Year: 1864

| On taking tie Chair Us President of tie Chi
cago CcRrentiOn.


GENTLEMHN OF THE CONVENTION: l thank


you for the high honor you have conferred up
on me in making me President of this BODY
The importance of the occasion has already
been expressed in fitting words by your tenn
porary chairman. l have not language to


tell with what anxious solicitude the people of
this country watch our proceedings. The
prayers of men and women in ten thousand
homes go mp to heaven that We may be so


guided in our deliberations that our action
NAV cOnduce to the restoration of our Union,
| to the return of peace, and the maintenance


of liberty in this land. Cheers. 1t is not
for me to forecast YOUR action-it not for me


to say what methods may be adopted to re-
lieve this afflicted country OF ours. But while


| NAV not speak on that subject, l can, with


proprietv. allude to the sentiments which an
innate YOU all. There is no man here who


does uot love the Union. Cheers. There
is no man here who does not desire peace
Cheers There is no man here who is not
resolved to uphold the great principles of
constitutional freedom. Applause. L
know that the utmost importance attaches to
all Your proceedings. / know it is of vital
consequence that you should select such men,
as Your candidates. as enjoy the confidence
of the American people. But beyond plat
forms and beyond candidates, there are other
considerations Of still greater significance
and importances When YOU wish TO know
what the policy of party will be. you must
strive to learn the passions and sentiments
which animate that party. -Four years ago,
in this city, there was an assemblage OF cit


zens from the different parts of our country,
who met here for the purpose OF placing IN
nomination candidate for the Presidency.
They put forth declarations that thcv would
not interfere with the rights of the States of
this Mon. They did not intend to DESTROY
our country-they did not mean to break
were influenced BY sectional preiudices. by
fanaticiSm. by bigotrv. and by intolerance and
we have found III the course of the last four
wears that their animating sentiments have
overrulci their declarations and their promi-
se>, and swept them on. step by step. until
they have been carried on to actions from
which at the outset they would have shrunk
away with horror. Even now. when the war
has desOlated our land. has laid its heavy
burdens upon labor. when bankruptcy and
ruin overhang Us. they will not have Union
except upon conditions unknown to our con
stitution they will not let the shedding OF
blood to cease. even for little time. to see II
christian charity the wisdom of statesman
ship NAV not work out a method to save our
country. Nay. more than this, they will not
listen 10 a proposal for peace which does not
offer that which this government has no right
to ask.


This administration cannot now save the
Union if it would. 1t has by its proclama
ton. bv vindictive legislation. bv displays of
hot and .l ,I-r a,lnc
pathway which ii cannot overcome. and has
hampcrcd its own freedom of action by
constitutional acts. 1t cannot be said that
the failure OF its policy is due to the want of
courage and devotion on the part of our ar
mics. Cheers. Never in the worlds his
tory have soldiers given up their lives more
freely than those OF the armies which have
battlcd for the tiag of our CniOn in the south
ern States The world will hold that they
have done all that arms can do; and had wise
craftsmanship secured the fruits of their We
tories to-day there would have been peace in
our land. Much applause. But while our
soldiers have desperately struggled 10 carry
our banner southwark 10 the Gulf Of Mexico
even now the government declares that
belliouS discomfort has worked nor;hward to
the shores IF the great lakes. The guaran-
tced right of the people to bear arms has
been suspended up Ia the very borders of
Canada 50 that American scrvitude Is put
in bold contrast with British liberty. The
administration thus declares 10 the world 1t
has now 10 faith in the people of the States.
whose vote placed it in power: and 1t also
admits bv such an edict that those people
have no faith in this administration. while
those in power. without rcmorsc. sacrifice the
blood and treasure of our people they will
not give up their own passions for the public
good.


This Union is not held asunder by military
ambition. If our political troubles could he
1e-rcd to the peaceful arhltramcnt OF the
contendng armies in the field. our Union
would be restored. the rights of States would
be guaranteed. the sacredness Of homes and
persons again respected. and insulted ju-
diciarv would again administer the laws of
the land lie, not the ruin of our country he
charged to our soldiers. ltis not due to their
teachings or their fanaticism. In my con
stant official intercourse with them. ] have
never heard uttered one sentiment of hatred
toward the people OF the South Beyond all
men they value the blessings of peace and
the virtues of mercy. of gcntlencSs and of
charity; while many who stay at home cry
havoc. aud demand that no mercy shall he
shown. The bigOtrv of fanatics and the in
trigues Of pacemen have made the bloody
pages of the history OF the past three years.


But If the administration cannot save this
Union. we can. Loud applause. Mr.. Lin
coin values many things above the Union
we put it first of all. Continued cheering.
He thinks proclamation worth more than
peace: we think the blood of our people more
precious than the edicts of the President
ICheers. There are no hindrances in our
pathway to Union and peace. We demand
IL.
We are shackled with no hates, no prejudices,
no passions. We wish for traternal relation
ship with the people of the South. Ap-
plause. We demand for them what we de-
mand for ourselves-the full recognition of
the rights of States. We mean that every
star on our nations banner shall shine with
equal lustrc. In the coming election me.
must decide with which of the two parties.
into which our people are divided, they will
act. If they wish for Union they will act
with til at party which does now and always
did love and reverence the Union. If they
wish for peace, they will act with those who
sought to avert this war, and who now seek
TO restore good will and harmony among all
sections of our country. If they care for
their rights as persons and the sacredness OF
their homes, they will act with those VII Have
stood up to arrest arbitrary arrests, despotic
legislation. and the overthrow of the Judiciary.
Loud and continued applause. If upon
the other hand. they are willing to continue
the present policy of government and condi-
ton of affairs, let them act with that organi-
zation which made the present condition of
our country. And there are many good men
who will be led to this by their passions and
prejudices; and our land swarms with place
men who will hold upon power and plunder
with a deadly grasp. But as for us, We are
resolved that the party who have made the


history of our country since their adven. TO
power seem like some unnatural and terrible


dream shall be overthrown. Applau~. i


Eonr wars ao,, - b,I l>;,,l, ,,,.c.,,