:T
iilill
TB CONlTtTDTIQB TU PMlOlt AP TBI VTOReiMlXT OF THB tAWS. '
-!- -:-nir
:-v ., i ! -
iLIFfLINTO VNy . JUNIAIA COUKf , PENJi'A. &EPTMBB it, m. : :vf:N-
WHOLE NUMBER, 950.
1
-7 " -KSSS r1;,.;,,-:..:WAJ::', ;' I il I F.'TM r I I- I I II II 1 1 I r II ' ' '
- C,'-u5'ttTSy.Wi'., - -i EDITORS. .
(Democratic Record Vmtinp.c(d)
" ' '
M6CMON CONVENTIONS-
As indicated by Ac resolutions quoted
At. , i , , . , , -
above from the Philadelphia platform .. of
J ate loth, 1S61, the machiuery ' ly proposed as would give the South Absolute so
which this echctne was to be carried out, j So tSftlUS
- wab that of conventions, either State or! lire together in peace, and harmony. The
.National:' - The putty therefore commenc- i C"atiT pr.0T8. ? Inink.,hat the Slh
' J. .-.... mlf,,t be induced to take part in such a Con
ed to agitate for conventions.'' The ex- j yention, and that a restoration of the Union
rcricuce of the Sooth had thown how I woulJ b6 lh resull Tbe m03t "g'ou
. , . . . -. . . ! members of the party must, however, look
' ay it was under sktllful manipulation, jspon the proposal of a Coftyentich merely as
with such instruments, to carry State af-1 aast V;-me-t to test tfie posimty of rc-
ter tate into open and armed opposition
to the central authorttr. A national eon-
, . . . , iL ,, .
rentton might reconetruct the I nion on a
Southern hasLi at one blow, or a scries
f ' tt n......:nn i j ,. v
of State conventions could accomplish
the same, result jiieotuieal, whilo crip
plin fatally the fiovernciefit in iu strug-
gle with rebellion. The machinery of the
party, therefore, was forthwith
set
-work.
As early as Jn!y !5tn, lCi, the pro -
,icct was broached by the thte Jlon. cb-
jamin ooa in tnc lonowtng lesoiuuon of d rore5n and unfrienJIj power
bffojed in the House of Representees, ! show tllat JJr KecJ ha(1 odj been the
which received the vote of every Detao- j Komli-pece of the secret councils of his
cratic member : party. He, too, had urged an armistice as
AVjo'W, That tliis Cunrrefs rcorii;nend- u . . i- - . ,
rd the Governor, 'of the cv.rl .s,at.s t, j preliminary to the contempla-
unvcne their Lei-islatures for the purpose of . ted surrender,
cnlliug n election to select two delegates
'rom each Congressional District, to meet in "I would begin With a cessation' of hostili
j;cneral Convention at l.nui!villc in Kentucky ' xe3 nn n armistice for a fixed period, not
.n !hu first Moaday in September nevt; the . l0. ello,'t v. If lirihs fere laid down for
purrVse cf the said Con-ution to te to de-; ,imc- there V.ould be a repugnance to take
vise measures for the rejtratlcn cf peace to 'uim "P "?:l'n. which, of itself, would be fa
ourrrnintrv." ! verahle to satisfsotory adjustment," ;
The revolutionary project was allowed' Thus was inaugurated the policy of a
l' flccp tor a year, when tlie dLsistcta of , "cessation of hostilities" aud a Conven
tlie l'ciiiusular campaign encourraj:d an tioa, to which the Democratic paffy slead
attcmp to revive it. ; ily adhorcd. At Chicago, two years later,
Mr. William 15. Reed came forward to it formed the ba.-is of the platform, aud
l'oel tbe way. !a August, 1 S02, he pub-; :ti November, ISCi, it was iudigbaiSUy re-
cMieii nis iutiic-ati'jii, in wincti ue . jeetcd Uy the people. During those two
a uoc'r.J to believe that' a restoration cf : years it was constantly put forward that
Ihcl 'aion ra ituiof.ible, and that all j the people might become accustomed to
iJi.iTreuiaiticd for us wsi to decide -upon j it, and no longer dread the fearful anar-
lie new it-agues which should tt rt riued. ' chy trliioti would he almost necessary re
Tu accouipl!h thin, lie preferred separate suit
State action.
