TES. 



759 



alty, and their efforts t re-a.uv all 



,.i tin- Am* 



I sMll. 1 l'\ tjlf p>sili..' 



., -intent witli il peaceful an.1 luvlul 



In- ratilicaiioii <>f the amendtnaatt 

 iiution of the L'uited 81 

 1 0*8 at its recent session, ai;d iv^rct tliut 

 its \\isclniii iliil not provide by law 

 iii-r s.Tiuity of the loyal people iu tho 

 dmittcd to representation. 



.</<", /, Tli.it tho polilieal p. .\vi-r i,f th- 



eminent <if i he l'nite.1 states in tho admintstrfttioB 

 !.y its Constitution confided to the 



r or law-making deporttnoot of the Uovcru- 

 inent. 



'.' .tolroJ, That tho political situation of the 



lately in rebellion to the L'niteil States QoT 

 ! the rights of the people of such S 



iiiir.il questions, and are, therefore, clearly 

 within the c.nitriil of Congress, to the exclusion of 

 the independent action of any and every other de- 

 partment of the Government. 



The following is an extract from the close of 

 I adopted by the minority on tho en- 

 suing day: 



We affirm that the loyalists of the South look to 

 Congress with affectionate gratitude and confidence 

 as the only means to save us from persecution, exile, 

 and death itself. And we also declare that there can 

 be no security for us or our children, there can bo 

 no safety for "the country against the fell spirit of 

 slavery, now organized in the form of serfdom, un- 

 .. Government, by national and appropriato 

 legislation, enforced by national authority, shall con- 

 fer on every citizen in the States we represent tho 

 American birthright of impartial suffrage and equal- 

 ity before the law. This is the one all-sufficient 

 remedy. This is our great need and pressing ne- 



, . This is the only policy which will <i 

 sectionalism, by bringing into effective power _a 

 prepondcring force on the side of loyalty. It will 

 Icaa to an enduring pacification, because based 

 on the eternal principles of justice. It is a policy 

 which will finally regenerate the South itself, he- 

 cause it will introduce and establish there a divino 

 principle of moral politics which, under God's bless- 

 ing, will, in elevating humanity, absorb and purify 

 the unchristian hate and selfish passions of men. It 

 will bless those who give as well as those who re- 

 ceive. It will be the crowning act of glory to our 

 free Republic, and when done will bo received, as 

 was the act of emancipation, with joy and praise 

 throughout the world as the final realization of tho 

 promises of the Declaration of American Independ- 



II. P. WABMOTH, of Louisiana, Chairman. 



C. C. I '.A VI. OK, of Georgia. 



]>. II. lllMlilAM, of Alabama. 



A. \V. TorKi;i;ix of North Carolina. 



R. O. SIDNEY, of Mississippi. 



JAMKS II. HHLL, of T. 



JOHN HAUXHL'UST, of Virginia Committee. 



A committee was appointed, prior to the with- 

 drawal of the border State delegates, to ; 

 a copy of the proceedings of the Convention to 

 Congress. A delegation was also appointed 

 to follow tho route taken by tho President in 

 his recent tour, and address the people of tho 

 various towns; meeting together on October l.-t 

 at Cliuairo; thence to proceed to tho tomb of 

 Abraham Lincoln, at Springfield. 



On August 10th an address, signed by promi- 

 nent oflicers of tho army in AYiishingtim, was 

 issued to the soldiers and sailors who served in 

 the late war, and who approved of Ui 



rj of tho 1'r. -!.]- nt 

 ciples of tlio convention in 1'hihi'i 

 A n rust 14tli, inviting them to i 

 tion at Cleveland, Ohio, on F I7ih, 



"lor consultation on the momentous issue* 

 convulsing the country." This convention at- 

 sc;nl>!t/d in lari.'v iiniiilxTs on tho 17th, and wa 

 organi/i-d with Major-General (Jordo- 



-ident. An address and resolutions 

 adopted of tho same general character with 

 tho-e of the Philadelphia convention. During 

 tho session of the convention the following 

 dispatch was received and read : 



MEMPHIS, Scpto-nber 17, 1868. 



To the- President of the Soldiert and Sailori Conreif 

 tion, Clectland, Ohio : 



The soldiers of the late Confederate army met here 

 to-day, and deputed the undersigned to congratulate 

 your convention on its efforts to restore peace and 

 quietude to the country, and to express their deep 

 sympathy with your patriotic purpose: and further 

 to assure you that th'o Confederate soldiers are en- 

 tirely willing to leave the determination of their rights 

 as citizens of the States, and of the United State*, to 

 the soldiers of the Union. On our part we pledge se- 

 curity of life, person, and property, and freedom of 

 speech and opinion to all. A mass meeting will be 

 held here to-morrow night to give formal expression 

 to these purposes and sentirn 



(Signed) R. CHALMERS, 



L. J. DKKl'Sir. 



N. B. FOl; 



I.F.oN TRUBSDALB, 



M. C. CALI.OWAV, 



J. JORDO 



J. HARVEY,' 



M. J<> 



The following reply, after having been cp- 

 proved by the convention, was made to the 

 above dispatch : 



CLZVZUIXD, OHIO, September 1 - 

 To N. B. Forrest, J. Jordan, and others, Memphis: 



The National Union Convention of Soldiers and 

 Sailors assembled here are profoundly grateful for 

 the patriotic sentiments expressed in your dispatch. 



\Ve hail with pleasure every effort to restore j 

 prosperity, and brotherly affection throughout onr 

 entire country. War has its victories, but peace and 

 union are blessings for which we will manfully con- 

 tend, until harmony and justice are restored undef 

 the Constitution. 



-ued) GORDON GRANGER, 



President of the Convention, 

 G. A. CUSTEK. 

 J. H. STEADMAN, 

 JOHN H. WOOL, 

 THOMAS i:\VlNC. JR., 



THOMAS CRITTEN: 

 THOMAS E. BKAMLETTE. 



The Convention of Southern Soldiers mon- 

 tioned above, as about to be convened :;t Mem- 

 phis, iiK-t on the next day, and unanimously 

 adopted the following resolutions: 



Whereat, a conventioa of the Union Soldiers and 

 Sailors, now in session in the city of Cleveland, 

 having under consideration the best mode in 

 which to restore the Union of these States, and to 

 cement that bond of fraternal friendship so sundered 

 by the late war; and 



Whereat, we, the soldiers of the late army of the 

 Confederate linz and l> .:pathy 



with the movement of our late adversaries ." restore 



