The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-08-08
The sDemocratlc" Movements Through
out the North.

1t is not 10 the field that the Union cause
is in the greatest danger. Under McCLEL.
Lam and POPE in the East, and GRANT and
BUELL. in the West, the interests of the
country are safe In comparison with their
condition in localities far removed from the
scenes of actual strife. The imminent dan.
ger of today springs rather from Northern
politicians than from Southern rebels. The
Democratic conventions of the North
with their utterances Unqualified patriotism
and practical treason, are doing more to
weaken the moral and military strength of
the Government, than all the armies which
have been coerced into the field by the des.
potism of JEFF. DAVIS.
The platform adopted by the late Demo-
cratic State Convention of Minnesota, as
we find it printed in one of the party pa
pers, has only ten lines of qualified support
of the Government, while it has nearly nine.
ty lines of unqualified denunciation of the
legally constituted authorities of the Gov.
ernment. No man can read that platform,
if be accepts its statements of fact, and inn
bibes its spirit, without feeling that all eff
forts and sacrifices 10 behalf of the country
are useless, and worse than vain for there
is no crime against the Constitution and the
laws, which is not there paraded as the deed
Of the President and bis political partizans,
and which is not held up before the people
for their condemnation at the polls.
The present National Administration has
yet nearly three years lease of power. If
the rebellion is ever to be crushed, it must
be crushed within the limits of that Time.
10 any contingency, this civil war, during
the next three years, must be prosecuted by
this Administration, if it be prosecuted at
all. The power of the Administration is
derived from the people; and without their
sympathy and support, the Government
must fall, inevitably, into rebel hands. The
only effect of the dissemination of doctrines
and sentiments like those put forward by
the Democratic party of this State, is to de-
stroy the public confidence in, and withhold
public support from, the Government. For,
to every practical intent the Administra.
ton, during its term, is the Government.
And, however cunniDgly it may have been
worded, no man can contemplate its effects
upon the public mind, without feeling that
the logic of the Democratic platform, here,
is treason.
Of similar character, though, if posi-.
BILE, worse, are the sentiments uttered at the
Democratic State Convention of Indiana,
which was held at Indianapolis, on the Both
July. The principal speakers there, were
Messrs. WICKL1FFE, of Kentucky, CAR
Isle, of Virginia, and RICHARDSON, of Illi-
nos. From an analysis of their speeches,
the Chicago Post deduces the following as
the points argued and sustained:
lst That the Republican party is so tinged
with abolition, that it is impossible to discrm.
mate between what is, and what is not,
abolition.
I'd. That no Democrat can conscientiously
or periodically be Republican.
Sd. That il the war be made a Republican
war, it necessarily becomes an Abolition war,
and no Democrat can or ought to have any
thing to do with it.
4th. If the Democracy do not participate in
the war, the Republicans cannot carry it on
alone division of the Union will be newt
able, and in that division the West has greater
interests in an alliance with the South than
with abolitionized New England.
Upon these points, the Post, whose Ed.
tor was the friend and biOgrapher of DOUG.
LAS, remarks:
This is fair synopsis of the collected utter.
ances at Indianapolis: some OF the speakers
said one thing, and the others the rest. but
taking all the speeches together, their sub.
stance is as we have stated.
We have no purpose of arguing either of
these points. Admit them all to be true, and
what then!
Suppose the Republican party to be an abo.
lition party through and through. and suppose
no Democrat can ever be Republican, what
theory affecting this war do those facts furnish?
We do not understand how this war can be-
come any kind Of a war but one. 1t was COM
menced by the rebels to dissolve the Union.
If in the suppression OF the war commenced
for such purpose, it becomes necessary to
sweep slavery out of existence. the war does
not thereby become an abolition war, any
more than 1t would become war of extermi-
nation if our armies were compelled to sacri-
flee the lives Of a garrison who refused to sur.
render. The moment the rebels will give up,
our word for it Mr.. Lincoln and the Republican
party will very gladly make peace on any
constitutional basis. The war therefore is not
in the hands of the Republicans or of the north.
1t is in the hands of the rebels; while they
persist in fighting they create or destroy the
necessity of the government doing this or that
military act. Let them lay down their arms
and there will be no abolition or any other
kind of war.
The proposition that division of the Union
would be necessary if the Democracy refused
to participate iu the war. and that new
Union with New England left out might be
made, is q disreputabe, dshOnorab e and trail
torOus insult to the Democracy OF the nation.
No man with his heart in the right place, or
with his patriotism not corrupted by an at
tachment to slavery, would make the sugges-
tion. 1t is but justice to state that the lndl'
vidual who elaborated that idea was MIR. Car.
Isle, of Virginia. whose Democracy, if not of
very recent date. is shaped and fashioned by
the resolutions of '9S. We are gratiied to
know that Senator Crittenden refused to take
in pooo