If the choi-e be hctween
a continuance
tif the war, vl!U its attendant suflciings and
demoralization, certain miseries and uncer
tain results, and a recognition of the South
ern Confederacy. I am in favor of recouoi
lion, of course reeking the Abolition Pnr'y
responsible for tliis dread necessity.
"If the inquiry lie further pressed as to
Vw I Vtnild arrange the terms of- pacifica
tion and recognition I do not hesitate to
t;iy that, dodjee or d"fot !t as we may. in my
omn:on tbe Ui.-ciion l mean as to limits sua
,.t ..i k. i, .11
.r fr"hc,4ir will have to dctVmin. irhor.'
her lot shall be east, and what her necuniarv i
,, v ilfl,i . r. . .r 1
f"1"''''';
I'ederal of 'the Confedcracv debt. or
wlieihcr to be exeuipl from both. What 3lnry
lludoid Kaitu'iy to, Pennrtb ania nn.l Ohio
."(( t mile lode. This settles tho question
iif boundaries, and nothing else will : and if
inugelse will: ana if
the decision involves' at'atldc'riment of'T,
Washington, and leaving it the moment of l
nuat was once the Capital of a great Repuh
!ic, be it so. I would rathe? see it a ruir?
ibHu.what it is now."
In November, Mr- Reed returned to
the charge, and openly suggested the
raising of the stondurd of tevolt by the
Middle States.
Yei should, in ihc provier-co of God, the
spirit of topical fanaticism which has bruht
Ml this misery upon us still maintain its sway
I! niiv be thedestiny of thce great Middle fila
f cs to spenk, and if need be to act, in self defence
in mainiainnrc of all that is left of Constitu
tional liberty in the 'fragmentary and shatter
ed Cnion which yet eurvives. They may act
together, or they may act separately. tV'thin
each of them ia the perfect machinery of Gov
ernment, and all that is wanling is an ani
mating and practical spirit of local loyalty.
It limy he that oue mmi can supply lliat spir
it : and it is the hope ' that ' these fugitive
words of earnest suggestion rather than of
counsel, may find an answer in the heart of
he people, thai they arc given to the public.'"
These utterances arc valuable as afford
ug u a key tt the conferences between.
I.ird Lyons, the English Minister, and
the leadins Democrats cf New York, in
November, 1 !:!. The party hr.d been
elated with its success in carrying the
yttite of New York a few days before, and
"had been both depressed and irritated by
the dismi'tal of McClellan.. Lord Lyona'
official dispatch states :
Severnl of the leaders of the Democratic
Party sough interviews with, Wh before and
after the arrival of the intelligence of Gener
al MoClellan s dismissal. The. subject upper
most in their minds while they were spek'mg
to me was naturally that of foreign medita
tion between the North and the South. M.uiy
of them appeared to think that this mctttta-
tion must come at lasi, wy appeared 10 or.
i im much al'raiil of itt taming lot toon.
I f ive no opinion on tho subjaec . I did not
say whMher or not I myself thought foreign
intervention probable or aJvisible; but I Ust-H
Lned with atfentro. t, the account given mo .
of the plans and hopes' of the Conservative .
lsrty. At the bottom, I thougiit l porceivcu j
a n-?sire 10 piu an rwi if ibc n:r,
, tbe ;
rik of losing the Southern Suucs altogotUer j
but it. was plain that it w is not though pru
dent to av.iw this desire. Indued, sowis hints
it dropped bet'uro tuoeleetinns wore so ill -f"piY
I. tint a M roi.f d 'ii'm i'Hi in. a contra
ry ;..n-' .r 'bm-1-! i:0. u-iry !y tli li tuo
w -iiM- i l.-r.
iiossiblv as to deiit must Je mails bv tilt ; ' . . ' 1,,; . . .
