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An address of this length would be too long for the rush and selfishness of the present time, but it was not too long for the stirring days of 1856. The most obscure cross-roads weekly sacrificed all other news in order to give it a place, and in pamphlet form it went by the thousand into every free State in the Union, bearing the gospel of freedom.

CHAPTER XIX.

FIRST NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.

The First Call-Delegates Meet in Philadelphia on June 17, 1856Committees Appointed-Permanent Organization-Nominations for President-Letters from S. P. Chase and John McLean-Fremont Chosen-The vote-W. L. Dayton Nominated for Vice-President-Exciting Scenes-The Nominations Well Received-Buchanan and his Record-Sentiments of Preston S. Brooks, Lawrence M. Keitt and Other Slave-Holding Democrats-Disunion Threatened—An Army to Resist the Inauguration of Fremont-An Exciting Campaign-Buchanan Elected.

On the 29th of March, the Republican National Committee gave out the call for a National Republican Convention to meet in Philadelphia on the 17th of June for the purpose of nominating candidates for President and Vice-President. It met with general approval throughout the free States, and brought together in the sacred precincts of the city in which was signed the Declaration of Independence, 2,000 of the brightest, strongest and noblest men in the nation.

Every delegation was full, and if the cracked lips of the old Liberty Bell could have spoken again, they would have sent such a peal of freedom thrilling across the Republic as would have startled the hordes of slavery like the first blast of the judgment trump.

Edwin D. Morgan called the delegates to order and nominated Robert Emmett, of New York, for chairman. The

HISTORY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

nomination was confirmed by one tremendous aye. On taking the chair Mr. Emmett delivered a spirited speech, which G. G. Fogg, of New aroused the greatest enthusiasm.

Hampshire, and Thomas G. Mitchell, of Ohio, were made temporary secretaries. After Rev. Albert Barnes had addressed the Throne of Grace, a committee on credentials was appointed as follows:

Maine-Mark II. Dunnell; New Hampshire--Wm. M. Weed; Massachusetts-Simeon Brown; Connecticut-Charles L. English; Rhode Island-Edward Harris; Vermont-J. E. Nicholson; New York--Eldridge G. Spaulding; New Jersey --Dudley S. Gregory; Delaware--Lewis Constant; Maryland -Francis P. Blair; Virginia-George Wright; Pennsylvania -S. Steele Blair; Ohio-Austin A. Guthrie; MichiganGeorge A. Coles; Wisconsin-Louis P. Harvey; Indiana-Charles H. Test; Illinois-J. D. Arnold; Iowa-John W. Sherman; Minnesota-J. B. Phillips; Kentucky-James R. Whittemore; California--Charles A. Washburn; KansasS. N. Wood; Nebraska-H. B. Bennett; District of Columbia--H. B. French.

Several slave States, -it will be seen, were not represented. On the motion of David Wilmot, a committee on resolutions was appointed as follows:

Maine-Henry Carter; New Hampshire-Daniel Clark; Massachusetts--E. R. Hoar; Connecticut-Gideon Welles; Rhode Island-Thomas Davis; Vermont-Edward Kirkland; New York-Preston King; New Jersey-Edward W. Welton; Delaware-Edward G. Bradford; Maryland-Francis P. Blair; Virginia-John C. Underwood; PennsylvaniaDavid Wilmot; Ohio-Joshua R. Giddings; MichiganIsaac P. Christiancy; Wisconsin-John F. Potter; IndianaJohn D. De Frees; Illinois-George T. Brown; Iowa-James B. Howell; California-John A. Wills; Kansas-J. L. Winchell; District of Columbia-Jacob Bigelow; Kentucky -Geo. D. Blakesly; Minnesota-Alexander Ramsey.

At this point a large delegation of the New York council of radical Democrats appeared and Gen. Viele moved to admit them to seats. The hall was then crowded to suffocation, but members from New Hampshire and Ohio said they would hold the radical Democrats in their laps rather than have

them excluded, whereupon, amidst universal applause, the members of the New York delegation were admitted as "honorary delegates." A committee on permanent organization was appointed as follows:

Maine-Geo. M. Weston; New Hampshire-Levi Chamberlain; Massachusetts-Geo. R. Russell; ConnecticutCharles Adams; Rhode Island-Wm. W. Hoppin; Vermont -Ryland Fletcher; New York-Geo. W. Patterson; New Jersey-Wm. D. Waterman; Delaware-Thomas Waters; Maryland-Elias Hawley; Virginia-Geo.Wright; Pennsylvania-Samuel A. Purviance; Ohio-George Hoadley, Jr.; Michigan-Thomas Drake; Wisconsin-M. M. Davis; IndianaE. G. Rose; Illinois-Cyrus Aldrich; Iowa-R. L. G. Clark; Kansas-Charles H. Branscomb; Kentucky-John Reiff; California-G. W. Treat; District of Columbia-Lewis Clephane; Minnesota-J. B. Phillips; Nebraska-H. B. Ben

nett.

