The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-02-15
INTERESTING TALK
BY E. |. SMITH
CONVENTION OF 1860 RECALLED
Prof. AyreS breaches Economy in Road
Construction Good Soil Here for
Earth Roads, He Says.

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meeting of the Commercial cluD was
given to an address by f. l.. Smith,
who spoke of his "reminiscences of Lin.
coin. MIR. Smith is one of the few
surviving men, VINO attended the great
Republican convention at Chicago in
1860 when Abraham Lincoln, in a
close contest with Seward, was nomi-
mated for the presidency. Mr.. Smith
said: don't often make explana.
tlons, but | recently, in conversation
with Mr.. Kaufman, remarked that
had been present at the Chicago Con.
vention at which Abraham Lincoln was
nominated for the presidency.
never thought any more about the
conversation until he asked me to give
my "reminiscences of that time. The
newspapers enormously stated that
was to deliver an address. am only
going to make about a fifteen minute
talk, relating some of my experiences
of those times.
After relating the causes of the Civil
War, giving brief sketch of the
causes leading to the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise Act, the Dred
Scott Decision, the Staying of David
C. Frederick, who was challenged and
hot in duel by Judge Terry, the
Fugitive Slave Act, MIR. Smith, who al
the time was student of Lombard
University at Galesburg, Ill.,, began
an interesting description of the scenes
at the great political assemblage. The
young men of the University were
warmly interested in the politics OF
the day, and the issues. such as were
demanding worldwide attention, were
discussed at their debating clubs. The
students, many of them, secured per-
mission to attend the convention, and
Mr.. Smith was among them. Mr..
Smith, speaking with an unusual vim
for man of his age, an never lacking
a word to express his thoughts, told
his listeners, whose interest he held
absolutely, of the crises of the great
convention.
The covention was held in the Wig.
wan, p" said Mr.. Smith, "a great hall
that would hold comfortably l5,0OC
people. There were 465 delegates on
the enormous stage. The convention
was called t. order by Judge Wlmont,
of Pennsylvania. 1t was a great fight
between Seward and Lincoln. How
intense was the interest of the audi
eoce, as they watched the different
delegations file into the big auditorium
The hall was drowned in a serious ap
plause as the California delegation
marched in which their leader bearing
a great canvas on which appeared the
painting of the stalwart and honest
figure of David &. Broderick. Under
the picture were these words: lie
has killed me because opposed
slavery and a corrupt government.
Another banner that created a good
humored cheer was that borne by the
Wisconsin delegation, the state of
Senator Carter, who formerly, having
been challenged to a duel with a fiery
Southerner, and, having the choice of
weapons, chose bowie knives, the com
batants to be placed in opposite cor
ners of dark room, bluffed his op-
ponent from lighting. This delegation
carried banner on which was painted
Senator Carter and huge bowie
knife.
"Oregon has never had the proper
credit for the efforts of the proxy of
her delegate. Because of the great
distance and the cost of making the
trip, besides the time that it would
take, around by Panama, prevented
Leander Holmes, of Oregon City,
from attending the convention, and he
gave his proxy to Horace Greely. The
great New York editor, strongly op-
posing Seward, could be seen walking
among the deleagtion from the differ
ent states and impressing them with
his strong arguments. He secured
many votes for Lincoln. On the
second day of the convention the Com
mttee on Resolutions presented a plat
form. Sectoin by section the docu-
ment was read When it was finished
without a single change, it was adopt
ed by acclamation At the close of
the day we watched young Col. Els
worth drill his magnificent corps of
Zouaves, whose movements with exact
precision, and with their uniforms,
similar to those of the Turks, impress
ed the watchers. Little did we know
then that the young man would be shot
down a short time later, as he stood
on the steps of an inn at Alexandria,
by the proprietor of the place.
''Ihe next day, Friday, and never
say again tnat Friday is an unlucky
day, Lincoln was nominated. There
were three ballots. On the second
ballot, it was announced that New
York cast ten votes for the Giant OF
the West, and the fifteen thousand
spectators went mad with shouting.
On the third ballot, Seward led with
one and half more votes than Lincoln.
Then Senator Carter transferred four
votes to Lincoln, and Lincoln was
nomionated. Outside of the great
building a crowd of three times the
size of that within was gathered to
get the news. Men stationed on the
roof, reported to them what had hap
pened. ] can close my eyes and hear
that great roar. After we had hushed
our cheers within the 'Wigwam" the
throngs without kept up the heavy ap-
plause. The people went mad. Can
non from the top of the great buildings
were fired. well remember the
evening after the nomination. II
seemed to me as though all Chicago
was lunatic asylum. One of the
features of the parades that traversed
the Chicago streets. was the process.
sion of citizens from Sangoman county,
who bore aloft large number of the
Black Walnut rails that Lincoln had
split with his own hands.
"The campaign was one of wildfre.
The Middle West under the great
issues of the day went wild, and men
left their private business to work for
the election OF Lincoln.
81 remember attending another con-
vention, which, however, as more of
great rally than anything else, for
we only had one officer to nominated,
a superintendent of sewers. The rally
was held at Springfield, and the capac-
ity of the railroads was taxed. From
the surrounding country the farmers il