Slates and their citizens, as thef did, "when h,e a Hl'cc.1' Pe and U uon ant! I thai is
sev.uy yersago they ente.cl iHto the Fed- !'-T eonrentio ns of the people. To effect this
' T,,ey ainUi" ,hit l l?st 6r the miu-
Wary operations should be to place the North
j in a ptwiti to demaud an armistice with hoa-
i ?rud cCect- The armistice "hould, they
' hold, be followed by a Convention, in which
, h change, in the Constithtion should be
the more probable eonseonence of. an ariuis-
'.tic would bo the estatUshir.ent of Southern
, Independence, but they psreeive that if the
. Sout'u h B0 ,ltIy lilZei that no poSSiblc
i concessions will induce H to return voluntari-
ly to the Cnion, it is wiser to agree to separs-
1 . th. le ut. . Hnd hJt
' ar.
'lf thotr own tiiirtv wen in niiWV. nv Tr.
I world rather, if pcsslb!e, obtain an armistice
0 ; Without the aid of foreign governments ; but
inej wauid ne aisposca 10 accept an oner ol
meditation, if it appeared to bs the only
1 means cf puttirg a stp to hoftilitiei"
these humiliating negotiations with the
Thus, nt the formal inailzilration of the
Pnriiocratic Central Club, of Philadelphia,
with which the' party cblebrattd the 8th
of January, 18C3, the orator of the day,
Mr. Charles Ingersoll. made the proposed
Convention the subject of his discourse,
and was prepared to adopt the most revo
lutionary mains of atttiitiifig the objeit.
'There is I ut one way of arrivir'g at a se-
i.
nrtiiiv states in possession of the Republicans.
Vler. he?iruwtnce9, we should do what
' ffeoaently Lecn resorted to in E.g.
i.-.t - i- it i
T,-U wc ro:a must inc siivpuc. me Kpenkv
er advocated this measure 'at some length as a
means of instituting a State Convention.
This would be followed by Conventions
throughout the Northern Stalest Yf should
thrn hi in tt rrtirinn In nffnr Atir tArin'c nnj
... ..' ... ..;..-
. ' , ! 3U,'",'' S',' Me
u ,.ru ongcu ar-
planse.
In march', mV' fngcrsoll a'gaio urged
the subject irt an atldrcsn delivered before
the sitne body, aud on the 28th : of the
same month, Mr. Reed also fdctfrr ed to it
on a similar occasion.' His remarks,
though somewhat obscure, . are fcarfuHly
suggestive. ., . , ,,.. ' . ... ;i: - n
"The path which I desire to pursue to take
me out of the miseries and 'oppressions npon
us is one which tho Constitution prescribes
; a popular Convention National, i fit can be,
jif not JJationt.1 n Sld'.e ConvccUcn, . Jiut I
look upon a Convention at an end, not as a
meant; for, as a meant, tti totloic. We shall
bleed to death before a Convention can be
instituted. Stilt, Hut $poi ultimata result....
Such conventions cuicuating from and directly
representing the people, would haveadccjuaie
power. 'They would be as the Convention
that made the Constitution.' ' They mould
change, modify, nbrogdte."'' . '' -
We are thus prepared td understand
the authorizod expositiou of democratic
policy, as published to the world at Chi
cago, and can appreciate what was meant
by the second resolution of the platform,
where the war was explicitly declared to
to have been a failure. . -
"Resolved, That, this Convention doos ex
plicit iToclitre, as the sense of the American
people, that after four years of failure to re
store the Union by the experiment ot I war.
justice, humanity, liberty, and the public wcl-
iare ueoinau mai immeuiaie cnoris ue maac
for a cessation of hositllitioa, with a view
to an ultimate Convention of all the Stutcs, or
other peaceable means tp the end that at, the
earliest practicable moment peace may be re
stored on the basis of tho federal I'nnn of
tho Slates.". v; , . i
It is n0 wonder that the rebels in
. . .. , , -'
thcl1' ieW hailed the thd -"ray
of light from Chicago.". There ift a I w6o-'j
jerfuj
similarity between the words of
Alexander II. Stcpheus, wlicn treating of
such a Ootrvcntion in his . hitter of Oct.
16, 1804, and Jthusc whiuh'wor have al
ready ((irolct. Crow Mr. R-wd's " Vindit-a-inn."'
mem. I acre lie
"All questions of boundaries, eenfederseies
and union or unions would naturally and ea
sily adjust themselves, according to th inter
ests of parties and tbe exigencies of the limes.
