“the bones of our soldiers are bleaching in every State of the Union”
The first chairman of the Republican party, Edwin D. Morgan, opened the “National Union” Convention in Baltimore 150 years ago today. He fired up the delegates by playing on General Grant’s “I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer” dispatch and by saying that the Republican party wouldn’t be living up to its mission unless it stood for a constitutional amendment prohibiting African slavery throughout the United States.
From The New-York Times June 8, 1864:
NATIONAL UNION CONVENTION.; The Assembling at Baltimore yesterday. Six Hundred Delegates in Attendance. Dr. Breckinridge, of Kentucky, Temporary President. Governor Denison, of Ohio, Permanent President. ENTIRE HARMONY AND ENTHUSIASM. Speeches of Rev. Dr. Breckinridge, Senator Morgan, Governor Denison and Parson Brownlow. NATIONAL UNION CONVENTION EVENING SESSION
BALTIMORE, Tuesday, June 7.
The National Union Convention assembled this morning in the Front-street Theatre.
The building is tastefully decorated and fitted up for the occasion. The galleries are festooned with flags and the interior stage is thrown open. This was done by the City Council of Balitmore.
The President’s chair is on an elevated platform at the extreme end of the stage, under a canopy of flags.
There is a numerous staff of pages in attendance, who are decorated with tri-colored badges.
There is also a considerable number of telegraph messengers in attendance, whose duty it is to convey dispatches direct from the reporters’ tables to the telegraphic instruments in the lobbies.
The doors of the theatre opened at 11 o’clock, and the building soon commenced filling up with delegates and spectators — the latter being admitted only to the galleries.
The Dress Circle is reserved for the ladies.
There are nearly six hundred delegates present, including many from the remote Territories.
New-Mexico has sent a delegation consisting of Hons. JOHN S. WATTS, FRANCIS PEREA and JOSHUA JONES, Jr.
1 o’clock, P.M.
The band of the Second United States Regiment, from Fort McHenry, is stationed in the gallery, and at noon they opened with the performance of a grand overture.
The building is now densely packed, from the lower floor to the ceiling.
Hon. EDWIN D. MORGAN, of New-York, Chairman of the National Union Executive Committee, called the Convention to order; and spoke as follows;
perseverance payoff
MEMBERS OF THE CONVENTION: It is a little more than eight years since it was resolved to form a national party, to be conducted upon the principles and policy which had been established and maintained by those illustrious statesmen, GEORGE WASHINGTON and THOMAS JEFFERSON. A convention was held in Philadelphia, under the shade of the trees that surround the Hall of Independence, and candidates (FREMONT and DAYTON) were there nominated who had espoused our cause and were to maintain it. But the State of Pennsylvania gave its electoral vote to JAMES BUCHANAN, and the election of 185[6] was lost. Nothing daunted by defeat, it was determined to fight on “on this line,” not only “all Summer,” but four Summers and four Winters, and in 1860 the party banner was again unfurled, with the names of ABRAHAM LINCOLN and HANNIBAL HAMLIN inscribed thereon. This time it was successful; but with success came the rebellion, and with the rebellion, of course, war, and war, terrible and cruel war, has continued up to the present time, when it is necessary, under our Constitution, to prepare for another Presidential election. It is for this highly responsible purpose that you are to-day assembled. It is not my duty nor my purpose to indicate any general plan of action by this convention; but I trust I may be permitted to say that, in view of the dread realities of the past and what is passing at this moment, the fact that the bones of our soldiers are bleaching in every State of the Union, and with the further knowledge of the further fact that this has all been caused by Slavery, the party of which you, gentlemen, are the delegated and only representatives, will fall short of accomplishing its great mission, unless among its other resolves it shall declare for such an amendment of the Constitution as will positively prohibit African Slavery in the United States. [Prolonged applause, followed by three cheers.] In behalf of the National Committee, I now propose for temporary President of this convention, ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE of Kentucky, [applause,] and appoint Gov. RANDALL of Wisconsin, and Gov. KING of New-York, as a committee to conduct the President pro tem to the chair.
“Old War Horse of Kentucky”
Three cheers were proposed for the “Old War Horse of Kentucky,” and they were given.
As soon as silence was restored, Mr. BRECKINRIDGE returned his thanks for the honor conferred upon him in a brief and eloquent speech as follows: …
… the only enduring, only imperishable cement of all free institutions has been the blood of traitors. No Government has ever been built upon imperishable foundations, which foundations were not laid in the blood of traitors. It is a fearful truth, but we had as well avow it at once, and every lick you strike, and every rebel you kill, every battle you win, dreadful as it is to do it, you are adding, it may be a year, it may be ten years, it may be a century, it may be ten centuries to the life of the Government and the freedom of your children. [Great applause.] …
In the month before the Baltimore convention Robert Breckinridge’s nephew, John C., had been busy helping to beat Yankees at New Market and Cold Harbor.
