New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-05

cOntumely in Virginia for his Republican opinions
he could not have his own free vote in a Republican
| Convention, he was willing to withdraw. have
been a Republican" !" he said, from my youth mp ;
for twenty-five years have published Repubh-
| can newspaper in the State of Virginia" He SAID
| he had learned his Republcanism from William IL.
| Seward and that while he hoped and expected TO
support the ticket nominated by the Convention, ne
protested against its preventing free expression
of opinion. Il carry" said he my sovereignty
under my own hat; am not afraid to go home and
say there that ! stood up In this COnven-
| ton for Republican principles, as L lhave
| stood up for them for twenty-five years IN
the State of Virginia" Tho mans evident sincerity
| and emotion made strong impression upon Vhe
| whole body, but the Blaine leaders remained In
| their seats. No one felt ready to champion the
| cause of the little minority, and run the rsk Oh
seeming to be unwilling to pledge support to the
| ticket. delegate from West Virginia, who said
that he was not one of the three negative voters
demanded for these delegates the right to express
their opinions they were responsible to their peo-
pie alone Referring to Mr.. Campbell, he said that
when West Virginia was the battle ground of the
Union he was standing there bravely holding aloft
the flag of his country and made glowing defence
of him a consistent, lifelong Republican The IN
evitable Brandegee now reappeared. lie SAID tns
was not question of free speech The first war cry
of the Republican party was free SOIL free speech,
free press, freemen and Fremont. These delegates
had had free speech. had had the right to talk to
the Convention and to the galleries. The question
was simply whether the Convention should sit and
do business while certain States avowed in advance
that they would not vote for the candidate who
should be nominated. This was not becoming de-
cent or conducive to order Mr.. Brandegee
pointing to Mr.. Conkling said he hoped the great
orator from NewYOrk, and the great representative
Republican of the country" would modify his reso-
luton so as to allow these delegates to sit in the
Convention and see how their colleagues agreed
upon nomination, and that the clerk should not
call their names on any roll call. Mr.. Brande-
gees reward for this suggestion was a cheer from
the galleries, and herce and genuine MSS
HIT AT MIR CoNKLING.
Now it came Mr. Conkng's turn to take one of
those hard raps which he has got in plenty 80 far
during the Convention. s. p Mccormick, one of
the delegates-at-large from West Virginia. tall
Iank loosely-iointed man, mounted on chair and
defended his negative vote, as Mr.. Campbell had
done by stating his Republican record. He said he
went into the Army boy of eighteen, and fought
there two years. He said that in the campaign of
1876 he made more than 100 speeches for the Re-
publican ticket and he understood that the gentle
man from New York had made only one. There was
a roar of delight at this from the whole audience.
Mr. Conklinp again looked hot and angry, as he did
Yesterday at Mr.. Frye's retort Mr. Mccormick
went on to intimate that the gentleman from New
York had not always given the same hearty support
to the Republican ticket that he had, and that he
was quite as worthy Senator Conklng of his seat
in this body whereat there were loud cheers, and
laughter and delighted applause.
Then came speech from fluent, full-blooded
negro from Tennessee, named w. II. Young. The
drift of his argument was simply that the Republi-
~ dad oiH and
1nent from the North and East that men must
stand up for their opinions. or Republican could
live there. He paid peculiar compliment to the
white race by saying that he knew there were some
white Republicans in the South. Some Of them,
said he are on the Tennessee delegation, and they
are us full of grit as colored men. Mr.. Campbell
reioined briefly, and again with much feeling, say
ing that he had stood up for the black
man and the slave at a time when no
prominent man in his city would do it.
81 hoped" he said, to make men like that
freen pointing to the black Tennesseean, "and it Is
Door return for my efforts that he should arise and
seek to deprive me Of my seat on this floor" Dlr.
BrandeRee emerged again with what he said was
point of order but which turned out to be a speech
in the form of a question, and Senator HOar, who
submits to less imposition Of that sort than any
other chairman of a National Convention in recent
times promptly raped the eConnecticutdelegateb back
into his seat. All this time not single word had
been said in defence of the West Virginia delegates
except by themselves and vague fear was felt that
the resolution mghtpass by default and these three
men be excluded but when General Garfield arose
there was great cheering, cheering from all those
who felt that the right thing would be said in
the right place. and the Convention extrlcated from
the meshes of Mr.. COnklIng's sophistry.
General Garfield said that he feared the COnven-
Il
egae save three had voted for the resolution Each
Of these three had said that he expected and in
tended to support the nominee of the Convention.
This was true, as majority of the Convention at
least understood their remarks but said General
Garfield, they did not regard the passage Of those
resolutions at this time wise. Are they, he said,
to be disfranchisedf tcries of 'NO, no." from all
parts OF the house; that is the question: and that
Is the whole question; il they had said they would
not vote for the nominee then the question now
raised would have been pertinent and an entirely
different oue These delegates are responsible to
their constituents for their votes; they
acted in their right General Garfield
said that he knew only one of these
gentlemen, but him he had known for many years,
evidently meaning Mr.. Campbell he was a Repub-
lcan in the dark days of slavery and in the coun-
try of Shareholders and slave runners. and he was
one of the best Republicans this globe AT every
sound point made by General Garfield he was
cheered spontaneously and enthusiastically. The
sentiment of the Convention had found leader.
He went on to ridicule the idea that the Conven-
ton should stop to inquire after every vote had
been taken how many of those who had voted
against the majority should go out He closed by
expressing the hope that Mr.. Conkling would now
find it matter of pleasure on his part to withdraw
the resolution
Amid the applause that followed the speech the
look on Mr.. ConklinRs face did not raise any
strong presumption that pleasure was quite the
word to use. 1t evident that the resolution
was beaten, and it now became question how he
should get out OF the scrape delegate from Cali
C--... n.,hn nnid rnith n thnk lie hnd ihn