Herein lies the true law of the. baiAoee of
power and the harmony .of States." ;
' So, too,' the ' HonAV. Vr. oyce, of
South Carolina, in. a letter to .Jefferson
Davis, Sept. 29, 186.4 V, '
"I thiukouronly hope of a aatisfactpry
peace, one consistent With the preservation
of free institutions, Is ia the supremacy 'of
this (the Democratic) party, at .some time or
other. ' Our policy, therefore, is to give this
party all the capital we cant -'Yon should
therefore, at once in my opinion, give ; this
party all the encouragement possible, by de
claring your willingness to an armistice and a
Convertien of all the States, in their sover
eign capacity, to enter upon the subject of
peace. -: ,v
A Congress of the Stales in their sovereign
capacity u the highest acknovlidgcment of fAg
prtattpict of Statt Riyhti.", ,-
Mr. -Stophens was suspected of ' being
weatf in , the knees,, and, on .Nov. . It,
18G4, when a frank exposition of his
views could no longer injure the proe-
peota of McClellao, he communicated - to
tho press another letter, dated ITov. 5,
1804, ia which he gave his reason .for
desiring the Convention, as propose! at
tnicago. . paragrapn in ting remarka
ble document ihows in the clearest light
thcresults expected, North and South,
from the co-operation of the States Rights
Democracy with rebellion, ' and the fear
ful abyss hi';h we escaped by the re
election of Mr. Lie coin.
'There is no prospect of such prcpostfion
a convention ot tue Mates) being tendered,
unless McClellau should be elected. . lie can
not bo elected without carrying . a suffcicnt
number of the States, which, if united wilh
thofic of the Confederacy, would make a ma
jority of the Sta'es. In such a Convention,
then, soi formed, liare we Cct strong reasons
to hope and expect that a resolution could be
passed denying the constitutional powerof the
Government; under the '.compact of 1787, .to
i coerce a ftp1: The Chicago platform vir
tually does this already. Wculd not- such a
convention prefal'ly re.".nlirm the Kentucky
and Virginia rcBoliitiorts df 1H8 and 17M!
Are these notjitrong reasons, at-least, to in
duce us to hope and believe that they might J
If even that couKf be done, it would end the
war. Hvrotild rw oenize as tho fundamental
principle of American institutions the loJji-
niaie jio!"i!iic poTriiui ui tub several
States, This fnlly covers our iudependenee
as fully as I ever wish to see it covered.
I wish no other kind of recognition, wheri
rver it comes, than that of George III. of
Kngland. viz : the recognition of the sover
eignty and independence of each State
separately arid byname."
Tbe same ground wss taken by the
Hon. H. W Hilliard, of Georgia.
"It seems to me plain that we should ac
cept the forum indicated by the Chicago Con
vention, as the appropriate enc for the set
tlement of our troubles. The Very proposal
to refer the settlement of tho great quarrel
to the arbitrament of a convention, composed
of delegates from all the States, is the most
emphatic recognition of sovereignty of the
the states. j :. , . j
Thus, by the mere fact of their assent
bling, the Union would be resolved into a
mass of idependcat jarring nationalities,
and they - would ' then proceed, as Mr.
Reed told us, to change, mouift, AB
ROGATE." ' : - -
SYMPATHY WITH Tui 601TH.
Entertaining these views, and cherish
ing these schemes, it fai riatural that De
mocracy should look upon the Southern
leaders with sympathy std respect, and
should endeavor to divert the antipathy
of the people from thetn to the Admin
istration. Thus the following, from the
Philadelphia Age of Sept. 23, 1864, pal-
iates the rebellion and iU chief by esta
blishing a parrallel with . the . .Revolu
tion and George Washington.
'They (the Yankees) hafe lately ast-ad to
theircollection the Bible .of Mary W.'jiug
ton, the,mother of a certain slave holder nam
ed George, who made himself rj'ito'ioas same
years back in a little rebellion which, was jot
up in this country. Mary's Bible was very
property stolen from Arlington and carried to
New fingbind, for if she had read it in the
spiritof the' enlightened .thief whose library
it how decorates, she would have' taught
George better than to hold slaves and lead re
bellions." ,t . . .. , , .... !, ' , , ,',
i So the same journal of Dee. 7, 1SG5,
in.comuienting on General Meigs account
of the battle of , Lookout Mountain, ob
serves :! VI
'It was shining this full moon of the
Tennesee mountains on other contracts.
