tions would appear from the record of proceedings to be in the exclusive care of, and the peculiar institutions of, the no-party and no-platform gentlemen here assembled.

The Convention adjourned in high spirits.

At night a ratification meeting was held in Monument square. An extraordinarily large and elaborate stage was erected. There was a platform for the speakers and musicians. Upon each flank of this was a tower near thirty feet in height, each tower bearing a flag-staff from which the celebrated flag of our country streamed. In front of one of the towers was a likeness of Washington, and Clay adorned the other. On one tower appeared the name of John Bell, on the other that of Edward Everett. An arch spanned the platform, inscribed, "The Union, the Constitution, and the Enforcement of the Laws." Circling above the inscription were the coats of arms of the States. The centre of the arch was intended for the American Eagle. But a suitable bird could not be procured to perch in that exalted place, and a few small flags were substituted. The whole thing was decorated by lamps, and presented an exceedingly brilliant appearance. I imagine that nothing more complete in design, or elaborate in execution, was ever in the United States constructed to serve a similar purpose.

THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.

CHICAGO, May 15.

Leaving Baltimore in a flood we found the West afflicted with a drouth. At one end of the journey, there was a torrent tearing down every ravine; at the other there was a fog of dust all along the road.

The incidents of the trip were a land-slide on the Pennsylvania Central, and the unpleasantness of being behind time to the extent of six hours on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago. The detention was occasioned by the fact of the train consisting of thirteen cars full of "irrepressibles." I regret to say that most of the company were sound," and rather disposed to boast of that fact.

66

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The difference between the country passed over between Baltimore and Chicago, and that between Louisville and Baltimore, by way of Charleston, is greatly in favor of the former. I have not had any disposition to speak in disparaging terms of the Southern country, but it is the plain truth that the country visible along the road from Baltimore to Harrisburg alone, is worth more by far than all that can be seen from Charleston to the Potomac. In the South few attempts have been made to cultivate any lands other than those most favorably situated, and most rich. But in Pennsylvania, free labor has made not only the valleys bloom, but the hill-tops are radiant with clover and wheat. And there

are many other things that rush upon the sight in the North as contrasted with the South, that testify to the paramount glory of free labor.

And while pursuing the path of perfect candor in all these matters, it becomes necessary to say that the quantity of whiskey and other ardent beverages consumed on the train in which I reached this city, was much greater than on any train that within my knowledge entered Charleston during Convention times. The number of private bottles on our train last night was something surprising. A portion of the Republicans are distressed by what they see and hear of the disposition to use ardent spirits which appears in members of their supposed to be painfully virtuous party. And our Western Reserve was thrown into prayers and perspiration last night by some New Yorkers, who were singing songs not found in hymn-books. Others are glad to have the co-operation of Capt. Whiskey, and bail the fact of the enlistment of that distinguished partisan as an evidence that the Republicans are imbibing the spirit as well as the substance of the old Democratie party. I do not wish, however, to convey the impression that drunkenness prevails here to an extent very unusual in National Conventions, for that would be doing an injustice. I do not feel competent to state the precise proportions of those who are drunk, and those who are sober. There are a large number of both classes; and the drunken are of course the most demonstrative, and according to the principle of the numerical force of the black sheep in a flock, are most multitudinous.

The crowd is this evening becoming prodigious. The Tremont House is so crammed that it is with much difficulty people get about in it from one room to another. Near fifteen hundred people will sleep in it tonight. The principal lions in this house are Horace Greeley and Frank P. Blair, Sen. The way Greeley is stared at as he shuffles about, looking as innocent as ever, is itself a sight. Whenever he appears there is a crowd gaping at him, and if he stops to talk a minute with some one who wishes to consult him as the oracle, the crowd becomes dense as possible, and there is the most eager desire to hear the words of wisdom that are supposed to fall on such occasions.

souri,"

The curiosity of the town-next to the "wigwam' -is a bowie-knife seven feet long, weighing over forty pounds. It bears on one side the inscription, "Presented to John F. Potter by the Republicans of MisOn the other side is this motto, "Will always keep a 'Pryor' engagement." This curiosity is gaped at almost as much as Greeley, and it is a strange and dreadful looking concern. It is to be formally presented to Potter at Washington, by a committee from Missouri.

The city of Chicago is attending to this Convention in magnificent style. It is a great place for large hotels, and all have their capacity for accommodation tested. The great feature is the Wigwam, erected within the past month, expressly for the use of the Convention, by the Republicans of Chicago, at a cost of seven thousand dollars. It is a small edition of the New York Crystal Palace, built of boards, and will hold ten thousand persons comfortably-and is admirable for its accoustic excellence. An ordinary voice can be heard through the whole structure with ease.

The political news is the utter failure of the Ohio delegation to come to any agreement, and the loss of influence by that State.

CHICAGO, May 16th.

The crowd

This is the morning of the first day of the Convention. is prodigious. The hotel keepers say there are more people here now than during the National Fair last year, and then it was estimated that thirty thousand strangers were in the city. This figure was probably too high, but there are, beyond doubt, more than twenty-five thousand persons here in attendance upon the Convention. This is a great place for hotels, and the multitude is fortunately distributed through them all over the town. There are only a few points where the jam is painfully close. One of those places is the Tremont House, where about fifteen hundred persons are stowed away, and which is the focus of political

excitement.

