MR. BARTHOLOMEW, of Pennsylvania-Mr. President, as the business of the Convention will necessarily be delayed a few moments, preparatory to the reception of this committee, and the report of committees now appointed and in action, I move you, sir, that General Daniel E. Sickles be invited to address this Convention on the topics of the day. [Cheers. "Good," "good."]

MR. SICKLES, of New York-Mr. President, I beg the gentleman to withdraw that request. I should be very happy, on some proper occasion, to address this body, but at this time I should be very reluctant to interrupt the process of business with any remarks. Besides, I am one of the delegation to this body from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention, and my duties will require me, in a very few minutes, to join that deputation to present the proceedings of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention to this body.

MR. BARTHOLOMEW, of Pennsylvania-Under the explanation, I withdraw my motion.

THE PRESIDENT-The Chair announces as the Committee to receive the delegation from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention: Gen. Cochrane, of New York; Gen. Schurz, of Missouri; Gen. Dodge, of Iowa; Gen. Sweet, of Illinois.

MR.

of

-Mr. Dodge, of Iowa, is on the Committee on Resolutions, and is absent from the building. I would suggest the name of Col. Craig in place of Gen. Dodge.

THE PRESIDENT-The name of Col. Craig will be taken in place of Gen. Dodge, if there is no objection.

The delegation of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention was conducted to the front of the platform.

MR. COCHRANE of New York-Mr. President, I have the honor, in behalf of the committee recently appointed by yourself, to announce that they have discharged the duty to which they were appointed. I introduce to the. Convention, through yourself, Gen. Fairchild, of Wisconsin, Chairman of the Committee from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention. [Prolonged applause.]

GEN. FAIRCHILD, of Wisconsin-Mr. President and gentlemen of the Convention—As instructed by the members of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention, I appear before you in their behalf, to present to you a resolution, passed unanimously by them yesterday afternoon, as follows:

"Resolved, That we, the soldiers and sailors, steadfast now, as ever, to the Union and the flag, fully recognize the claims of General Ulysses S. Grant to the confidence of the American people, and believing that the victories won under his guidance in war will be illustrated by him in peace, by such measures as will secure the fruits of our exertions, and restore the Union upon the loyal basis, we declare it as our deliberate conviction that he is the choice of the soldiers and sailors of the Union for the office of President of the United States of America. [Loud applause.]

Mr. President and gentlemen-The soldiers of the United States ask the nomination of General Grant for President of the United States, because we love him; and we love him, sir, because he is loyal to the Union, loyal to

justice, loyal to freedom, and loyal to right; and if you will give us our comrade as leader in the campaign of 1868, we will bear down upon the enemy's works as we did upon the enemy's works in the field in 1864. [Applause.]

THE PRESIDENT-It is hardly necessary that I should say that such a communication is received with the warmest interest from Republican Soldiers and Sailors by a Republican Convention. The communication is before you.

ors.

MR. SPALDING, of Ohio-I propose three cheers for the soldiers and sail

Three hearty cheers were given.

MOTION TO NOMINATE-AGAIN.

MR. LANE, of Indiana-Mr. President, I move you that the nomination of General Ulysses S. Grant be now declared by acclamation by this Convention. [Cries-"Wait awhile." "The Committee on Credentials hasn't reported." "Question."]

THE PRESIDENT-The motion is made and seconded.

MR. TREMAIN, of New York-Mr. President, I presume there is no member of this Convention who is not prepared at the proper time to indorse the recommendation made by the soldiers and sailors. I presume there is not one loyal heart that does not beat in unison with the sentiment that calls upon us to select that great chieftain, Ulysses S. Grant, as our standard-bearer in this campaign. [Applause.] Sir, I want the proceedings of this Convention to go forth with such dignity, and as the result of such deliberation as not only will command our approval, but the approval of those who sent us here. [Applause.]

Now, I happened to be present at the Convention in Baltimore, in 1864, when the same unanimity prevailed that called upon the representatives of the people to select Abraham Lincoln as their standard-bearer. [Applause.] But, sir, a motion to nominate him by acclamation was superseded by a motion that the States should be called in their order, and that, as each State was called, from its response we should have the moral force arising from the unanimous expression of each one of the delegates from that State. [Applause.] Sir, when that is done, the Convention will be at liberty, by acclamation, to second the nomination, as the people will-not only in their preliminary meetings, but at the polls. ]Applause.]