It shines, as General Meigs is quite aware, on
the great joker at Washington and his trucu
lent War Minister and it shines, too, on tho
stern, attenuated and resolved rebel at Rich
mond, whom General Meigs, of all men in
the world, would be the most sorry to encoun
ter, and who, when the name of Mciffs and
others and mentionce; must thrill sadly, on
this world's ingratitude'."' 1 ' - IZ
This comparison of .the national with
the rebel authorities, to the . disadvantage
of- the former, has been a favorite with'
the Democracy. ! Thus the same journal,
the A-jt, of Feb. 6, 1801, inquires ir ' .'
it a n't worse to fire at our 'fair than it
is to f.rc iuto our Constitution ? Aa ioow
we take upon nurjclves to say, that while the
rebels, at Sumpter. tired at the Jjj. Mr.
Lincolm, :in hia" sphere, has fired inio.ihej
Constitution, and hae litterally attempted its
oestroctibtt. If the rebels, for firing at the j
flag, deserve to bo devastated by : war,1 what
punishment should be visited upon the Presi
dent for firing into the Constitution ?"
7. And fr. William B. lleed'ia a iette'r
to the iron. E. F. CKamlers, of Mary-
Iand,"publisheil in the ,4ye, Nov. 7,' 18G4,
draws a picture of the time when, in
case Mr. Lincoln should be ro-eleotod,
'Lee and Beattrcguard, Johnson and.Long
stre,et, anl lireckenridge and Ewell and Kar
ly are killed, oreapturad, or ded to the moun
tains, or gone, like the unfortunal.0 but gal
lant Jacobites, like Berwick and Sarsfield,
into foreign service," while "the work of eon
quest, or evei subjugation, if that be the
wretched woid," is entrusted to the unaslu
rated Moloolis whom three years of bloody,
fruitless warfare have not satisfied."
0 the rhiledelphii. Eveniwj Journal,
of Jan-.. 20. 1S63, commences an .elabo
rate article devoted to the praise ' of Jeff
erson Davis, as follows ': ; - ,
"The third annual messaeo of J.iiTerson
Davis to the Confederte Congress and Abra
ham Lincoln's last, messase tu the United
Suites Congress, provoke a comparison quite
damaging to the intellectual capacity of tho
r cacial 1 residon t.
At tho great ratification meeting of the
Chicago nominations, held in Philadel
phia Sept. 17, 1864, the Hon. Emerson
KtlicriJV'q made speech, in which . he
said, as officially reported 5q the Ajet
"There is not. an honest man in my State,
there is not a man with an honest reputation
who will vote for Abraham. Lincoln. Laugh
ter and cheers. "I They think the unlawful
despotisiaof Jefferson Davis is no more un
constitutional and dangerous than the arbi
trary usurpations, of Abraham Liacoln.
That's so, and applause.. .... Before the
war, no Southern man ever mide war upon
liberties until Northern aggressions converted
them from our friends to our foes, and to-day,
Abraham Lincoln- stands, according to his
own confession, as triad! epposed to the,res
torationof the Union as Jeffersou Davis.
Lincoln says they cannot come bank unless
under an unoonstiutionnl condition, while
Jefferson Davis says he will not come back
unless he can have his own way. Now who
is the worst traitor, Jefferson Davis or Abra
ham Lincoln ! Cries Of "Lincoln," and
cheerse." r. ,
Svod the Hon. S. S. Cox, of Ohio,
who was the leader in Congress of what
was called the War Democracy, while
professing opposition to the rebels, in his
Chicago speech denounced the Adminis
tration with equal or greater bitterness.
. "For less offences than Mr. Lincoln had
been guilty of, the English people had chop
ped off. the head of the first Charles. In his
opinion, Lincoln and Davis ought to b
brought to the, same block together. The
other day, they arrested a friefld of his, a
member of Corigress from Missouri, for sayr
ing. In private conversation, that Lincoln
was no better than Jeff. Davis. He was
ready to say the same here now in Chicago.
