The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-08-09
Democratic Platforms.

CHAIRMAN.
Democratic Platforms.
NO w AND THE NJ
On the oath of July, 1861, pursuant to a
call Of Dennis Mahoney and others, so
called Democratic Convention met at Des
Moines and promulgated Platform, in the
1st resolution of which it is declared, that
1.-THE present condition of the countryside
civil war 10 which the people are engaged
the effort to dismemher the Union, and all
the coEcomitant evils which afflict us, are
the legitimate result of the successful teach
ing Of the doctrine and policy of the ire
pressible conflict" that is to say-the Re-
publican party thus excusing and justify
ing the traitors who had raised their patri-
cidal arms against Government that had
never deprived them ola single constitu-
sional right,-whose power they had only
felt in the dispensation of its favors and
protection, by throwing the responsibility
and blame upon party who had been for
tunate enough to carry an election.
In the Convention of 1862, assembled Oh
the 18th of July, at the same place. plat
form is adopted in which they declare
as they did last year, that the Republican
party had involved us in war,-but that
the Secessionists have involved us in
cruel civil war;" Why this change, this
shifting of the responsibility of the nations
woe; why declare that it is the Secession
lists that have involved us in a cruel civ,
war in the platform of 1862, when you de-
clare in 1851 that it was the Republican
party?
Again when the country was involved in
war, when traitorous hands were clutchng
the throat of the Republic, and the blood of
our dead and wounded countrymen still
flowed warm on the fields of Manassas. the
Mahoney convention of 1861, declared in its
tast resolution of National Policy "That
the Democratic party was in favor of a fair
and equitable compromise of the unhappy
difficulties that exist between the General
Government and the Confederate States !.
but should the Confederate States refuse q
peaceable and equitable adjustment of our
national difficulties, then we pledge ourselves
TO sustain the Government in all constitu-
sional efforts to maintain the constitution.
and enforce the laws of the Federal Govern.
ment )" thus imposing upon the support of
the Democratic Party, to the country in its
jeopardy and distress,-an infamous con.
misunderstanding, in substance, that thew
would not aid or sustain the Government in
its efforts to suppress the rebellion, until an
offer Of compromise had been made by the
Government-notto the rebels and traitors
who had imbrued and were then inbruipp
their unholy hands in the blood of our brave
countrymen, who had gone forth in defence
Of the flag /; who had prosecuted and hung
men because fthcir devotion to the country:
who were trampling the flag of the Republic
under foot, and aiming their murderous
thrusts at the heart of the nation-but to
the respectable nation of the Confederate
States and if such offer of compromise was
refused by the said Confederate States. them
and then only, were they to sustain the Gov
eminent in enforcing the laws.
The Convention of 1862 say in the LIST
resolution of their platform, that they are
IN favor Of the suppression of the rebellion.
mot merely by force of arms, bat by such
other measures as common sense. reason
and patriotism will suggest to the governing
powers. T" True this declaration is somewhat
equlvocal, and lacks positiveness true
That the measures that are proposed to be
used, Independent of the mere force of arms
are without doubt such 'sfair and equitable
compromise to the Confederate States" MS
was recommended in the Mahoney platform,
OF 1861, and to which we have before allu-
ded, and we confidently believe that they
are so understood by Mahoney and his CO.
workers in the North, and by Jeff Davis
and his fellow traitors in the South ; STILL
they endeavored to have their pledge of
support in the suppression Of the rebellion
appear unqualified whether it was or not
which is far ahead in appearance of loyalty
80 the pledge Unconditional support contained
" the platform of 1861, before referred to.
A gain we ask, why this yascillation, this
shifting of the Democratic convention of
1862, from enunciations of that of 1sG1.-l
Wil the Aercury tell us One ofits editors
being delegate to the Convention of 1862.
We may fairly presume its competency to
snllghten the people upon this point. Is it |