HAMPTON, VA., May 15th, 1856.
MY DEAR SIR:
According to promises I proceed to give you an acc[oun]t of the proceedings of
the District Convention which met here to-day and have just adjourned. Every
County in the district was represented and the Convention was respectable both
in numbers and talent. At 12 O'clock the convention was called to order in the
spacious ball saloon of Dr. Banks' delightfully located Hotel which he had
kindly tendered to its use.
As the proceedings
will soon be published in the leading public journal of the State, I must
content myself with giving a mere synopsis of what passed without going into
particulars.
Jno. W. Catlett Esq.
of Gloucester with Eleven Vice presidents, and Mr. Hope and Mallory of Hampton,
as Secretaries, was chosen as the permanent officers of the Convention. During
the absence of the Committee on Organization, our Elector Wm. B. Taliaferro Esq.
entertained the Convention in a very pretty speech of half an hours duration.
It is the intention of Major Taliaferro to canvass the district after the
nominations at Cincinnati, and as you will of course have an opportunity of
hearing him and judging of his oratorical abilities for yourself, I will only
say that he is a good looking man and of pleasant address. Conl R. C. Claybrook
the talented delegate from Northumberland in the last legislature also spoke,
and made a very happy effort indeed. He is a fine popular orator, and as he is
quite a young man I should not be at all surprised if before a great while, he
is called on to play a prominent part in the politics of this district.
Mr. Catlett on
taking the Chair returned his thanks for the honor conferred on him in a neat
and appropriate address which I hope will be given to the public by the
accomplished Secretary exactly as it fell from his lips, for it was full of
sound Southern sentiment patriotically expressed.
The rules of the
house of Delegates were adopted for the Gov[ernmen]t of the Convention and also
a resolution "that whenever a sealed vote should be called for, each
delegate should give his proportion of the aggregate Dem[ocratic] vote cast by
his County in the last Election for Governor." It was generally understood
that the Convention would not attempt to express a preference for any one of
the distinguished gentleman whose names have been so prominently spoken of for
the Cincinnati nominations; then, judge of our surprise when a gentleman from
Williamsburg, Mr. Causnan offered the following resolution, which caused no
little stir and a perfect war of words: "that while this convention do not
intend to instruct their delegates to the Cincinnati Convention, yet the
nomination by that body of their distinguished fellow citizen H. A. Wise Esq.
for the first office in the gift of the American people, will be highly
gratifying and meet with the cordial approbation of the people of this
district." I believe I give you the very words of the resolution; I am
certain you have its pith and marrow. Mr. Causnan accompanied his resolution
with a short speech, citing the action of the late convention in the Essex
District which expressed a preference for Senator Hunter, as a reason very
cogent to his mind, why this district should pronounce for Gov. Wise. A
gentleman from Gloucester I think, moved to lay the resolution on the table,
while another moved its indefinite postponement. A long debate ensued in which
a good many silly and common place things were said. Mr. Seawell of Gloucester
however, made a very sensible speech; he said "that Mr. Wise might be,
probably he was, the choice of a majority of the District, yet he had no
hesitation in saying that he would receive fewer votes and a less cordial support
than any other man the Cin[cinna]ti Convention might nominate; that such a
resolution ought not to pass unless as the unanimous sense of this Convention,
which could not be; that the strong opposition to it would rob it of even the
semblance of a compliment and destroy that moral effect which it was intended
to convey."
It is a great pity
that the overzealous friends of the Governour did not heed these words of
wisdom. A Sealed Vote was called for. The friends of the resolution were taken
all aback, and no little feeling manifested in certain quarters, by the vote of
Accomack, two of her delegates voting for postponement and two against. The
fate of the resolution was doubtful, but when the Secretary announced that 1002
had voted against and 1227 for indefinite postponement, the sensation
throughout the convention was most profound. Chagrin and mortification were
depicted on many countenances. Noses, to use a vulgar phrase, had been counted
in the morning outside of the Convention and it was thought the resolution
could be carried and certain Wise workers intended to do it against all
opposition. A member immediately arose and offered the same resolution,
substituting the name of Senator Hunter for that of Gov. Wise. Amid the noise
and confusion around me I could not hear the remarks he made, as he spoke in a
low voice. At this point there was a struggle for the floor. Mr. Custis of
Accomack however gained it, and moved the indefinite postponement and took
occasion in strong and nervous language to define his position, "he had
voted to postpone the first resolution because he regarded it as an apple of
discord calculated to mar the harmony of the Convention and the Convention had
acted wisely in disposing of it as they did-he was unwilling to express a preference
for any man although he had a decided choice. The delegates to Cin[cinna]ti
should be left free and untrammelled. He was willing to trust to their
discretion and good judgments. Virginia could not decide between her
distinguished sons and present that unity of sentiment and action in which
consisted her great moral power. To attempt such a thing would produce discord
at once, and realise the fable of the Kilkenny Cats; if either Mr. Wise or Mr.
Hunter should receive the nomination at Cin[cinna]ti the first move in favor of
either must come from some other State, and when that was made, their good old
mother would be prepared to follow."
These sentiments met
with general favour. The resolution was then unanimously postponed.
At this stage of the
proceedings a general anxiety to go into the election of Delegates to
Cin[cinna]ti was manifested, but Mr. Cary of Hampton insisted on explaining the
reasons that influenced the Convention in their late votes, and offered a
resolution to this effect, "that the Convention was opposed to the
expression of a preference for any one, feeling perfectly satisfied that the
Cin[cinna]ti Convention would give us no other than a good and true man, whom
we could all most cheerfully and enthusiastically support." This is the
substance though not the language of the resolution. Now after a session of
nearly four hours, the real business for which the Convention met, commenced,
viz-the Selection and appointment of Delegates to the National Convention. Geo.
Booker Esq of Elizabeth City, who has served on former occasions in 1848 and
1852 at Baltimore, and who seems to be a general favorite, was elected on the
first ballot by a nearly unanimous vote. On the 3rd or 4th ballot M. W. Fisher
Esq. of Northampton, was chosen as the other delegate. And Conl. R. C.
Claybrook of Northumberland and Jno. Seawell Esq. of Gloucester were appointed
alternates.
Here the scene
became very interesting; each one of the Eleven Vice Presidents were in turn,
called out and delivered themselves of short, pithy speeches, abounding in
humour and happy hits. The Convention adjourned after returning thanks to the
Democracy of Elizabeth] City for their kindness and hospitality. A most
sumptuous repast was spread in the basement of the Hotel for the Convention,
abounding in all the good things of this life. Champagne poped toasts were
drunk, and speeches made, it was literally a "feast of reason and a flow
of soul."
At night the good
people of Hampton and vicinity met at their Court House, and were highly
delighted by speeches from T. Cropper Esq. of Norfolk, Mr. Weaver of Accomack,
and Jno. Seawell Esq. of Gloucester. Mr. S[eawell] is generally regarded as one
of the ablest lawyers in the district, and is a fine speaker. He is very much
like our friend L. The best feeling and spirit pervades the Democracy. They are
confident every where of a splendid victory, eclipsing all past victories in
November next. Hoping to meet you soon, when we will talk all these things over
and many more.
SOURCE: Charles
Henry Ambler, Editor, Annual Report of the American Historical
Association for the Year 1916, in Two Volumes, Vol. II, Correspondence of
Robert M. T. Hunter (1826-1876), p. 191-4
