licting votes, for the
appointment of committees, for determining the seats of delegates,
and finally the nomination of the candidates for President
and Vice-President. If the minority claimed the right to
vote and took an appeal from his decision, he was to hold
that on the vote on that appeal the same unit rule was to
apply. If a second point of order were raised, he would hold,
of course, that a second point of order could not be raised
while the first was pending. So the way seemed clear to exclude
the contesting delegates, to cast the votes of the three great
States solid for Grant, and compel his nomination.

But the majority of the National Committee, of which Cameron
was Chairman, was opposed to Grant. They met, I think, the
day before the meeting of the convention to make the preliminary
arrangements. Mr. Cameron, the Chairman, was asked whether
it was his purpose to carry out the scheme I have indicated.
He refused to answer. A motion was then made that the Chairman,
after calling the convention to order, be instructed to receive
the vote of the individual delegates without regard to the
instruction of the majority of their delegation. Cameron
refused to receive motions on that question, saying that it
was a matter beyond the jurisdiction of the committee. A
large part of the entire day was spent in various attempts
to induce Cameron either to give a pledge or permit a resolution
to be entertained by the committee, instructing him as to
his action. He was supported by Mr. Gorham, of California,
who I believe was not a member of the committee, but was
present either as Secretary or as _Amicus Curiae_. He was
an experienced parliamentarian, and for a long time had been
Secretary of the Senate of the United States. The discussion
for the majority was conducted largely by Mr. Chandler, of
New Hampshire, afterward Secretary of the Navy, and later
Senator. After spending a large part of the day in that discussion,
some time in the afternoon an intimation was made, informally,
and in a rather veiled fashion, that, unless they had more
satisfactory pledges from Mr. Cameron, he would be removed
from the office of Chairman, and a person who would carry
out the wishes of the committee be substituted. The committee
then adjourned until the next morning. Meantime the Grant
managers applied to Colonel Strong, of Illinois, who had been
already appointed Sergeant-at-Arms by the committee, and
who was a supp