Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-08-10
Local ann State Mems.
THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
CONVENTION.
A Large and harmonious Gathering -Mr.
Lindsey acknowledgements ny Mr.
Blaine and GEN. Hall.

Large and Harmonious Gathering Mr..
Lindsey ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS by Mr.
Blaine and Gen. Hall.
The republicans of this, the Third Congression-
al District of Maine, met in convention at Granite
Hall, Yesterday forenoon at ii O'clock for the pur-
pose of nominating candidate to be supported by
the repnblicaus of the district for the Forty Fifth
Congress: also a candidate for the remainder of
the term of the Forty Fourth Congress, made va
cont by the resignaiio of Hon. James Il. Blalne,
and to nominate q candidate for Elector.
Hon. 4. F. Webb of Waievie, OF the Di.trlct
Committee, called the convention to order, Hon.
Christopher Prince Of Thomaston, was made tenn
porary chairman, and A. Woodbury. OF SHOW
hogan, and Howard Owen of Augusta secretaries.
MIR. Prince, on taking the chair, remarked that
the CONVENTION had assembled to select candi.
dale to fill the PLACE of one who had been honored
by the republican party, and who had rejected
honor and credit up n the natIon Twill be hard
to find one to fill his place. lie was glad OF the
unanimity upon the subject Of the nomination.
The Hon. John l.. Stevens had Withdrawn his
name, leaving the field to Hon. Stephen d. Lind
sey, man who commands respect, and Will re-
fleet honor on the district lie then read the call
for the convention. -
On motion of j. S Hobbs of Augusta, the fol-
lowing committee was chosen on credentials >.
S. Hobbs of Augusta j. b. Dascomb Of Skowhe-
gan, Everett Stetson of Damarscotta, Hiram
Bliss. Dr., of Washington, ID. u. White OF WIN
Mr. Partridge of whitcfeld, called for a'speech
from Gen. James A. Hall of Damariscotta; tins
was loud " seconded by the audience, and Gen.
Hall came forward and addressed the convention
follows:
Gentlemen of the Convention One Of the most
difficult things to do is to address body OF men
under the circumstances in which ma you now.
You have something else upon your mind. lou
are thinking of the business that is soon TO come
before you, and do not believe the convention
would like very much to hear great deal OF tax;
As your chairman has well SAID, we are gatheieo
here to perform very important business, IN Inc
interest of this old Third Congressional District.
We have all regretted that it has become neces-
sary to select any man to represent TINS di rlct IN
Congress other than the honorable and distinguish
ed James G. Blaine, who has so ably and so nobly
represented you during the past fourteen years.
lApplausel From the different sections OF the
district we have for seven consecutive times come
up here to Augusta, during this period OF fourteen
years. and with pleasure has it been that we have
supported your distinguished citizen. lie has
gone to higher place of duty, and will distln-
guish himself there as he has in the past
Now YOU are here to select his successor on
are to select man who shall succeed him to fill
the vacancy in this Congress. and to dominate
some representative in this district to represent
YOU in the Congress to follow. We are here 10
nominate a man who shall fill out the unex-
PRED term in the Congress of the nited States.
q majority of which have acted from the day they
organized down to the present time, in the interest
of the men and the party who for years 10 the ~
terest of treason united to overthrow the lhsu'u-
tons of the country.
There are two questions before us now. They
are the questions OF American citizenship anu the
question Of honesty in your government; whether
or not you will pay your honest obligations as you
have promised to pay them, or whether or not you
will repudiate them, indicated IN the letter OF
Sam Tilden, which was published but few days
since. Then comes the question whether we have
nationality that will protect our fellow
n
the old flag floats, or whether men are to be hunt
ed down at midnig and slaughtered. and for no
other reason than faithful loyalty TO this gov
eminent in the great struggle through winch we
have passed. Whether will stand by them,
whether will protect them, or whether they
shall be mercilessly murdered around Their homes
and fresides for expressing their honest pohticai
sentiment That Is one Of the questions TO be
passed upon by the people, and you are to pomI-
nate man &c be elected from this district to Con-
gress to exercises his ability in this interest
On the other hand is the question OF finance,
which takes prominent place IN tins contest. lie
who has read the letter which Nj. lliden, the
nominee Of the democratic party IN this country,
published the other day. csnnot have failed to DIS
cover that if that letter means anything on the
financial issue, it is Downright reputation .nd
nothing else in the world. [Appause.l One step
towards the resumption of sp che pay ment was
taken in this country when the last Congress
passed what is known as the resumption act.
That was step in the right dlfechon. Now
dsy, and at the suggestion of Sam liden ana
Mi Hendricks, who al the democratic candidates
for President and Vice President, voted TO repeal
that act so far b fixing the date.
10 make an application of this: suppose you
are living in this community and you owe large
number of people great many notes which are
on demand, and which you have not been able to
pay, or have not paid; you may have abundance
of property and able TO pay these promises.
but YOU have not done it. They are hanging over
YOU. board of trustees are appointed, who get
together and discover you have property to pay
your obligations, add they fix day in the future
when they as the trustees of your property Will
commence to pay your notes, and they publish
that to the world and to the creditors OF that in-
divdual. And who is there here with the brains
Of an oyster, who does not see that that lxes
value upon the notes which you owe, and gives
YOUR creditors to understand that at certain time
there is to be commencement of payment And
by and by in comes faction OF the creditors who
saw we don't like this board of trustees. we want
them changed, and the date of resumption annul-
cd. The trustees changed, and the obligation of
the former board abrogaed, leaving you just where
you were before any action was taken. That Is
lust what the candidates of the democratic party
IN this country declare. 1t is to repeal the prom
ise that the Congress of the Cuited States has
made that on certain day they wonld commence
to redeem in specie. And now you are all aNoat
again. 1t is reputation indirectly, and nothing
tlse.
On the question of citizenship Mr.. Tiden had
nothing TO saw. 1t mattered not that hundreds OF
the loyal citizens of this country in the Southern
States, because they were made with black SKINS
il matters not TO him that they were remois eessly
murder c. on account of their political opinions;
he had not . word to say about it. No allusion TO
it. But tell you my friends, land realize what
am saying) that the man who, when that letter
was written, could ignore the situation as 1t was
when the Hamburg massacre was before his eyes,
and the blood of those loyal citizens had not yet
dried upon the soil in the locality where they
were sain-I say the individual who could forget
all that the people of this country never will vote
to place in the Presidential chair Talk about
fraternity of government Talk about amnesty
and reconstruction Why, all have known that
we have been ready to forgive since the surrender
took place at Appomattox Court House: The
North has continued to stretch out the olive branch
to the South until all have been pardoned, with
the exception of jefferson Davis and one or two
others. sixty-three of them to-day occupy posi-,
tions in the Congress of the United States. And
notwithstanding that notwithstanding all this
magnanimity that has been conferred upon them,
they are Is bitter to-day, fellow citizens, as they
were at any time during the war; and the same
spirit animatcs them in all of their political con-