At the afternoon session the committee on permanent organization made the following report which was unanimously adopted:

President-Henry S. Lane, Indiana.

Vice-Presidents-A. P. Morrill, Maine; H. Carpenter, Vermont; J. Babcock, Rhode Island; John A. King, New York; J. Ritner, Pennsylvania; F. T. Cobb, Maryland; G. D. Blackett, Kentucky; J. Beard, Indiana; K. S. Bingham, Michigan; Jacob Bigelow, District of Columbia; S. C. Pomeroy, Kansas; H. B. Bennett, Nebraska; A. Tubb, New Hampshire; C. F. Adams, Massachusetts; C. F. Cleveland, Connecticut; J. C. Hornblower, New Jersey; S. Barr, Delaware; George Rye, Virginia; R. P. Spalding, Ohio; W. B. Archer, Illinois; W. D. McKnight, Wisconsin; F. Springer, Iowa; Alexander Ramsey, Minnesota, and F. P. Folger, California.

The platform was now reported by David Wilmot. Its reading heightened the previous enthusiasm, if possible, and brought forth thunders of applause. The last clause of the last resolution, as originally written, was intended to deprecate Know-Nothingism; but as the Pennsylvania delegates thought it might be offensive to portions of their State, it was changed to the form in which it now stands.

1 For all national Republican platforms, calls delegates, etc., see Appendix.

Before proceeding to ballot for a candidate for President, two notable letters were read, written respectively by John McLean, and Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio, both of whom had been widely favored for the Presidency. Both were unselfish and both predicted early and permanent Republican victory. No formal nominations by eloquent orators were made, but E.D. Morgan and G. S. Orth were appointed tellers and an informal ballot was taken without ado, resulting as follows:

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A motion for a formal ballot was instantly made and carried, resulting in the entire vote of the convention being cast for Fremont except twenty-three from Pennsylvania and fourteen from Ohio for McLean, one from Pennsylvania for Seward, and forty-five from Virginia not cast for any candidate because her representation was not at that moment full and could not be cast as a unit.

*Also two for Sumner and one for Seward.

The nomination was made unanimous amidst a scene of intense excitement and enthusiasm. At the instant the result was announced a beautiful American flag was unfurled from the speaker's desk, and the bright, silken folds, inscribed with "John Charles Fremont for President," were drawn across the platform, extending entirely across the hall. Hats and handkerchiefs filled the air, banners were flaunted from the windows to announce the result, and the vociferous shouts in the building were caught up by the multitude without and borne away through the crowded streets and over the wires to the uttermost parts of the Republic.

Apparently everybody was for Fremont inside and outside of the hall, and it would have been difficult to determine whence came the previous opposition to his nomination.

It is said that the honor of first formally putting forth the name of the "Path-finder," as Fremont has for thirtyfive years been known, belongs to the Republicans of Mishawaka, Indiana, who, in less than a week after the publication of the national call, adopted a resolution indorsing him for the Presidency and asking the delegates from that Congressional district to use all honorable means to secure his nomination.+

On the day following Fremont's nomination, an informal ballot for Vice-President resulted in 250 votes for Wm. L. Dayton, of New York; 110 for Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois; 43 for David Wilmot, of Pennsylvania; 35 for Charles Sumner, 46 for N. P. Banks and 7 for Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts; 15 for Jacob of Collamer, Vermont; and scattering votes for Joshua R. Giddings, Cassius M. Clay, John A. King and Henry C. Carey. On the formal ballot the votes. for Sumner, Banks, Wilson, Lincoln and Wilmot were transferred to Dayton, and he was nominated.

1 A. N. Cole, of Wellsville, New York, who was a close friend of the leading spirits of that time, says Horace Greeley first suggested the propriety of nominating Fremont, though he did not advocate him in his paper until a few weeks before the convention met.

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