The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-05-08

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that this honor and compliment
should be extended to him. 1t II
eminently proper that a black mar
should be made the President of this
Convention. tits time thatwe should
know who is who, and what is what
Gayles is our mana staunch, sterling
unpurchasable Grant man-and by
Gayles we stand or fall" prolonged
cheers and boundless whooping.]
Mr.. Edwards, also from Vicksburg
after the excitement about Gayles had
subsidized, arose in quiet and undem'
onstrative manner, and presented the
name of Hon. w. II. Gibbs, of this
city, for temporary chairman.
The nominations were closed, and
voting by counties commenced. II
took exactly one hour and half to get
through with the call of counties, and
most of the time from twenty-five to
one hundred orators were on the floor
at once vociferating, denouncing and
Tuning.
When the county of Franklin was
called, a Natchez delegate undertook
to cast the two votes of that county,
but his right to do so, was promptly
and Indignantly denied by a sable
young patriot from Lincoln county,
who claimed to have authoritative Gre
dentials to vote for that county, and,
to enfore his rights, proceeded to
make speech, in which he betrayed
all the graces of the natural orator,
and none of the Stiffness of culture,
polish and sense. ~
In the middle of the call, our friend
and confrere, Captain Lake, sailed
gaily in and made an honest effort to
take charge of the convention, and
asked to give the vote of Lee county,
as proxy, for Mr.. Gayles. 1t was
the first good chance the Captain had
to shape the course of the convention
and he improved it by making a
speech in the interest of Grant. In
the midst of his best flights and
figures Of speech, a delegate arose in
the assembly, upon question of
privilege, and stated that as he was a
native of Lee county, and had been a
Republican fIom his birth, and had
in his breeches pocket, the papers
fresh from the county Convention of
Lee-he wanted to give the vote OF Lee
for the other man, if the Captain would
consent He could not say of his own
personal knowledge, whether Captain
Lake was a citizen of Mississippi OF
Nova Scotia, but he was quite certain
that he was not citizen of Lee
county, and had not been appointed a
delegate from that county. Captain
Lakes honest effort proved, therefore,
unavailing.
A colored brother offered to vote for
the county of Marion, when he was
challenged by another brother of
color, who said: "Mr. Cheerman
The gentlum don't lib dar. He's
foolin' yer. He amt got no right to
vote for Marian county. Let him
show his papers," The Marion dele
gate accordingly also and likewise,
succumbed, and the vote of that
county was cast by Mr.. Smith of
Canton-for the other fellow.
Sharkey county had similar case
of two much representation. Theg gen
tlemen who claimed to be the delegate
from Sharkey county and to live in
the county, was Il stranger to its citi-
zens and was freely denounced as an
impositor by other delegates.
At length the tedious work OF
voting was ended, and the result an
nounced-Gayles, 81, Gibbs, Ill.
Ham Carter Immediately bounced
to his feet and moved that the vote be
taken over again. He renominated
the Hon. G. w. Gayles, and moved
that his election be declared by accla-
nation. Strange, however, as it may
appear to the unsophisticated, there
was some objection to Hams PROPOSE
ton, and Maj. Gibbs was conducted
to the chair. He proceeded in a dig
nified style to say: II thank you,
gentlemen, for having elected me to
this honorable position"-[ not by a
d-n sight," says Ham Carter
"The Republican party" continued
the Chairman, 'is not personal
party-it is party of principle and of
the people, The remarks of Maj.
Gibbs were very pacificatory, and
uttered with a view of modifying the
defeated patriots. He wanted re-
organization of the Republican party
upon broad and liberal basis-tO have
it more firmly entrenched in the
affections of the people, and to shield
it by its best intelligence and integ-
rity, so that it could invite ana retain
accessions of honorable and honest
men in its ranks. When the speaker
closed, Ham Carter sprang to his feet
once more.
"Mr. President" said he, 81 was
charmed sir, with your oily words about
inviting the accession of honest men
to the Republican party, but how can
you expect honest men to come, sir,
when your election is proof of the
corruption of such party-an election
secured by the power of Post-Offices
and Revenue COllectOrships-a prosti-
of the civil service-an open and
a brazen bought and paid for Conven-
tion-a fraud on its face, and an out
rage upon the people"
Gen. Mckee also submitted a few
words of displeasure and disparage-
ment, i'm which he wanted it known,
"honest men everywhere, wanted it
known whether Sherman gold could
unlock the secret Of the strange ac-
fion of this ConyantIOn - This was