118 POLITICAL LIFE-IV 



of it he seemed to think that he could better it, and he 

 therefore substituted for the latter half a petition which 

 began with these words : Grant, Lord, that the ticket 

 here to be nominated may command a majority of the 

 suffrages of the American people. To those accustomed 

 to the more usual ways of conducting service this was 

 something of a shock; still there was this to be said in 

 favor of the reverend colonel s amendment, he had faith 

 to ask for what he wanted. 



This opening prayer being ended, there came a display 

 of parliamentary tactics by leaders from all parts of the 

 Union : one after another rose in this or that part of the 

 great assemblage to move this or that resolution, and the 

 confusion which soon prevailed was fearful, the noise of 

 the street being steadily mingled with the tumult of the 

 house. But good Dr. Breckinridge did his best, and 

 in each case put the motion he had happened to hear. 

 Thereupon each little group, supposing that the resolu 

 tion which had been carried was the one it had happened 

 to hear, moved additional resolutions based upon it. 

 These various resolutions were amended in all sorts of 

 ways, in all parts of the house, the good doctor putting 

 the resolutions and amendments which happened to reach 

 his ear, and declaring them &quot;carried&quot; or &quot;lost,&quot; as the 

 case might be. Thereupon ensued additional resolutions 

 and amendments based upon those which their movers 

 supposed to have been passed, with the result that, in 

 about twenty minutes no one in the convention, and least 

 of all its president, knew what we had done or what we 

 ought to do. Each part of the house firmly believed that 

 the resolutions which it had heard were those which had 

 been carried, and the clash and confusion between them all 

 seemed hopeless. 



Various eminent parliamentarians from different parts 

 of the Union arose to extricate the convention from this 

 welter, but generally, when they resumed their seats, left 

 the matter more muddled than when they arose. 



A very near approach to success was made by my dear 



