754 



UNITED STATES. 



at this time, as TV ell as at the opening of the 

 session of Congress, approve _of his course and 

 policy respecting the re^oration of the South- 

 ern States, and their representation by proper 

 men in Congress. The result was that on June 

 25th a call was issued for a national Union 

 convention of at least two delegates from each 

 Congressional district of all the States, two 

 from each Territory, two from the District of 

 Columbia, and four delegates at large from each 

 State. The day set for the convention was 

 August 14th, and the place Philadelphia. The 

 call for the convention continued as follows : 



Such delegates will be chosen by the electors of 

 the several States who sustain the Administration in 

 maintaining unbroken the Union of the States under 

 the Constitution which our fathers established, and 

 who agree in the following propositions, viz. : 



The'Umon of the States is, in every case, indisso- 

 luble, and is perpetual; and the Constitution of the 

 United States, and the laws passed by Congress in 

 pursuance thereof, supreme, and constant, and uni- 

 versal in their obligation. 



The rights, the dignity, and the equality of the 

 States in the Union, including the right of represen- 

 tation in Congress, are solemnly guaranteed by that 

 Constitution, to save which from overthrow so much 

 blood and treasure were expended in the late civil 

 war. 



There is.no right, anywhere, to dissolve the Union, 

 or to separate States from the Union, either by vol- 

 untary withdrawal, by force of arms, or by Congres- 

 siopal action; neither by the secession of the States, 

 nor by the exclusion of their loyal and qualified rep- 

 resentatives, nor by the National Government in any 

 other form. 



Slavery is abolished, and neither can nor ought 

 to be reestablished in any State or Territory within 

 our jurisdiction. 



Each State has the undoubted right to prescribe 

 the qualifications of its own electors, and no external 

 power rightfully can or ought to dictate, control, or 

 influence the free and voluntary action of the States 

 in the exercise of that right. 



The maintenance inviolate of the rights of the 

 States, and especially of the right of each State to 

 order and control its own domestic concerns, accord- 

 ing to its own judgment exclusively, subject only to 

 the Constitution of the United States, is essential to 

 that balance of power on which the perfection and 

 endurance of our political fabric depend, and the 

 overthrow of that system by the usurpation and cen- 

 tralization of power in Congress would be a revolu- 

 tion dangerous to republican government and de- 

 structive of liberty. 



_ Each House of Congress is made, by the Constitu- 

 tion, the sole judge of the elections, returns, and 

 qualifications of its members ; but the exclusion of 

 loyal Senators and Representatives, properly chosen 

 and qualified under the Constitution and laws, is un- 

 just and revolutionary. 



Every patriot should frown upon all those acts and 

 proceedings, everywhere, which can serve no other 

 purpose than to rekindle the animosities of war, and 

 the effect of which upon our moral, social, and ma- 

 terial interests at home, and upon our standing 

 abroad, differing only in degree, is injurious, like war 

 itself. 



The purpose of the war having been to preserve 

 the Union and the Constitution by putting down the 

 rebellion, and the rebellion having been suppressed, 

 all resistance to the authority of the General Govern- 

 ment being at an end, and the war having ceased, 

 war measures should also cease, and should be fol- 

 lowed by measures of peaceful administration, so 

 that union, harmony, and concord may be encour- 

 sged, and industiy, commerce, and the arts of peace 



revived and promoted ; and the early restoration of 

 all the States to the exercise of their constitutional 

 powers in the National Government is indispensably 

 necessary to the strength and the defence of tho 

 Republic, and to the maintenance of , the public 

 credit. 



All such electors in the thirty-six States and nina 

 Territories of the United States, and in the District 

 of Columbia, who, in a spirit of patriotism and love 

 for the Union, can rise above personal and sectional 

 considerations, and who desire to see a truly National 

 Union Convention, which shall represent all the 

 States and Territories of the Union, assemble, as 

 friends and brothers, under the national flag, to hold 

 counsel together upon the state of the Union, and to 

 take measures to avert possible danger from the 

 same, are specially requested to take part in the 

 choice of such delegates. 



But no delegate will take a seat in such Conven- 

 tion who does not loyallv accept the national situation 

 and cordially indorse the principles above set forth, 

 and who is not attached, in true allegiance, to the 

 Constitution, the Union, and the Government of the 

 United States. 



A. W. RANDALL, President. 

 J. R. DOOLITTLE, 

 O. H. BROWNING, 

 EDGAR CO WAN, 

 CHARLES KNAPP, 

 SAMUEL FOWLER, 



Executive Committee National Union Club. 

 Washington, June 25, 1866. 



We recommend the holding of the above conven- 

 tion, and indorse the call therefor. 



DANIEL S. NORTON, 

 J. W. NE SMITH, 

 JAMES DIXON, 

 T. A. HENDRICKS. 



This call for a convention was followed, on 

 July 4th, by an address " to the people of the 

 United States," signed by forty-one Democratic 

 members of Congress, who said, that they u cor- 

 dially approved the call for a National Union 

 Convention at Philadelphia, and indorsed the 

 principles therein set forth." They therefore 

 urged the people of each State, Territory, and 

 Congressional district, to promptly select wise, 

 moderate, and conservative men, to represent 

 them in that convention. The reasons alleged 

 by the signers for this appeal were, that dan- 

 gers threatened the Constitution ; the citadel of 

 the public liberties was assailed ; it was essential 

 to national union that the rights, the dignity, 

 and the equality of the States, including the 

 right of representation, and the exclusive right 

 to control its own domestic concerns under the 

 Constitution, should be preserved ; eleven States 

 were excluded from the national council ; the 

 right of representation was denied to their 

 people, while laws affecting their highest inter- 

 ests have been passed without their consent, 

 and in disregard of tho fundamental principles 

 of free government. 



The effect of this address was to enlist in sup- 

 port of the convention the majority of the 

 Democratic party in the Northern States, in 

 many of which active measures were immedi- 

 ately taken to secure full and able delegations. 

 In others some misunderstanding arose as to 

 the manner in which the delegates were to be 

 chosen. This was, however, removed by an 

 explanation emanating from the committee of 



