
The nomination was agreed to ant
Gov. Baldwin, Of Michigan, and Go
/, Van Sandt, of Rhode Island, conduct
! cd him to the chair.
, Mr.. Pomcroy then delivered an ad
, dress which was received with loni
continued applause. He first aske'
+ the Convention to maintain order ant
alluded to the fact that in 1856 q
Philadelphia, in 1860 at Chicago, II
1864 at Baltimore, he had been priv
2 legged to call the Republican Nationa
Convention to order and declare,
, that with the exception of the conven
ton of 1864 this body had to perform
more important work than any other
In june, 1864, we were in the mids
+ of war for the preservation of tn
. Union. We had great armies in tn
. field, but they had achieved only par
' tial successes and when successful
l always at very great cost of life. TIL
|, bravest and best of young men ha,
> fallen in battle by tens and hundred
, OF thousands or were i'm prison q
Andersonville and Libbey. Grea
: Lincoln, seventeen months prior t
/ this, had, by proclamation, but on
" as war measure, declare
!. the slaves free, while their mas
I. ters kept them within their line
and held full dominion over then
r 1t was then modestly suggested b
. your chairman OF the National CON
: mittce that the convention would nc
h discharge its whole duty unlci
Q among its other resolutions it shoul
= declare for such an amendment of tn
National constitution, as woult
= when adopted by the requisite nun
u ber Of states, forever prohibit Africa
e slavery on this continent. Tho sul
h gestion was carried with unexam
4 pied enthusiasm by the convention
/. Resolutions to secure this Nationl
X blessing was written in your part
q platform on that day. Both hous,
4 Of Congress very soon after passe
n the required amendment, % sovereig
states ratified it and the noble Lii
coin proclaimed the result to the pet
people. From that hour to this the sll
has not risen upon bOndsman nt
set upon slave in all this fair lam
y Not to the north, not to the south
N but to that Supreme being alone, wh
/ controls the destinies of nations
d we'll as affairs of individuals, let
J. give all the glory. But this is pa
n and we conclude ii is secure. Pa
i S~x