The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-04-29
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
THURSDAY NIGHT, APRIL 30. Is47.
,,. Hartford Convention splr,t-R.dlv,vu..

re ON the eve of its adjournment, are calculated 10 re-
Five the scenes of lsl2-l3-'l4, when the Federal
opnos,on to the war was stgmatlzed by the National
y,,sl,;cepcer of that day. as "moal treason" against
,b country Ii was then that the Federal party took
.des AGAINST their own country, in favor of the enc
nv # was then that the Federal presses poured out
their scandaous attacks against the admlnstraton-thai
the Federal orators assaed the war as unjust and AN
necessary-and that Federal legislatures auayed them
calves against the administration and the Hartford
yention met in suspicion, and sat IN mystery to plot
against the government and the constitution itself The
.Natona lntei- genccr' Of btat day stamped these at
tempt, with the character of 'mora treason, and there
was strength and justice in the expression; because
in the midst of foreign war; whilst the country required
men and money, and supplies of every sort Tor It's sue
cessul prosecution the course OF the Federal party was
calculated to impair our energies, and to lend 'ad and
comfort TO the enemy.
The events of 1912 present unfortunate parallel to
the scenes which now passing before us 1hen we
were engaged in foreign wards we are notc. 1hen
we had Justice on our side-as we have noar. Then,
there was desperate party in our own bosom, who de-
nounced the war unnecessary and as unjust And now
similar party is, in like MANNER reprobatng the war
both in It's origin and in its consequences. Then,
a desperate opposition attempting to justify the
course of Great Brtan-to underate resources-to
narayze our exertions-to animate the enemy with the
homes of our own divisions and in every way to cloud
our prospects of success by ominous predictions and by
an active opposition to the means required for vigorous
prosecution of the war Them as noU factous party
abusing the administration and depecatng its members,
was called "Madson's war;" "the Presidents war
H. i Al.
Presidents war" Then, now, they attempting
TO riicue the ability of the Executive. They charged it
with imbecility They reyiled Mr.: Madison utterly
destitute of energy and wisdom They charged his cabi
net with folly and weakness. They rdicued the
of conducting the war They abused the administra-
ton as entirely wanting in foresight and vigor In the
same manner the Opposition now repeating the old
slang of 1872 Their object in both is the same
was to defeat the objects of the war; to the ad
mnistraon with disgrace to drive the republican party
from power, and crafty the ambition OF their own
leaders, and the voracity OF their ofice-huners by ia
king their places
The same drama which was acted then, is now repeat
ed Thefederal leaders determined to put down the
republican party, and TO usurp their places. And hence
no means spared and respected among
certain leaders, arrest the and to disgrace the adj
mnistraton What they, though the honor oil
the country be sacrificed The ambition of the asprants
is to be graied at every hazard In feature indeed,
the war of 1912 affords no parallel to the pass
ing before our eyes Wedd not then the Federal party
seizng upon the spoils of the war which they had
abused and turning the military ecIat of triumphant
General into the means of promoting their own
miserable party purposes. This dsgraceiul spectacle
e.. Al la,r To Tho lpraI
party belongs the honor of attempting to rise upon war
which they have illuminated, and of eecing military
candidate in the face of their own denunciaons to the
contrary.
But the course OF the federal party be alike in its gen.
era aspects during the two OF 1912 and lS47 there
sa surprising analogy in the special course of Massa-
chuses at those epochs The recent resolutions OF
her legislature against the Mexican war, remind u.s. in
more respects than one of the of the Hartford
ven,ion of December 1884, in which her delegates bore
so conspicuous part
Her late resolutions attribute the origin of the present
to the influence of slavery They pronounce the wal
TO be "wanton, unjust and unconstitutional in its origin
and character war against freedom, against human
iy against justice, against the Union against the const
tuition, and against the free States; and [hey declared
that regard for the true interests and the highest honor
OF the country not less than the impulses of Christian
duty, should arouse all good citizens Join in efforts to
arrest this gigantic crime,' &c.
Passing from this carcature specification of the char
acer OF the war; they proceed to assail the save poe
to which they attribute its origin They declare that the
tyranny and usupation of the slave power [are] eds
played in the history of country, particularly in the
annexation OF Texas and the present with Mexico
and that we impressed with the unaerable convic-
uon that regard for the fair fame Of country for the
principles of morals, and for that righteousness which
exateh nation sanctions and requires all constitutions
al efforts for the abolition of slavery within the limits
OF the United Staeswhie loyalty to the constitution
and just selidefence, make it specially incumbent on
the people OF the free States cooperate in strenuous
eSertions to restrain and overthrow the slave power"
The Hartford Convention, in like MANNER expatiated
upon similar topics, and raised the same camor against
The annexation of territory, the influence of slavery and
The power Of the slave-hoding States. They declared
That he admission OF new States into the Unon formed
aFeasure in the western region, has destroyed the bal
ance Of power which existed among the original States
and deeply affected their interest" They complained of the
influence of the 'slave power, founded on the appor-
Torment of slave representations and they then proceeded
propose the following amendments to the constitution
The first amendment proposed relates the apportion-
Tem OF representatives among the saveholdng States
ms cannot be claimed right. Those States en-
icy 20 tic slave representation by constitutions
us therefore merely subject OF agreement which should
oe conducted upon principles of mutual and accom-
ouauon, and upon WHICH sensbility either side
uod be permitted to exist IL has proved unjust UNI
In It's operation Had this effect been ioreseen, the