country. Therefore we urge upon the American people to give us Ulysses S. Grant for our candidate, for his name is a tower of strength at the South, and the only name that unrepentant rebels respect. [Prolonged cheers.] He is the man who is to work out the great problem now being solved in this country by the great Republican party;-as has been truly said, that problem has not yet been solved;-its duties are not entirely fulfilled; its organization must not yet be disintegrated. The full measure of our citizenship is not yet complete. We stand, many of us, in a prominent position in the Southern States; but right among the people where we hold these positions the law is so weak and the public sentiment so perverse that the common civilities of a citizen are withheld from us. We want the Civil Rights bill. [Applause.] We ask of the American people as the natural result of their own action that we shall be respected as men among men, and as free American citizens. [Cheers.] We do not ask that for any small reason. There are always two classes of people we have to be afraid of: that class who love us too well and that class who hate us too bad. [Laughter.]

All we ask is a fair chance in the race of life. Give us the same privileges and opportunities that are given to other men. I hope the action of this Convention will be such that we may be able to go home rejoicing. So far as the colored people of the South are concerned, they are a unit to-day for Ulysses S. Grant. [Cheers.] I know they told us after the Cincinnati Convention that "you niggers can now go for the father of Republicanism, Horace Greely." When we objected to this on the ground that he was not the Republican nominee they said, "He is the father of Republicanism." Said I: "Very well; if that is so I thank him for having been the father of such a brood of illustrious and loyal men, but I fear, like Abraham of old, he takes Hagar instead of Sarah, and we cannot afford that." [Laughter.]

This is the inheritance of the free woman. This is the legitimate inheritance; these are the legitimate offspring, and we are going to keep the boys at home. [Laughter.] I am very much afraid that, like Hagar and Ishmael, the old lady will have to hunt water in the wilderness. [Great laughter.] The black people stand solid together. They know intuitively who is their friend; they know full well there is no standing for them outside the Republican party. They know they cannot afford to vote for men who say to them when they desire to vote, "You have got your rights now; what more do you want?" They cannot afford to vote for men who have refused to acknowledge or carry out the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution. They cannot afford to vote against their own manhood, and they will not do it. Thank God, the colored men are Grant men with scarcely an exception to-day. [Applause.] God grant that the Republican party may close up its ranks and solidly march together, and victory will perch on its banners in the coming contest. [Prolonged cheering.]

Hon. R. B. ELLIOTT, M. C., a colored delegate from South Carolina, having been repeatedly called for from the audience, came to the stand and spoke as follows:

SPEECH OF MR. ELLIOTT.

Gentlemen of the Convention: It is with great appreciation of the compliment paid to my State that I rise to respond to your invitation to address this august assembly. I regret, however, that while accepting this invitation, I am compelled by the recognition of the fact that we are assembled here for the purpose of an important duty to the people of the nation, which duty is now pressing closely upon us, to ask you to excuse me from any extended

remarks. I stand here, gentlemen of the Convention, together with my colleagues from the Southern States, to represent the people of my identity as an illustration of an accomplishd fact in American emancipation. [Applause.] As an illustration, not only of the magnanimity of the American people, as stated by my distinguished friend from Arkansas, but also as a living example of the justice of the American Government [applause], we stand here in your midst, gentlemen, to assure you of the fact that we believe earnestly and faithfully in the principles of humanity and equal justice that you have asserted and maintained in the past. We stand forth to-day among you, not only to give our votes in this body in behalf of our constituencies for the nomination of President and Vice-President for the coming election, but also to pledge to you the earnest co-operation of the nine hundred thousand voters of our race, whose convictions are like unto your own. [Applause.]

We come here to-day to assure the delegates here assembled from the several States; we come here to assure the American people, that mindful of their services to us in the past, mindful of their goodness and of their justice, we intend to use the rights that have been given us, to use the privilege of the elective franchise, in the interest of the country, in the interest of the American people; and having a common interest with our fellow-citizens of whatever shade of complexion or from whatever part of the country, asking only what is just and fair, performing what is right, we mean to contribute our fair share and our full quota toward making our country what we conceive. along with you, it ought to be; a country that guarantees to all its citizens the equal protection of the law. [Applause.]

We will unite with you in making the American people the grandest and most powerful and purest in all respects of all the nations upon the face of the earth. We propose to unite with you, not only in protecting our citizens abroad, not only in having our banner waving all over this broad land, but that you may guarantee to all your citizens, whether they be among the lofty or the lowly, the equal protection of the laws at home.

Gentlemen, will not attempt to detain the Convention from the purpose of its duties by any further remarks, but will simply say that the nine hundred thousand colored voters of America will stand by you in bringing success to the Republican party in the coming canvass upon the platform of justice and civil as well as political equality to all the people of the United States. [4 [Applause.] Upon such a platform will we stand with you; we will pour out the gratitude of our hearts in most earnest devotion to our American institutions, and pour out upon them the rich oblation of earnest devotion. [Applause.]

Mr. HARRIS, a colored delegate from North Carolina, responding to repeated calls, spoke as follows:

SPEECH OF JAMES H. HARRIS.