Let the minions of tho Administration ob
ject, if they dare."
At a Democratic, eclsbittion, iu veff
York, April 13, 1S65 just after Lee's
surrender, atd the day before the assassi
nation of Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Edward In
gcrsoll, of rhilcdclphia, made a speech,
reported in full in the New York Xetes,
in which he said : V)f, , , . ,
. "I yield to no man in sympathy for tb,e
people of the South a gallant people strug
gling nobly for their liberty agninst as sor
did and vile a tyranny jas ever proposed the
degradation of our race. Say, I go furthur,
ani with Jefferson Madison, and Livingston,
I fully embrace tkadoctrine- of secession as
an American doctrine, without the element
of which American icstitut iens cannot per
manently live.'! . ... . '. 1. .
Thus iu the beginning, . the Democra
cy itfvitod secession, and, to the end, it
encouraged rebellion rith sympathy .and
prospects of ultimate success, j Let us
now turn to the relations : held by tbe
party to the: Government L which . ras
fighting the desperate battle for national
life.-.. ,! .. ;
, II. OPPOSITION. , ..
; ' Every ,'. rrfcasufe ." adopictt
by tlie Administration to sup
press the rebellion -was honored
by the herfrty opposition of the
Democracy, Avhich' ! spared no
effort to , influenc'b the people
against those to . whom was. en?
trusted the safety of the nation
during its hour of ; trial. ; The
war itself received : their heart'
iest 'condemnation.' . '. ' .
, THE DEMOCRACY A JTEACE PAETY. :
It is true there was a wing of the party
kxvwn iaa "Tvaf' democrats," ; bat they
were powerless anJ anch as attempted , in-
dependenee of aotion were, promptly read
out of the; party.u : The peace men . eon
trolled the organizatioa and polioy of the
party, and the war. men aever failed to
support them at tho polls. Praotically,
thd party was a unit io fator of peace ;
and in this it was conautent froui firao to
r3t.
At thtt great Democratic meeting of
T.-i 'lft tt,:i.JU,,:. t,
Jf I8' I851'" rbtMOphim, the
nrntbireeoluticm adopted declared,
. ''Weafw'lliareletti.uUe i'ppottcd to any
auch compulsion as is demanded by a portion
of the Republican Party ; and the Democrat
ic Tarty of the North will, by the use of all
constitutional means, and with its moral and
politioal, influence, oppose any. such extreme
policy, cr a ft-atHtSdal war Thus to bo inaugu
rated." . , -
' And a month later,' at the Democratic
State , Convention, held at. Harrisburg,
February 22, 161,- the following resolu
tion "was received with the most raptur
ous applause, nearly all the members of
the Convention rising, cheering, and wav
ing their hate." ''
"Riio'vcd, That we will, by all proper and
legitimate means, oppose, discountenance and
prevent any attempt on the part of the Re
publicans in power to make any armed ag
gression upon the Souther. States, especially
so long as laws, contravening their rights shall
remain ..varcpealed. 0. Jbe. statue books of
"."ortlifm States, and ao lcng as the just de
mands of the South shall continue to be un
recognized by the rephblieau majorities in
these States, and Unsecured by proper amen
datory explanations of Ihc Constitution."
It was in precisely the same spirit that
Kdojamin G. Harris, a Democratic mem
ber cf Congress from Maryland, on April 9,
1804, had the efTrontery to declare iu the
House of Representatives : ,' ' '
"The South asked you to let them go in
peace. But no; you said yon would bring
thcal into subjugation. That is not done yet,
and God Almighty grant that it never may
be. I hope that you will never subjugate the
South." .
This being good Democratic doctrine,
it is not surprising that, with one excep
tion, tbe Democratic raembers-f oted "fn; it
solid body against Mr. Harris', expulsion,
nor that, when he. was sect as a delegate
to the Chicago Convention, ' he was re
ceived there as a member of tbe party, in
full communion aud good standing.
