Year: 1876

SIalSSy forever prohibit African SLAYER


on this continent. The suggestion wa


received With unexampled enthusiasm


by the convention. The resolution t


secure this national blessing wa


written in your party platform


on that day. Both houses of congress


very soon after passed the require,


amendment, twenty-nius soyefeigi


States ratified il. the nobe Lincoln pro


claimed the result to the people, anC


from that hour to this the SUI has no


RISEN upon bondsman and not set upor


a slave in sll this fair land, Not 10 the


north, not to the south, but to that gu


preme Being who alone controls tn.


destinies OF nations as well as The affairt


OF individuals, let ns give all the glory


Bat all this is past, and the past w


conclude ID secure. Pardon ms. gentle


men, If again, with meek modesty,


make ,shsgestion or two bearing


tion should emphatically demand the


prompt and efficient execution Of those


solemn promises of both houses CT Con.


grass and the President 10 redeem in


coin the legRl-tender obligations
Of tl.e government on the first
day of January, 1879, aud zig.


nify its opposition to any modiics.


ton or repeal of this law that does not
guarantee still earlier or better method


OF returning TO specie payment. Let no
doubtful word go out from this eonven-


ton upon the subject Of honest money.
/ Prices are already at a specie point,
! stand firmly by your resolutions and
| platforms 4 little longer, and your cur
| rencE basis will be Transformed into q
I kntr flxTo nd tTIFo ff,nf
you will be yourselves surprised, regret
ting only, as you will, that it was not
| determined upon at an earlier day. Re-
| sumption accomplished. then in all hu-
| man probability will follow ten or Rf-
teen years of prosperity equal to that of
any former period, and perhaps greater


than the country has yet seen. II you
Will in addition, put plank
in your platform declaring for
such an amendment of the constitution
ss will extend the Presidential office to
six years and make the incumbent in
eligible for reelection, you will deserve
the gratitude Of the American people


GAS the mariner, when tossed for many
days in thick weather avails himself of
the earliest glance of the sun to ascer-
tain how far the elements have driven
him from his true course" so in like
manner at the end of one hundred years
from the foundation of our government
we, too, have come from the north, the
south, the east and the vest to take q
political observation for the purpose OF
amending and improving our system of
national government, as improvement
Is really necessary and possible. With
this view we have come to this great
and beautiful city of Cincinnati, on the
banks OF the grand, but placid Ohio,
containing nearly three hundred thou.
sand souls, and where we now find
every luxury that wealth, ma.
tuTe or artisan can produce, but
not where even q log cabin had
been erected or q white man born when
our government wss organized. The
last three national conventions Of our
party have had indicated to them in ad-
vance the names of the candidates for
the national ticket, SO that they have
been little else than ratification meet
ings Of DEGREES that have been made by
the people, merely putting in form that
which had already been decided upon.
[ allude to President Lincoln's second
nomination, and to the nomination of
the splendid soldier and patriot, General
Grant. But such a state OF things no
longer exist. There sppears to be at the
present time no one to whom the uner-
ring finger points as the only candidate.
There 81 ems to be no man rising so far
above all others a. TO cause exuItant
voices to exelaim: ''Thou art the man,
The consequence Is, that many distin-
guished names among our party friends
have been mentioned sscsndidates, and
will be brought before the convention
when the proper time arrive sfor making
nominations. Therefore, it is that /
have expressed myself eS seeing greater
responsibilities rC3ting upon the dele
gates to this convention than upon any or
all that have prec; led it. The history Of
the Republican party furnishes abun-
dant evidence Of its desire that the gov
eminent shall be administered with
honesty and economy, and, as means
to that end, that the civil service shall
be elevated by the introduction of all
needful and proper reforms. With such
history, and at time like the present,
it csnnot be DOUBTED that the choice of
the convention will fell on some one,
whoever he may be, clearly committed
on this question, not only by his ex-
pressed opinions, but also by his public
life and conduct. l will not further an
ticipate the action of this honorable
body, except to say that the firm sup
port, on the part of the nominees, of sill
the recent amendments to the national
constitution, and the support and main
tenance of all other principles involved
in the war for the prc 5ervation of the
Union, must also be regarded as tae pre-
requisites for the high offices of President
and Vice-President of the United States.
With this accomplished, it will be the
highest duty, and should be the greatest
pleasure, for all in authority to extend
the warm hand of fellowship to
all the good citizens OF this Union,
and, also, as rapidly as pos
sible to forgive and forget the recent
past, and to do every act to make us sat.
jsfied TO be and remain in fact, as we
are in name, one people and one coun-
try. 1t is fit and proper, citizens of Gin
cinnsti, that the Republican National
convention in this centennial year
should be held in your city and under
your auspices, as you, quite as fully as
any other locality, represent in your
selves the industry, the enterprise, the
sublimity and grandeur Of our country's
growth and greatness. / am further re-
quested by the national committee to
make a nomination for temporary pre-.
siding officer of this convention; there
fore nominate Hon. Theodore M. Pom
erey for that office.


The motion was agreed to, and the
chair designated Governor Baldwin, of
Michigan, and Governor Van Zundt, of
Rhode Island, a committee to conduct
Mr.. Pomeroy to the chair. Upon being
introduced he spoke as follows:


GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION
1 thank you most heartily for the COM
pliment conferred by calling me to pre-
side over the temporary organizstio of
this convention. I had been Sd long
Withdrawn from practical participation
in political affairs, that it is in obedience
TO custom rather than my own inclina-
ton that L occupy even moment Of
your time in consideration OF the politi.
cal situation and of the principles 80
long and so successfully intrUsted to the
keeping of the r publican party. Events
have chased each other so rapidly from
the Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln
to the closing year of the administr ration
OF General Grant, fraught with such
fundamental changes in the whole the
oIy and practice Of government, that
the brlefest consideration OF them in the
briefest manner is prscluded upon an
occasion such as this. Brief as N sy be
considered the existence of the Rspub.
lioc- DaT{U nOna other in tho hieforv nj