PROCEEDINGS OF THE GREAT UNION MEETING HELD IN THE LARGE SALOON OF THE CHINESE MUSEUM, PHILADELPHIA, On the 21st of November, 1850. UNDER A CALL SIGNED BY UPWARDS OF FIVE THOUSAND CITIZENS, Whose Names are Appended to the Proceedings. PUBLISHED BY THE COMMITTEE. PHILADELPHIA : B. MIFFLIN, PRINTER, No. 74 WALNUT STREET. 1850. 151689112 HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY FROM "THE STOREST OF BYRAT JAHREN WENDELL Philadelphia, November 5, 1850. At a meeting preliminary to one anticipated by a general call upon the citizens, without distinction of party, as the friends of the Union, and for sustaining the Supremacy of the Laws, held at the Columbia House, on Tuesday Evening, November 5th, 1850, there were presentDr. Robert Hare, Josiah Randall, Col. James Page, Gen. Robert Patterson, Col. John Thompson, John C. Montgomery, Charles Macalester, John S. Riddle, Dr. J. K. Mitchell, Dr. S. Jackson, Wm. B. Reed, Vincent L. Bradford, Wm. English, D. Dougherty, John Oakford, Freeman Scott, Isaac Hazlehurst, Charles Ingersoll, Charles S. Riche, Moncure Robinson, R. M. Lee, John M. Scott, A. V. Parsons, E. D. Ingraham, A. J. Anderson, B. H. Brewster, A. Cummings, Gideon G. Westcott, T. H. Buckman, Charles Gibbons, J. T. Mather, Dr. I. N. Marsellis, Chas. J. Biddle, F. J. Grund, Winthrop Sargent. JOHN M. SCOTT was called to the Chair, and A. V. PARSONS was appointed Secretary. A copy of the call of the General Meeting was read by the Chairman, when on motion of Col. James Page, it was Resolved, That there be a Committee appointed to fix a time and place for the General Public Meeting of the Citizens, as indicated by the call; also, to act as a General Committee of Superintendence. Second: A Committee to prepare Resolutions to be submitted to said meeing. Third: A Committee to select proper persons to be nominated as Officers, to select Speakers, and give invitations to strangers to the said General Meeting. And fourth: A Committee of Finance; which several Committees should be required to report to an adjourned preliminary meeting. On motion of Charles Macalester, seconded by A. Cummings, it was Resolved, That there be a Committee of Twenty appointed by the Chairman and Secretary, for the purpose of procuring additional signatures to the general call for the meeting, in order that all our citizens friendly to the objects of the meeting might have an opportunity of testifying their approbation of the same. On motion, the meeting was adjourned to Friday Evening next, at 7 o'clock, at the Columbia House. Adjourned meeting, held on Friday Evening, November 7th, 1850, at the Columbia House, J. M. SCOTT in the Chair. The Secretary read the minutes of the last meeting, and the Chairman reported the names of the gentlemen placed on the Committees, as follows: OF SUPERINTENDENCE-Gen. Robert Patterson, Moncure Robinson, Geo. H. Martin, Gen. John Bennett, Freeman Scott, Charles Gibbons. TO NOMINATE OFFICERS, &C.-Josiah Randall, Col. John W. Forney, John S. Riddle, Robert M. Lee, Isaac Hazlehurst, Charles Ingersoll. TO PREPARE RESOLUTIONS-Col. James Page, J. R. Ingersoll, John Cadwalader, Wm. B. Reed, Hon. Joel Jones, Hon. Peter McCall. ON FINANCE-John C. Montgomery, Gideon G. Westcott. COMMITTEE OF TWENTY-Charles Macalester, Winthrop Sargent, Harrison Smith, John Lindsay, William Craig, Edward Ingersoll, Joseph Swift, J. Fisher Leaming, Col. John Thompson, George T. Lewis, Charles J. Biddle, John J. McCahen, Thomas Allibone, John Oakford, J. K. Mitchell, Joseph M. Thomas, William English, P. Barry Hayes, William Rawle, jr., Joseph B. Lapsley. On motion, the meeting adjourned. A. V. PARSONS, Secretary. JOHN M. SCOTT, Chairman. GREAT UNION MEETING. "THE UNION MUST AND SHALL BE A GENERAL MEETING of the Citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, will be held at the CHINESE MUSEUM on THURSDAY, the 21st inst. at 7 o'clock P. M., for the purpose of affirming their allegiance to the CONSTITUTION and LAWS of OUR COUNTRY! PHILADELPHIANS! Respect for the rights of our sister States, and a fraternal regard for the general welfare of the American People, are sentiments which are dear to us, and which have always controlled our action as citizens. We live on the spot where the Nation was born, and with one accord and one heart, let us proclaim our unchanged devotion to OUR GLORIOUS UNION! The meeting will be addressed by John Sergeant, George M. Dallas, Josiah Randall, Richard Rush, Joseph R. Ingersoll, J. Hazlehurst, James Page and Charles Gibbons. November 24, 1850. In pursuance of the foregoing invitation, the Great Saloon of the Chinese Museum was crowded by citizens of Philadelphia very early in the evening. Thousands of persons who did not reach the place of meeting until after the hour at which it was announced to be held, found it impossible to enter the building in consequence of the multitude who thronged it, or to get within sight or hearing of the rostrum. The National banner was displayed in various parts of the Hall. A full band of music increased the excitement and enthusiasm of the occasion by the fine performance of our old national airs, which revived the recollections of the past, when the people of the several States knew each other only as brethren, and formed the happy Union under which all have prospered. Major General ROBERT PATTERSON ascended the platform at 7 o'clock, and after reading the call of the meeting, nominated as the President, the HON. JOHN SERGEANT, which nomination was unanimously and cordially approved, and Mr. Sergeant was welcomed to his seat by the hearty and prolonged cheering of the multitude. |