It is not my purpose to detain this Convention. I cannot be oblivious of the fact that you have been in session already four long hours, and you must have become impatient in waiting for the report of the committee which we are now expecting. I do not appear upon this platform for the purpose of making a speech. I merely come forward to acknowledge the compliment paid, not to me, but to the loyal Republicans of North Carolina. [Applause.] I believe, sir, that no section of the country has gone through a more severe ordeal than the State of North Carolina. Ku-Kluxers themselves can testify to that fact; and while I state that, I can also say that I believe, Ku-Kluxers permitting-and I suppose General Grant has convinced them that they must permit it-on the first day of August no State, North, South, East or West, will give a better account of itself than the Repub

licans of North Carolina will do. I cannot trespass upon your time by asking you to listen to my speaking. [Cries of "Go on!"]

I assure you I am not one of those who have entertained the idea for a moment that this party-I mean the originators of the party-have ever grown weak-kneed-decided to abandon a single principle of our original platform-although they may not have carried out the civil rights bills in the way some of us desired. I have not agreed even with some of the colored Republicans who think we ought to be very careful about committing ourselves to the principles that shall be enunciated here. I have always believed that the political salvation of the negro and of the honest, hard-working people of the South rests with the Republican party. I believe, also, that this Convention will adopt a platform broad enough for every loyal man to stand upon; that it will, before adjourning, incorporate into the platform every vital principle contained in Sumner's civil rights bill. Then, when we go into the campaign, we can unfold our banner in the bright sun and pleasant breeze with the name of Ulysses S. Grant in letters of living light upon it. We will make a clean sweep, and Mr. Greeley and Liberalism will be known no more in this country. [Applause.]

I will say, in conclusion, that our Northern friends need not give themselves any fear that we are charmed with the name of Mr. Greeley, or that we have one eye toward Cincinnati. Although ignorant in the South, although we have not had the advantages of education, yet we know by instinct which side our bread is buttered on. [Laughter and applause.] But, although we may not comprehend the great political questions, let me tell you one thing, that the name of no man, or set of men, in this land will· ever blind us so much as to make us forget the party that gave us liberty: that party which defends us, and which will lead us to a glorious future. [Applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. The Committee on Permanent Organization is ready to report.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PERMANENT ORGANIZATION.

General ALBRIGHT, of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the committee, then reported the following as the

PERMANENT OFFICERS OF THE CONVENTION.

THOMAS SETTLE, of North Carolina, for President.

General ALBRIGHT, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman: The Committee on Organization desire to present the name of General H. H. Bingham, of this city, for the permanent Secretary of this Convention. He is the man to whom we are indebted for this fine building and the fine adornments we have here, and to the great welcome the delegates have received in the city of Philadelphia. I move he be made that Secretary.

The motion was adopted.

The CHAIRMAN. I have the honor to announce to the Convention that Judge Settle has just been unanimously elected President of this body, and will now take his seat.

The Hon. THOMAS SETTLE, of North Carolina, President elect, was then escorted to the chair, now vacated by Mr. McMITCHAEL, and was received with enthusiastic and prolonged cheering, the audience rising to their feet. He addressed the Convention as follows:

ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT.

Gentlemen of the Convention: I thank you for the distinction of presiding over the deliberations of the greatest party in the greatest Power on earth; and I accept it, not so much as a personal tribute to myself, as the right hand of fellowship extended from our magnanimous sisters of the North to the erring, wayward, punished, regenerated patriotic sisters of the South. [Immense applause.]

We have high duties to perform. We have assembled to name the man who shall administer the laws of the great Republic for the next four years; but our duties are plain. We shall be recreant to every trust and fail to respond to the vibrations of every patriotic heart if we do not, with one voice, name the soldier and patriot, Ulysses S. Grant, for the next President. [Renewed applause.]

We of the South recognize and demand him as a necessity for law and order in that portion of the country and for the freedom of all men. [Applause.] It is not proper that I should detain you with extended remarks this evening. I shall therefore assume the duties which you have imposed upon me and I shall be very glad if an opportunity is afforded me to address you at greater length later in the session and when our labors shall have closed.

Mr. CHARLES S. SPENCER, of New York. Mr. President: I move that we adjourn until to-morrow at ten o'clock. A great many men are tired out, and we all wish rest now, that we may come fresh to the labors of that important day.

The motion was carried.

The PRESIDENT. The motion to adjourn is agreed to, and the Convention stands adjourned until to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock.

SECOND DAY.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1872.

At twenty minutes after ten o'clock the President of the Convention, Judge SETTLE, called the Convention to order.

Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. HARPER, of the North Broad street Church, Philadelphia, as follows:

PRAYER.

Our Heavenly Father, Thou who rulest in Heaven, we invoke Thy presence and Thy blessing. We desire to begin this day that is to be memorable in the future and solve the destiny of this nation-we desire to begin, O Lord, this day with Thee. We come before Thee with a deep reverence for Thee. Preside over this assembly. Give them one mind and one heart. Help them to adopt the best measures. May the platform be the embodiment of the most humane principles. May the men selected be good and true men; may the land approve all they do. O Lord, we thank Thee for Thy care of us in days of adversity; let us not forget the ocean of blood through which we have passed. Bless the people, our rulers, the enfranchised, the immortal dead, the widows and children, and make us a blessing among the nations of the earth, and we shall ascribe all the praise to the Father, son, and Holy Spirit, evermore. Amen.

ROLL-CALL.

Gen. H. H. Bingham the permanent Secretary, then called the roll of. States, and all were found present, with full delegations.

OREGON'S ELECTION.

Mr. DEVORE, of Oregon. Mr. Chairman: Oregon is redeemed. [Applause.] Oregon is redeemed both as to Representatives in Congress and her Legislature. [Renewed applause.] On last Monday an election was held in the State of Oregon. Four years we have been under Democratic rule. We are now Republican.