As in the case of all other Conventions, the amount of idle talking that is done, is amazing. Men gather in little groups, and with their arms about each other, and chatter and whisper as if the fate of the country depended upon their immediate delivery of the mighty potitical secrets with which their imaginations are big. There are a thousand rumors afloat, and things of incalculable moment are communicated to you confidentially, at intervals of five minutes. There are now at least a thousand men packed together in the halls of the Tremont House, crushing each other's ribs, tramping each other's toes, and titillating each other with the gossip of the day; and the probability is, not one is possessed of a single political fact not known to the whole, which is of the slightest consequence to any human being.

The current of the universal twaddle this morning is, that "Old Abe" will be the nominee.

The Bates movement, the McLean movement, the Cameron movement, the Banks movement, are all nowhere. They have gone down like lead in the mighty waters. "Old Abe" and "Old Ben" are in the field against Seward. Abe and Ben are representatives of the conservatism, the respectability, the availability, and all that sort of thing.

The out-and-out friends of Mr. Chase here are very much embittered against the Wade movement. They are mistaken about it in some particulars. While this movement has certainly been used to slaughter Mr. Chase, it was not, in my judgment, originated with any such purpose.

The room mates, the pleasure of whose society I have the pleasure of enjoying, were in magnificent condition last night. They were 'glorious, "o'er all the ills of life victorious, and, to use the expression which is here in every body's mouth every minute, they were irrepressible until a late hour. And this morning I was aroused by a vehement debate among them, and rubbing my eyes, discovered that they were sitting up in bed playing cards to see who should pay for gin cock-tails all around, the cock-tails being an indispensable preliminary to breakfast.

The badges of different candidates are making their appearance, and a good many of the dunces of the occasion go about duly labeled. I

saw an old man this morning with a wood-cut of Edward Bates pasted outside his hat. The Seward men have badges of silk with his likeness and name, and some wag pinned one of them to Horace Greeley's back yesterday, and he created even an unusual sensation as he hitched about with the Seward mark upon him.

The hour for the meeting of the Convention approaches, and the agitation of the city is exceedingly great. Vast as the wigwam is, not onefifth of those who would be glad to get inside can be accommodated.

FIRST DAY.

OFFICIAL ROLL OF THE CONVENTION.

The following is the Official Roll of the delegates admitted to seats in the Convention :

PRESIDENT.

Hon. GEO. ASHMUN, of Massachusetts.

VICE-PRESIDENTS.

California-A. A. Sargent.

Connecticut-C. F. Cleveland.

Delaware-John C. Clark.

Iowa-H. P. Scholte.

Illinois-David Davis.

Indiana-John Beard.

Kentucky-W. D. Gallagher.

Maine-Samuel F. Hersey.
Maryland-Wm. L. Marshall.
Massachusetts-Ensign H. Kellogg.
Michigan-Thomas White Ferry.
Minnesota-Aaron Goodrich.
Missouri-Henry T. Blow.
New York-Wm. Curtis Noyes
New Jersey-E. Y. Rogers.
New Hampshire-Wm. Haile.
Ohio-Geo. D. Burgess.
Oregon-Joel Burlingame.
Pennsylvania-Thad. Stevens.

Rhode Island-Rowland G. Hazard.
Texas-Wm. T. Chandler.

Vermont-Wm. Hebord.

Virginia-R. Crawford.

New Hampshire-Nathan Hubbard.
Ohio-N. J. Beebe.
Oregon-Eli Thayer.
Pennsylvania-J. B. Serrill.
Rhode Island-R. R. Hazard, jr.

Texas-Dunbar Henderson.

Vermont-John W. Stewart.

Wisconsin-L. F. Frisby.
Kansas-John A. Martin.
Nebraska-H. P. Hitchcock.

DELEGATES.

MAINE-EIGHT VOTES.

At Large.

George F. Talbot, Machias.
William H. McCrillis, Bangor.
John L. Stevens, Augusta.
Rensellaer Cram, Portland.
Districts.

1 Mark F. Wentworth, Kittery.
Leonard Andrews, Biddeford.

2 Charles J. Gilman, Brunswick.
Seward Dill, Phillips.

3 Nathan G. Hichborn, Stockton.
George W. Lawrence, Warren.
4 C. A Wing, Winthrop.

J. S. Baker, Bath.

5 Samuel F. Hersey, Bangor.
Going Hathorn, Pittsfield.

6 John West, Franklin.

Washington Long, Fort Fairfield.

NEW HAMPSHIRE-FIVE VOTES.

At Large.

Hon. Edward H. Rollins.

Hon. Aaron H. Cragin.
Hon. William Haile.
Hon. Amos Tuck.

Delegates

1 Nathaniel Hubbard.
George Matthewson.

2 B. F. Martin.
F. H. Morgan.

3 Jacob Benton.
Jacob C. Bean.