Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
Lincoln's reception in Philadelphia — the Convention and parade of Working men, &c.
Philadelphia, Feb. 23.
Lincoln arrived here on Thursday, and was received by an immense crowd of citizens and one military company.
I did not see him or the procession until they got in the heart of the city, and am ignorant of what transpired at the depot; but the procession, marching through the streets, was more like the funeral of some distinguished private citizen than anything else.
No enthusiasm whatever was manifested by the crowds of persons standing on the streets, to see him and his escorts pass through the city.
He run up a flag on the Continental early Friday morning, and soon after took his departure.
The working men's parade here, on the 22d, was one of the largest and longest, I was informed by a citizen of this place, that ever paraded here.
After marching through the principal streets, they proceeded to National Hall, organized a meeting, and passed resolutions, without a dissenting voice, endorsing the Crittenden compromise.
They were then addressed by Mr. Wolfe, of Kentucky, a delegate to the Working Men's National Convention; a delegate from Portsmouth, Va., whose name I have not yet learned, and several working men of Philadelphia — the latter in favor of giving the South everything she wanted, believing she would ask for nothing more than her rights.
One of the gentlemen of Philadelphia, who was appointed one of a committee by the working men of Philadelphia to go to Washington and to Harrisburg, for the purpose of urging upon their Senators and Representatives in Congress, and their Senators and Representatives in Congress, and their Senators and Representatives in the Pennsylvania Legislature, the adoption of some measure that would have a tendency to give peace to the country, gave an account of his stewardship to the meeting.
The committee, he says, on arriving in Washington, sent for Senator Bigler first, who came out "flat-footed," and told them that he would vote in favor of any compromise that would give peace to the country.
They were next waited upon by Senator Cameron, who would give them no assurance of doing anything, and used every exertion to keep from committing himself to any position; but upon being told by them that he and all like him in Pennsylvania would be held responsible by the people of that State, he tried to get off by saying that he would vote for anything rather than see the Government broken up. The Committee denounce him in the most bitter terms.
They also reported that the five Representatives from Philadelphia told them that they would vote for the Crittenden, or any other compromise, whenever they could get an opportunity of doing so, and reported that sixteen out of the seventeen Representatives in the Pennsylvania Legislature from Philadelphia would do the same thing.
The Working Men's Convention assembled at 10 o'clock on the 22d, and organized by the election of J. W. Cloyd, of Kentucky, President; John Pritchard, of Richmond city, and J. McPherson, of Pennsylvania, Vice Presidents; and J. Touchstone, of Maryland, and S. J. Wood, of Delaware, Secretaries.
The States represented are--Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, (Richmond, Harper's Ferry and Portsmouth,) Delaware and Maryland, and delegations from other States are said to be on the route.
After the appointment of a Committee on Business, the Convention adjourned till Saturday, in order to give the members an opportunity of participating in the Mass Meeting, where they had been invited by the Committee of Arrangements of that body.
The members of the Convention attended, at night, upon invitation, a grand musical festival, in commemoration of the birthday of Washington, after which they proceeded to their respective hotels.
It is thought that they will adjourn to-day.
All the members that I have conversed with, so far, are very intelligent and very conservative men. The Committee of Arrangements of the Working Men of this city are using every exertion to make our sojourn in the city as pleasant as possible. Y. G. S. 