I hope, therefore, my friend from Indiana [Mr. Lane] will withdraw the motion until the States can be called in their order.

MR. LANE, of Indiana-Mr. President, I certainly have no desire to consume the time of the Convention. I only wish to get at the object. The nomination is already made, sanctioned by the people, and by the whole people. But, if it is thought better to call the States-call the States! [Laughter.] Call the States! [Laughter and applause.]

MR. BEACH, of Ohio-I would remark, in this connection, that we are not organized. The Committee on Credentials have not yet reported the dele

gates who are entitled to seats here, and to do anything of this kind in an unorganized condition is not appropriate.

MR. LOGAN, of Illinois-[Applause and cheers]-Mr. President, I desire merely to remark, that I think it would be a more appropriate mode of proceeding to accept the report of the committee from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention; that, then, when this Convention will be fully organized, and when the States are represented by their delegates who shall have been accepted by the Convention, after the report of the Committee on Credentials, then the order of business would be nomination of candidates for President. [Applause.]

I know, sir, that General Grant, of whom we are all proud, from one end of this broad land to the other, is, to-day, the nominee of the loyal citizens, the loyal soldiers and the loyal sailors of this grand and glorious country. And I simply desire to make this suggestion that the Convention may consider it. As far as the making of the nomination by a delegate from any particular State is concerned, we, Illinoisans, have no pride whatever. We had as lief the nomination would come from one State as another, and I merely make these remarks with reference to the mode and order of proceeding. [Applause.]

MR. COCHRANE, of New York-Mr. President, I move you, sir, as an amendment to the resolution which has been offered, and, if that resolution is withdrawn, then as an independent resolution, that the resolutions from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention, as reported, be accepted by the Convention, entered upon its record, and made a part of its proceedings.

MR. LANE, of Indiana-I will withdraw for that purpose.
The motion prevailed.

CALL FOR THE COMMITTEE ON CREDENTIALS.

MR. PIERCE, of Virginia-Mr. President, I would now call, sir, for the report of the Committee on Credentials, that we may know who there are here-whether we have a convention or a mass-meeting-I would move you, sir, that the Committee on Credentials be called upon now to make a report regarding all the states where there is no contest.

THE PRESIDENT-I am informed that a motion to that effect has already been adopted. It was postponed for a time, waiting for the report of the Committee on Permanent Organization. Is there any member of the Committee on Credentials who can inform us whether that committee is ready, or even partly so?

MR.

of

-I desire to inform the Convention that it is not yet ready to report. It has a contested case before it, which is not yet determined, and probably will not be for an hour.

THE PRESIDENT-It seems to be the desire of the Convention to hear a report from the committee, as far as possible. If there be but one State remaining, the Convention wishes, as far as I can judge its sentiments, to hear from the rest. [Cries of "Logan," "Logan."]

MR. LOGAN, of Illinois-I beg, gentlemen, that you will excuse me. I do not wish to take up the time of the Convention now. At an appropriate time I have, certainly, no objection to respond, but at present I would rather not delay the Convention. [Cries of "Committee," "Committee."]

THE PRESIDENT-The Chairman would inform the Convention that it has twice sent word to the committee in question, and that it is expected every moment. [Cries of "Committee."] The Chairman sends word that they have finished all the contested cases, and will be here in five minutes, or as soon as they can prepare their report. [Laughter.]

MR. CONWAY, of Louisiana-Mr. President, I suppose that it is a part of the settled policy of the Republican party, to-day, to have the South come into this Convention Union end foremost. [Applause and laughter.] But we have another marked event, of special moment-that there is with us to-day, in full heart and in full fellowship, one of the former Governors, in the days of the rebellion, of one of the rebellious States, who has since become reconstructed [applause], has proved himself, in the fire, as true as steel, a genuine convert, and in fellowship with the Republican party.

I move, sir, that during the interim, until we have the report of the Committee on Credentials, Ex-Governor Joseph E. Brown, of Georgia, be invited to address the Convention. [Applause. Cries of "Brown,” “Brown.”]

THE PRESIDENT-It is hardly necessary to put a motion which has such a reception. Will Governor Brown address the Convention?

MR. BROWN, of Georgia-Mr. President, as it has been announced that the committee will be ready to report in a few minutes, I think it might be improper that I should attempt to enter into any discussion of the questions involved at this time. And I could not do justice to myself or my section if I attempted to speak without time to review, to some extent, the questions involved.

