Our First General Convention Held at Cincinnati, Ohio, October 22 to 27, 1849 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1891 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER I. The Question Of A General ConVention. 4 The first General Convention of our brotherhood was held in Cincinnati, in 1849, beginning October 24, and continued, with the preliminary meeting, five days. The conviction had been for some time ripening in the minds of our most thoughtful men, that the necessity had come for such a national meeting representative of our people. The wisdom and propriety of calling such a convention were for the months preceding very fully and freely discussed in our press, and our ablest men participated in this discussion. It would be interesting to read over again, at a distance of over forty years, the grounds and arguments that were offered pro and con. The grand men of that day understood well the whole question, and I do not think that the years that have since passed have brought forth anything really new in this debate. One thing may be said with pleasure of this discussion in 1849, and later--it was conducted in the best spirit; the noble men--such as A. Campbell, Walter Scott, D. S. Burnet, J. T. Johnson, and James Challen, whose, voices called for this new forward step, were incapable of anything in word or thought that was not of the highest order in wisdom and courtesy. The objections offered were met and ably met by these fathers among us, and by none more effectively than by A. Campbell, who was then yet in the fullness of his strength. It is indeed inspiring to see with what vigor and clearness of judgment he answered the objections that were made against such a general convention and set forth the strong reasons in its behalf. The advocates of the measure urged, as a matter of primary importance, that such a convention, properly organized and wisely guarded and directed, would have the effect--by bringing...