Caucuses of 1860 Author:Murat Halstead Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: tions would appear from tbe record of proceedings to be in the exclusive care of, and the peculiar institutions of, the no-party and no-platform gentlemen here a... more »ssembled. 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 email 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 uf the train consisting of t...« less