At Chicago, in'leedvMr. Harris found
biuifclf asiong congenial spirits. There
the Rev. C. Chauncey Burr, of Ifew Jer
sey, publicly declared,
'You cannot have the face to s the South
to come back into the L'nidu until you with
ynur marauding army. Is there a man in
this audience that wants to have one-half of
the States conquered and subjected ? ' No.
When this is done you have ended the Gov
ernment. After three rears of war, who are
conquered, you or tbe South t 1 ssy you are
conquered. Von canuot cenquer the South,
and I pray Ood you neJp may."
James S. Rollins, of Missouri :
t. love our Southern friends: they are a
liable, a brave, and a chivalrous people
cheers, although they are trying to break
up the Government; and however much we
rosy hate them, we must remember that rhey
are our countrymen, and cannot he euhdited
jo long as we insist upon depriving them of
their right"."
John J. Van A Ilea, of New York :
'War is disunion. Wat criuld never pro
duce peace. , It was impossible lo subjngate
eight millions of people, and it ought not to
be done, if it eocld be done "
in fact, the Chicago Convention was a
peace convention, of which the ruling
spirit was Vallandigham.' He framed the
second resolution of the platform, which,
as we nave ecca. was regarded at tho
South as tatamount to recognition of their
independence. In hia Chicago letter of
October 22, 1SC4, he boasted that, in the
Committee on Platform, it received fifteen
votes out of eighteen ; an3 in his speech
at Sydney, Ohio, he stated that an amend
ment, suggesting the alternative of war,
in case of the failure of . ''peaceable
means," was unanimously, rejectee. So
well was he satisfied with the result, that;
while- yet fresh from Chicago, ib hia Day
ton Speech, of September 6, he exulting-
ly exclaimed : ' .' ' '''.''
J . . . . t 1 . ... u
"That convention has mot every expecta
tion of mine. , The . promises have all been
realized. The convention was emphatically
not Only a peaceable but a peace tomenlion.
It wok a peace convention; and,: speaking in
the name of more than, twenty , millions of
freemeai it demanded peace after the failtre
of the experiment of war. Ho mari among
the earnest advocates of peace, from .the bo-.
ginning of the war till this very hour, 'has;
in any formal public eeoiaration. Uemanaea
more than that convention has declared. It
meant peace, and it said so. ' It meant, aad it
means now, that there shall tie no more Civil
war in this land," - ., " . . :'',;,
' Mr. Vallandignam tvas justified in this
aaserticJu1, ndl only by the' platform,' but
by jthe temper, of the Convention, as
shown by the speeches of it members and
hangers on. :, Thus Mr. G, C Sanderson
exclaimed, ;' 'J''J'-2 ' ! 72';
"Is it not time that this infernal war should
stop! Cries of yei.l Has there not been
blood enough shed ! lias there not been prop
erty enough, destroyed!. Have wo not all been,
bound, hand and.foot,to the abolition tar that
is rolling over our necks like another Jugger
naut. - We must have peace. Peaoo is our
motive : nothing bat peace. 1 f the Southern!
Confederacy, by any posibility.be subjugated
by the abolition administration, the next
thing they would lurn their bayonets en the
freeaen of th Forth, aad tramjW yea in teo
. And the Hon. James II. Reed, of In
diana: ' ., ''''
. "the will. of the people is declared for
pence, and in this declaration there is aoth
ing tending to folly, in as much a in tho
eomjng election thoy intend to oust the in
cum' enu of olflcc, and 10 inaugurate a rule
which will bring peace and prosperity once
more to thisland." . . . ;
So the Rev. J. A. McMabtcr, of Sew
York:! '
-- -"Let ns demand 1 cessation of the sacriSc
until the people shall pronounce their great
and emphatic verdict for peace, and let the
tyrant understand tho demand comes from
earnest mon and must be respected. Wo are
often called the ' Cnterrificd.' I trust you
are. I hope that yonr nerves may be of steel,
for there is a day of .trial aomiug. and yon
must meet it." , .
It is hardly worth while to multiply
examples of this seditious peace spirit ia
the convention, and we will content our-,
selves with a few indications of the mods
in which the party elsewhere endorsed it.-
Thus at the McClellan Ratification
Meeting, held in New York, August 3?,
1364. every speaker declared in favor of,
peace, denounced the draft, and congratu.
lated the party that it had finally and
definitely accepted the peace policy. Mr.
