The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-10-02

sumed the form of civil war; that
the only errors that could be imputed
to the government in respect to eman
cipaiion, were in delaying the procla
nation until this late day, and in giving
the rebels the time until the first of
January to avert the emancipation by
laying down their arms that the con-
stitution in giving the Government the
power to wage war, gave it in detail
all the powers conferred, and imposed
upon it all the duties enjoined by the
Law of Nations; and that, therefore.
the enjoined duty of emancipation
was required to be discharged as soon
as the power for discharging it was &C.
quired the Law of Nations was the com.
mon Law of the civilized world; and
that by its own provisions, all other
nations had ri ht to claim that ma
ton at war, should conform to its re-
quirements, and to interfere by force
in case it did not.
He remarked further that the meas
ures of the proclamation, were to con.
stitutute the great and almost only
matters in issue before the people in the
approaching canvass; that what he
and those for whom he felt authorized
to speak, desired and were determined
to have, was definite knowledge Of the
position which the proposed Union
party designed to occupy in respect to
those measures; that tor himself, he
did not propose to politically cheat or
he cheated, nor to stand by aud con-
sent by his silence that any of his fell
low citizens he cheated; that the conn.
try had had quite enough ofparty resolu-
tions and platforms couched in vague
generaities of language susceptible of
double and any number of different
readings, and that just such frauds of
phraseology had contributed in great
measure, To produce the present terrible
condition of the country.
The adoption of Mr.. Clarke's reso-
luton was opposed by Messrs. Black
man, Lewis and A. ]. Smith, ID. S.
Jones, Gideon Gibbs, +. H. Jones, and
others, in speeches, occupying from
one to two hours altogether; and upon
the not very consistent grounds taken
by each of them that the resolutions
reported by the committee fully and
unequivocally pledged the convention
to support all the measures of the adj
ministraiion, and in So doing, to sup
port the measures announced by the
Proclamation and the Proclamation it.
self; and that as democrats did not
approve the Proclamation and were
opposed to emancipation, they should
not be asked and could not be expected
to endorse, or pledge themselves to
support them. 1t is however due to
Mr.. Gibbs to say that in his remarks,
he very emphatically expressed his
approval of the Proclamation, declared
that he had long been i'm favor of the
emancipation of every slave of every
rebel in the land; and was opposed to
the adoption of Mr.. Clarke's resolu-
ton only because he thought its adop-
ton by the convention inerpedieht.
The gentlemen opposing the resolu-
ton were briefly and pointedly replied
To by Messrs. Jesse Beeson and G. S.
Wilbur, each claiming that the People
had right to know nnequivocalIv
whether the proposed Union party de-
signed to oppose or support the policy
of the proclamation.
During this discussion, Mr.. Single
decker moved as a substitute for all the
resolutions before the nvontion, one
to consist of the language of the call;
and Mr.. ID. S. Jones one merely pledg-
ing the convention to "sustain the Gov.
eminent in its constitutional measures
to suppress the rebellion"
Mr.. E. Ii. Jones finally moved that
all the resolutions except those report
ed 10y the committee, be indefinitely
postponed. Whereupon Mr.. B. w.
Schermerhorn moved the precious
question. (Mr. E. II. Jones is candi
date for the senatorial nomination and
Sheriff npon the proposed "Union"
county ticket.)
The Chairman, (Mr. G. G. Jones,)
explained that the effect of sustaining
the motion for the previous question,
would be to cast aside all resolutiO ms
proposed as additions or substitutes,
cut off all debate and bring the Con-
vention to direct vote upon the mo-
ton TO adopt the resolutions reported
by the committee. The motion for the
Previous Question having been sus-
tanned, the chairman asked to be heard
upon the motion to adopt the commit
tees resolutions, and proceeded IT, re-
ply to Mr.. Clarke and to urge their
adoption upon the same grounds taken
10y the other speakers upon the same
side claiming very earnestly that they
'pledged the convention to support all
the measures of the administration, as
strongly as language could pledge
them )" that, therefore, no pledge to
sustain the proclamation could he re-
quired; and then claiming that Repub-
Leans as well as Democrats were not
yet ready to pledge themselves to sup
port it; that 'we did not yet know any
thing aboutit," and added, II am not yet
ready to pledge myself to support it..
| do not yet know anything about it,
and why should we spend time here in
discussing measure that we know
nothing about? ?" AND claimed that
President Lincoln ''was not an eman
cipationist and never had been"
Mr.. Clarke asked leave to be heard
''for three minutes" The chairman