Year: 1868

:


of the Republican National Convention
at Chicago, as permanent President -
Gen. Hawley addressed the Convention,
thanking them for the high honor con-
ferred upor him, and soliciting their in
dulgence. He said, we come together,
charged with the momentous duty of
selecting the Chief ruler of the great
nation which leads the world in the pro-
motion of freedom and equal rights.
r Applause The indications of your
purposes aud spirit already given assure
US that you will maintain the noble
character of the Republican party. We
unavoidably recall at this time the Con-
vention of 1860, with its profound anxi-
eties, its fresh, pure. and glowing devo-
ton to liberty, and its enthusiastic accept
ance of the wager of battle rendered by
slavery and secession. Applause. 1t
now seems clear to US that God then
ruled our counsel He made our decla-
ration of principles manly and severe !;
He gave US Abraham Lincoln for Presi-
dent. Tremendous cheering.1 God
send US like wisdom and success to-day !!
[Applause. He tested US in a. manner
and to an extent which the liveliest i'm
agination could not have anticipated.
Posterity, we hope, will decide that we
stood that test with a spirit worthy of a
free people. Countless treasures and
three hundred thousand lives offered
were the evidence that We were solemn
ly in earnest. We offered our lives and
our property, but it was not enough.
We laid our prejudices of race and class
on the altar, and the consciousness that
we at least deserved success redoubled
our nerve. The same high resolve rules
to-day, and the honest men of this coun-
try are ready for equal and even greater
sacrifices, if they be indispensable to the
declaration on this continent of liberty
and equal rights to all. [Applause.] We
that we must make all men free and
call them to the battle field. We learned
the second lesson when we found that
We must do still more, and give impair
tally to all men a share in the Govern
ment we were endeavoring to restore.
[Great applause With clear and fear
less expression on the essential and i'm
portant question at issue, which the peo-
pie well understand, and no ingenious de-
passing by all personal and temporary
controversies - working in perfect con-
fdence that the American people mean
to do right and will do it in the end =
we may feel sure of triumph. The pow
er of a nation of forty millions must be
behind the just claims of the poorest
working man of whatever race, and to
recover the just wages its majesty must
be felt wherever the humblest loyal man
appeals against personal violence and op-
pressiop. Cheers. Every dollar of the
national debt, the blood of soldier is
pledged for. Enthusiastic cheering.
Every bond, in letter and in spirit, must
be as sacred as soldiers grave. Re-
newed cheers. We must win, gentle
men, and shall win. 1t is the old fight
of liberty, equality, and fraternity, against
oppression, caste, and aristocracy. 1t is
the old fight to make the world better =
" with malice towards none and with
charity for ALL" Loud applause We
may halt for moment, and change the
direction, but the good cause always
goes steady forward. 1t is related :
and whether it be true or not, the Incl
dent is well invented = that on the
evening Of that awful battle of the Will
derness, when the legions of the Union
army had fought all day, rather by faith
than by sight, in the wild woods and
tangled brush, some man asked General
Grant to step backward little and re-
organize, and that he replied: /" We have
done very well, gentlemen; at half past
three in the morning we move .toruard." ="
Long continued cheering We accept
his spirit and his words. Perhaps | am
not anticipating in saying that we shall
accept him again in person as our leader.
Loud cheersl Thanking you again,
gentlemen, very heartily for the honor
conferred, await the further pleasure
of the Convention. [Applause.