Year: 1864

OOuVeutlOu.


GENTLEMEN OF THE CoNvENTIoN:-
You can not be more sensible than l am
that the part which 1 have to perform
here to day is merely matter of form,
and acting upon the principles Of my
whole life, l was inclined, when the
suggestion was made to me from vari.
Gus quarters, that it was in the minds
of many members Of the Convention to
confer this distinction upon me, to ear
neStly decline to accept it, Because 1
have never sought houors, l have never
sought distinction. 1 have been work.
ing man, and nothing else. But Ger.
tain considerations led me to change
my mind. [Applause.] There is a
class of men in the country far too
small for the good of the country
These are the men wholly their pen,
by their voices--try to do good, and all
the more in perilous times, without re-
gard to the reward that may come. 1t
is given to many such men to UNDER
stand, by tho distinction conferred upon
me, one of the humblest of their class,
that these are men whom the country
will cherish, and who will not be forgot.
ten. Here is another motive relative to
yourselves and to the country at large.
It is good for you; it is good for every
people, every State and every party, to
cherish all generous impulses, to follow
all noble instincts, (and where are men
more noble, more generously TO purge
yourselves of all self-seekcrs and betray-
ers, and to confer Offices, if it be only.in
mere form, upon those who are worthy
to be trusted, and ask nothing more.--
[ApPlause. Now, according to my
convictions of propriety, having said
this, l should say nothing more. rCries
of Go onl] But it has been intimated
to me from many quarters, and in a
way which 1 cannot disregard, that 1
shoull disappoint the wishes of my
friends, and perhaps the just expecta-
tiOns of the Convention, if 1 did not as
briefly and yet as precisely as l could,
say something upon the great matters
which have brought US here. There
fore, in q very few words, and as plainly
as can, will endeavor to draw your
attention to one and another of these
great matters in which we are all en-
gagged. In the first place, nothing can
be more plain than the fact that you are
here as representatives of great ma.
tion--voluntary representa- tives, chosen
without forms of law; but as really rep
resenting the feeling and principles
aud, if you choose, the prejudices of
the American people as if it were writ
ten in their laws aud already passed by
their votes. For the man that you will
nominate here for the Presidency of
the United States aud ruler ofa great
people, in q great crisis, is just as cer-
tain, suppose, to become that ruler,
as anything under Heaven is certain be-
fore it is done prolonged cheering ]
and moreover, you will allow me to say,
though perhaps it is hardly strictly
proper that should, but as far as l
know your opinions, suppose it is just
as certain now as before you utter it,
whose name you will utter, and which
will be responded to from one end to
the other of this nation; as it will after
it has been uttered and recorded by
your Secretary. Does any man doubt
that this Convention intends to say
that Abraham Lincoln shall bc the nom
ineeH [Great applauss.J What I wish,
however, to call your attsnti on to is the
grandeur Of the mission upon which
you are met, and therefore the dignity
and solsmnity, earuestness and oonsci.
entiOusuess with which, representing
one Of th0 greatest, aud certainly one of
arst people of the world, you ought to
discharge these duties. CApplause.]


Now, besides the nomination of Presi.
dent aud Vice-President, in regard to
which latter Office 1 will say nothing,
because l know there is more or less
difference of opinion among yOu-but
besides these nominations you have
other most solemn duties to perform.
You have to organize this party through
out the United States. You have to
put in whatever form your wisdom will
suggest, that will unite all your wis.
dom, energy aud determination to gain
the victory, which have already said
was 10 our power. More than that,
you have to lay down with clearness


and precision the principles on which