I do not wish, sir, to intrude upon the proceedings of this Convention. I came here, as has been well remarked, a reconstructed rebel. [Laughter and applause.] I was an original secessionist. [Laughter. Cries of "That's frank." "An open confession is good for the soul." Cries of "Platform," amid which Mr. Brown advanced to the stage.]

THE PRESIDENT-Gov. Brown, of Georgia, gentlemen. [Tremendous applause.]

MR. BROWN, of Georgia-Mr. President and gentlemen of the Convention. A VOICE—“Tell us your experience." [Laughter and applause.] MR. BROWN, of Georgia—As I remarked before I left my seat, I was an original secessionist. I was born in the State of South Carolina, in Mr. Calhoun's district. [Laughter.] Charmed with the fascination of his manner and the splendor of his intellect, I early imbibed his State Rights doctrines. and I suppose that I religiously believed that they were correct, as you believed that your doctrines were correct. I believe that I had seen for ten years, before the unfortunate struggle we have just passed through, that the issues which divided the North and South must ultimately be settled by the sword. There was no common tribunal whose judgment we would respect. If the Supreme Court decided a question bearing upon the great issues, the party against whom the decision was made refused to abide by it, because it

was regarded as political. And, while I deprecated the necessity, I believed one day it must come. While Mr. Clay lived-that great man-that great pacificator [cheers and great applause]-we were able to avert this issue. But Mr. Clay was called from his field of usefulness, and Mr. Webster died, and Mr. Calhoun slept with his fathers; and when the storm again rose there was no one who could pour oil upon the troubled waters and stop the deluge. Secession was the result! I went into it cordially, as a States' Rights man, and I stood by it-[cheers]-as long as there was any chance to sustain it. When the President of the Confederate States abandoned the great States' Rights doctrine that we commenced the revolution upon, I differed from him. When he adopted his conscript measures, which gave the entire control of the whole army of the Confederate States to the President, with the appointment of every officer, down to the lowest lieutenantan error, sir, that your Government did not make-I took issue with him. But we went through the struggle. I will not attempt now to review its history, but we of the South fell, and you of the great North were the conquerors; and I think I had sense enough at the end of the struggle to know when I was whipped. [Cheers.]

The president of the United States, after the surrender of General Johnston ordered my arrest and imprisonment. After my release your courts were open and I was left free to act. I felt then that the time had come when I should make my choice between this land and this Government, and some other land and some other Government. I still love my own native land the best. [Cheers, and cries of "Good," "good."] And, with your construction of the Constitution, established by the sword, I still preferred the Government of the United States to any other recognized Government. [Cheers.]

The natural inquiry then was: What is my interest, and what is my duty? I believed it was my interest, and my choice, to remain in this Government. If I remained here, I must seek the amnesty of the Government for the past, and I must seek its protection for the future. If it yielded me that, I was in honor bound to return to my allegiance and make a good citizen, if I could. [Cries of "Good," "good," and cheers.] Hence, I have advocated every measure from that time until this, for reconstruction. [Applause.] When the President of the United States proposed his plan, I advised our people to accept it; because we had fallen, and we had no other power to negotiate with but him. He did not call Congress together.

When Congress, which had the legitimate control of this question[cheers and prolonged applause] proposed the Constitutional Amendment to the Southern States, I advised such friends as sought my opinion upon the question, that it was better to accept it. But the feeling was so overwhelming against it that no voice could stay it. Unwisely, the Southern States promptly rejected those terms. I did not then suppose it would ever get better terms. I was satisfied we must submit to worse ones. What was that Constitutional Amendment?

There was but one living issue in it, and that was the suffrage questionand that Congress left with the States to settle for themselves. If we voted the black race, we must count them in our representation; if we refused to vote them we could not count them. That was right! [Cheers and great applause. Cries of "Right! right!"]

With reference to the Federal debt, there was no question there.

There was but one other important measure connected with it; that was the provision that disqualified me, and others in my condition, from holding office. That was no living issue. I and others like me will soon pass from the stage, and if we are never relieved by Congress there are other and better men to take our places. Therefore, in my judgment, we acted unwisely.

What next followed? The Supplemental Bill and the Sherman Act. I advised, immediately on the passage of that act, that we promptly accept the terms. At that time it would have been easy for me. True, without vanity,