tion there assembled. The volume of the response had exceeded all expectations. The conscience of the people that seemed dead had arisen to new life. Nothing could withstand so genuine an uprising. The breath of victory was in the very air. The opportunity presented to crush corruption, and give the country a pure government was grand. But all selfishness must be cast backward. The occasion was momentous, and the responsibility fearful.

"If [said the speaker] you disappoint the high expectations brought forth by that spontaneous impulse, you have not only lost a great opportunity, but you have struck a blow at the confidence the people have in themselves, and for a long time popular reform movements will not rise again under the weight of the discredit which you will have brought upon them. Is it possible that such should be the result of our doings? It is possible if we do not rise to the full height of our duty. It is possible if, instead of following the grand impulse of the popular heart, we attempt to control and use this movement by the old tricks of the political trade, or fritter away our zeal in small bickerings and mean, selfish aspirations.

"Reform must become a farce in the hands of those who either do not understand it or do not care for it. If you mean reform, intrust the work to none but those who understand and honestly do care, and care more for it than their own personal ends. Pardon me if I express myself on this point with freedom and frankness. I have not, I assure you, come here for the purpose of urging the claims or advancing the interest of any one man against all others. I have come here with sincere and ardent devotion to a cause, and to use my best endeavors to have that cause put under the care of men who are devoted to it with equal sincerity, and possess those qualities of mind and heart which will make it safe in their keeping. I earnestly deprecate the cry we have heard so frequently, 'Anybody to beat Grant.' There is something more wanted than to beat Grant-not anybody who might, by cheap popularity, or by astute bargains and combinations, or by all the tricks of political wire-pulling, manage to scrape together votes enough to be elected President. We do not merely want another, but we want a better, President than we now have. We do not want a mere change of persons in the administration of the Government: we want the overthrow of a pernicious system; we want the eradication of flagrant abuses; we want the infusion of a loftier moral spirit into our political organism; we want a Government which the best people of this country will be proud of. Not anybody can accomplish

that, and therefore away with the cry, 'Anybody to beat Grant!'-a cry too paltry, too unworthy of the great enterprise in which we are engaged."

We give in this sketch the words of this really statesmanlike and patriotic speech, chiefly for the sake of showing how completely the convention, by its subsequent course, disobeyed its worthy precepts.

The following gentlemen officiated as the chief secretaries: General W. E. McClane, of Indiana; John X. Davidson, of Minnesota; D. T. Wright, of Maine; J. D. Rhodes, of Ohio; and each State was represented by a Vice-President.

The Committee on Credentials reported the names of those entitled to seats, and adversely to the contestants in the New York delegation Mrs. Laura De Force Gordon was not recognized as a delegate, but the committee recommended that she be tendered the freedom of the hall. The contestants in the California delegation were declared not entitled to seats as delegates, on the ground that they simply hovered on the verge of California civilization. Shortly after, Mrs. Gordon, from a place on the floor, attempted to protest against her exclusion. After many times repeating the formula "Mr. President," with the assistance of a kind German friend, she gained the attention of the Chair, but only to be courteously told that, the committee having ignored her plea, the Chair could not listen to her address. She still persisted, but was ungallantly hissed into silence.

After this amusing episode the report of the committee was adopted without change.

The Committee on Rules reported that they had organized by electing Theodore Tilton as their chairman; that the chairman of each delegation should declare the vote of the delegation according to the manner in which each member voted; that a majority of votes should be necessary to a choice, and that the yeas and nays should not be called, but if necessary there should be a division of the convention by a call of the States.

OPPOSITION TO FORMAL NOMINATION.

At this point a vigorous effort was made to force the nomination. Mr. H. J. Stansbery suggested that the convention proceed to ballot for nominees; and that, as it was impossible to expect the concurrence of all the delegates on the questions which were now before the country, the nominees themselves be considered the platform. The suggestion was interpreted as a plea for Democratic assistance. It was violently opposed by John Cochrane, and favored by Mr. McClure, of Pennsylvania.

The chair stated that the committee had taken a recess until five o'clock without perfecting a platform. Mr. Dembite, of Kentucky, thought that they understood the matter as well now as they would at five o'clock; he preferred that a nomination should be made here, and not in the hotel down town.

These efforts, being a sort of skirmish drill preliminary to the general battle, were finally ended. by a motion of General Cochrane to lay the whole

matter on the table, which prevailed upon a call of the states.

The gentlemen who desired to nominate prematurely, having failed in their attempt, endeavored to effect their purpose by a shower of resolutions, all of which were referred, without reading, to the Committee on Platform, with the exception of one presented by Colonel McClure, which was adopted. This declared that the convention would not proceed to ballot for candidates before a platform had been adopted.

Besides the meaningless generalities embodied in these various expressions of private opinion, there were declarations for the one term principle, enactment of penal laws, punishing by fine and imprisonment all persons found guilty of bribery and corruption, abrogation of the government patronage system, and improvement of morality among the officers and servants of the people, etc. A portion of these specific principles were embodied in a series of resolutions, prepared and presented by Mr. Braughn, who innocently moved that they be adopted as the platform of this convention.

The vast assemblage laughed heartily, and the tropical delegate took his seat discomfited.

CHAPTER XX.

THE CINCINNATI CONVENTION.

(CONTINUED.)

"The Apple of Discord"-Struggle Over the Tariff-The Temporary President Demands a Free Fight-Reformers Beaten on Both Candidate and Platform-The Balloting for President-Blair's Game-Arrival of Gratz Brown-Greeley Forging Ahead-Schurz Denounces Him Before the Missouri Delegation-White Might Have Saved His Own Humiliation, but Did Not-Greeley Nominated and Blair Triumphant-Brown AlsoChagrin of the Reformers-Their Utterances-Carl Schurz Plays a Plaintive Air, and the Curtain Falls.

EVENING SESSION-SECOND DAY.

A recess was taken until half-past seven o'clock in the evening. At that hour the convention reassembled. A prolonged stay in Cincinnati was beginning to tell on the purses of delegates, and protracted sessions on their patience. A large portion were in no humor for longer delay.

The chairman stated that the Committee on Platform would not be ready to report until morning, and suggested that the time be pieced out with speeches such as are usually made when candidates are named.

General Cochrane, taking advantage of the situation, moved that members proceed to name their