James Brooks exclaimcJ, "No more fight
ing; fighting will never restore the Union
fighting and cuffing make no friends."
Judge Daly "thought there was a possi
bility of a peace and a preservation of the
Union through a compromise." Mr. Nel
son Smith toll the crowd of admiring
Democrat!) ':,
"The question now is, whether afier four
years of war this Cnion can be saved without
any further piosecuticn of the war.i.... . ..
After four years of war, we must now resort
to some other mean 3 than war, by which our'
troubles can l-e settled and peaco restored
that peace is rcceivecd as tbe duty of the iu
rotcing administration, a cessation of hostili-'
ties, and a convention ef the two pfofli ot
Tins (.ocsrar, to see if .they cannot settle
thisiuatfer."
Mr. Conrad Swackhammcr assured his
applauding auditors that,
"George B. McClellan will be the next pres
ident, and within tweniy four hours after that
election peace will bo declared. - We are tired
and sick of colls for. O,00U. more men by
those who have uq. thought b:;t for slavery.
1 hope in .Nevetbsr you wili all go forth, not
with a niusktt to take your brother's life, but
to cast a little white ballot frr McClellan and
Pendleton, and thus this war will be stopped.
Th,s war will be ended by diplomacy.'
Mr. lioberi C. Hutchius declared that, ;
"The pcoplo demand some other means of
restoring the Union than that of war, and be
lieve that a restoration can be reached by
peaceable means, and not by massacre. War
and only Wat1 can never restore the Union :
th armistice may, but a million of men can
not ; it bits been proved that an armed fore
carinoi."
Mr. William G. Gover said :
"I am in favor of an armistice! and believe
that we can settle our difficulties better by
diplomacy than we tan by the bayonet and the :
sword." .
Mr. John L. Overfield eiortcd his.
hearers":
1 1,. .
,., "Now, gentlemen, you've Vat to, look thi
matter in tho face and say whether you will
pay trese high prices, and be drafted and tors
from the bosoms of your families. Cries,
No, no. Will yoit be torn from these, or will
yon stay at hoiyc r,d 'rain qur children up;
that, gentlemea, is to be ocaide"! next Novem
ber." !
k-And. the great peace organ, the New
York ..Vera, rejoiced over the authorita
tive e position of its favorite principles,
as follows :..:.,..-....
"We accept the plat for in' of the Convention
as a great triumph of the peace party. . The
j proposition "for sn armistice and a convention
, of all the Stalest as, suggested several onlha ,
!o by The Macs, lias received the sanction
of the Democracy through their delegates,
and the peace cen may rest:, assured.. that
that proposition, 'arried into effect, . will
bring about an enduring peace between tho
sections. . Tho nominee of the Chicago Con-
1 venlion for the presidency is not. the candi- .
date of our preference, but, - standing .npon
the platform npon. which he bos bee a aomi-
naled and...x.. being assured . that with th ,
election of General McClellan the- war, will '
eno, we will support the nominations mods '
at Chicago, from this hour until the clos of
the polls in November.
"The .nominee fur the" Vice Presidency is
the man of all men, whom, had the choice .
been ours, we would have selected.' In tho
nomination of George II. Pendleton, a trib-
ate has been worthily offered to the peace,
sentiment, of which he has been bee n a con- '
si3teat champion." J3 : o:
It in trae that General 1 McClellan '
rnado a feeble attempt to justify the War '
Democrats in their support of him by .:
serine generalities in his letter of aceep-
tinceV bat he was speedily given to under
stand that, as James Buchaunan said, he :
was a platform and ' not s man. . Thus -
Fernando Wood In a meeting hold. Sep--.l
tember 17, in New " York, assured his
. " . . -i.i... - -! .:' v .
hearers: ; , .... r . , ,
"Besides, if elected, f am satisfied he wil
entertain tbe views, and execute the prin-
mples of the great , party he will represent ,
without regard to those .he may himself
poseess. He will thus be our agent, tho
creature of our voice, and as such cannot -if
he would, and would not if he could, da ' '
otherwise than execute the publio voice of
the country." , . . , .
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