CHAPTER IV.

THE CHICAGO CONVENTION

NOMINATIONS FOR VICE-PRESIDENT

MR.

PIERCE'S SPEECH-MR. CLAFLIN'S SPEECH-HON. HENRY LANE'S SPEECH -SPEECH OF MR. CUTCHESON-REMARKS OF FRED. HASSAUREK, CARL SCHURTZ, JUDGE JONES, ALEXANDER m'clure, and OTHERS—HONS. BEN. WADE, COLFAX, WILSON, FENTON, HAMLIN, HARLIN, CURTIN, POMEROY SPEED, CRESWELL, AND KELLEY NOMINATED FOR VICE-PRESIDENT—FIRST BALLOT-SECOND BALLOT - THIRD BALLOT FOURTH BALLOT - FIFTH BALLOT-COLFAX DECLARED THE UNANIMOUS NOMINEE OF THE CONVENTION THE ENTHUSIASM-ADJOURNMENT.

It was part of the duty of the Convention which assembled at Chicago on the 20th of May, to nominate a candidate for Vice-President. After the nomination of General Grant had been made known, the President, General Hawley, directed the delegations to name their candidates. for Vice-President. Mr. Pierce, of Virginia, in an eloquent speech, nominated Hon. Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts. Mr. Claflin, chairman of the Massachusetts delegation, in a speech highly complimentary to Mr. Wilson, seconded the motion. The Hon. Henry Lane, a venerable ex-senator from Indiana, then rose and said:

"MR. CHAIRMAN: I am instructed by the delegation from the State of Indiana to present that tried, trusted, and true patriot, Schuyler Colfax. [Prolonged applause.] Of the purity of his life, in private and in public, of his distinguished public services, his long identification with con

gressional action, it is idle and unnecessary that I should go into any lengthy eulogy with reference to Mr. Colfax. He is an Indianian near to our hearts. We know him. The people are united for him, and I speak but one voice. He is well known there. He is the choice of the people, and although his residence is in Indiana, his fame, thank God, belongs to the whole continent. [Tremendous cheers.] To his past history I need but refer for a moment. He began public service an orphan boy, with no inheritance except those God-endowed gifts which marked him from the beginning a master and a leader of men. [Cheers.] He began his career as a Whig politician, under the standard of that pure and incorruptible patriot, that far-seeing statesman, that brightest representative of American character, that pure and peerless orator, Henry Clay, of Kentucky. [Cheers.] Faithful to his country, faithful to his friends, and faithful to his public allegiance, he has supported every candidate of the Whig party and every nomination of the Republican party. These are some of his claims to your confidence and consideration. He has supported every measure of congressional reconstruction. With other distinguished gentlemen presented for the same office we have no quarrel. They are proud sons of the republic. Their glory is a part of our common inheritance. We shall make no disparagement. When you shall make your nomination, we shall be there to roll up our sleeves in his behalf. [Cheers.] I assure the Convention that, with Mr. Colfax as our standard-bearer, we shall carry Indiana, sometimes slanderously called, by evil-minded men, a doubtful State. [Laughter.] We shall carry Indiana. We shall triumph in the election. We may do this with others. I trust, if another is nominated, we shall elect him, but we regard him as absolutely certain. It is an auspicious time to present a young man-a man representing the religious

and moral sentiment of the country to a great extent. He is the chosen, tried, and true leader-no doubtful man. The painful experience of the past has admonished us that we must have no doubtful man to be our Vice-President.

We present you no doubtful man. He has stood by reconstruction-thank God, he has also stood by impeachment. [Applause.] When the seven recreant senators, unlike the seven golden candlesticks, burning in no Christian templewhen their light shall have been extinguished, or when they shall be only dark lanterns, whose illumination is only seen in places fit for the light of dark lanterns. Schuyler Colfax, as Vice-President, or as Speaker, or as member of Congress, will be found true to his principles, true to the interest of the Republican party, and of the Union partyfor they are synonymous-one and the same. Now, we have passed through the war, we have emerged from the storm and cloud of battle, and now stand, as the whole United States, represented, and properly represented; and the Scripture is now being fulfilled, for we find Ethiopia striking out her arms." [Applause.]

Mr. Parker, Chairman of the delegation from New Jersey:

"MR. PRESIDENT: The Republican Convention of New Jersey gave to their delegates an instruction which they have fulfilled; a subsequent resolution upon the subject of the Vice-Presidency expressly declares that upon that subject no instructions were given, except that it was the duty of the delegates to aim at the nomination of the man most fit to occupy the place of Vice-President. In the spirit of that resolution these delegates are here to-day, and I am instructed, as chairman, to nominate as candidate to the office of Vice-President Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana.

[Applause.] We nominate him as a young man likely, in the Providence of God, to live; we nominate him as a candidate of the young men. [Applause.] We love him beyond all others because of the kindness of his heart, the power of his intellect. We nominate him because, coming from the great and glorious West, we believe he will add splendor to the galaxy of men which the West has furnished. We nominate him because we know that in our State we can live under his rule.

Schuyler Colfax comes flowed throughout this

of Jersey blood-blood that has land, and is always good and true. We nominate him for the virtues which have been mentioned by the gentleman from Indiana."

Mr. Cutcheson, of Michigan, said:

"MR. PRESIDENT: I rise in behalf of the electors and delegates of the Republican party of Michigan, to support the nomination of Schuyler Colfax. [Great applause.] At the State Convention, where the Republican party of the State was very fully represented, when the 'name of Schuyler Colfax was proposed there as a candidate for the office of Vice-President, we witnessed some such a scene as here to-day was seen when Ulysses S. Grant was declared the unanimous nominee of this Convention for President. In Michigan we have watched the course of Schuyler Colfax, who lives just on the border, and we believe there that no name can be proposed to the people of the United States for this high office that will excite greater enthusiasm; we believe none other can excite so great an enthusiasm. In the State of Michigan the name of Schuyler Colfax is powerful. [Cries, "True," applause, etc.] While we pledge the most hearty support to any nominee of this Convention, we feel that to Grant and Schuyler Colfax we

can promise to this Convention, from the State of Michigan, for Grant and Colfax, to roll up thirty thousand majority. [Applause.] We have seen him, how true he is to principle, and how he has forced men to love him as the people all love the name of the man who gets so close to the people's heart." [Applause.]

The eloquent German orator, Fred. Hassaurek, in behalf of Ohio, then proceeded to nominate the "old war-horse," Ben. Wade. He was followed by General Carl Schurtz, who ably seconded the motion on behalf of the Missouri delegation. Judge Jones, of North Carolina, followed General Schurtz in an earnest speech, urging the nomination of Senator Wade. Judge Tremain nominated Governor Reuben E. Fenton for New York, amid great enthusiasm, and the motion was seconded by the Louisiana delegation through its chairman,, Governor Warmouth. Mr. Wood, of Kentucky, nominated the Hon. James Speed, of Louisville. Mr. Sands, of Maryland, nominated Hon. A. J. Creswell. Mr. Forney, of Pennsylvania, nominated Hon. Andrew G. Curtin, and Mr. McClure seconded the motion in an able speech. General Williamson nominated Hon. James Harlan. Mr. Seymour, of Wisconsin, nominated Hon. Hannibal Ham-. lin, and Mr. Shepley, of Maine, seconded the nomination. Hon. Wm. D. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, was nominated by the Alabama delegation, and the delegation from Kansas nominated Senator Pomeroy, when the nominations were closed, and, by direction of the President, the Secretary proceeded to call the roll, with the following result: