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

of 1861, or its committee on the platform,
was controlled by Mahoney and his aids,
and that displacement Of these men has
taken place Certainly not, for Dennis
Mahoncy was one of the most prominent
actors in the late Convention moved the
appointment Of the Committee on platform,
and was himself the leading spirit in that
Committee, aided by Charles Negus of Fair
field, whose support to the government in
this extreme peril, is as conditional, whose
loyalty is as false and spurious as that of
Father Mahoncy himself. Besides, it is no
torious that that convention was presided
over by man who lately stimulated the
appetites OF his stomach by publicly drink.
ing the health of his friend Jefferson Davis.
Surely, then, these apparent changes have
not been wrought because either of the re-
form or displacement of Mahoney and his
workcrs-thc leaders and prostitutors of
the Democratic party of Iowa
| Was it because the Mahoney platform Of
| 1861 gave enunciations to falsehoods and
error, which the Mahoncy convention of
1862 sought to correct and reform ? So far
as the Mercury is authority for the party
and We believe it is in the best of standing
with it, there has been no change with re-
gard to who has involved us in civil war,
for it heads its editorial of last week with
the enquiry of "who is responsible for the
war;" and in answer to this editorial enquiry,
it does not reiterate that clause of the late
democratic platform, which says: "The
SecesSionists have involved us in cruel
civil war, but says that it is the Repub-
lican party that is alone Responsibilities
sponsible for all the blood that has been
shed responsible in short for the untold
misery and accumulated distresses of the
country and finally, that if the government
is overthrown, the Republican party, and
not the wicked traitors who will have des-
troyed it, will be wholly responsible. This
is the present very just and loyal strain Of
the Mercury. Why its agreement with the
Mahoney platform of 1861 ? Why its disa-
greement with the one of 1862 ? Is it not
because there is no necessity for its. shifting
its position of last year--no necessity for
the exercise of that treacherous duplicity
which the State Convention lately exercised
in order to soothe the aroused suspicious Of
the loyal masses
In fine, is IT not because it believes that
the political stomach of the Democracy oil
this county will bear as foul pill of Maho.
neyism as was attempted to be administered
last year We think so, butts incerely trust
that the administrations of the Mercury will
have an emetical effect. But again we ask
why these disagreements, this backing down
of the platform of 1862, from that of 1861
one declaring that secessionists, and the
other that the Republican party have in
volyed US in civil war-one declaring,
although but equivooally, that it is in favor
of the suppression of the rebellion, the other
that it would sustain the Government, pro-
vided it would first kneel before the "Con.
federate States" and its supplicants for
peace spurned from the foot Of the throne
of Jefferson Davis
The reasons are plain. The Mahoney
Convention and platform of 1861, was too
outspoken in its justification of, and sympa-
thy with, the traitors who We're rending. the
government, for an endorsement of the loya]
masses. The disloyal leaders caught a
glimpse of the coming events that cas-,
their shadows BEFORE" and snuffed the
brewing storm of popular indignation that
was gathering for elimination at the ballot
box, and the reputation oftheir reasonable
heresies by loyal and thinking men. Hence
the patching up Of the Mahoney platform Of
1861 by the second convention that was
called. That convention, where Douglas
men were over-ruled and gagged; where
resolutions reiterating the sentiments and
language of Douglas last speech-hls dying
words, were ruthlessly voted down--where
the stencil of disloyalty was so strong that
the venerable Lincoln Clark left the presi.
ding chair, and retired from the convention
to escape the odium of the association
Hence, too, the apparent shifting of position,
the omission to openly and broadly excuse
and justify traitors in arms in the late Ma.
honey platform, by saying that the seces-
sionists instead Of the Republican party,
that have involved US in civil war.
As further evidence ofthe duplicity of these
co-workers, and that their real proclivities
are sympathetic, if not identical with those
of their "SoutheIn brethren" who are assail-
ing the Republic, we desire briefly to refer
to that clause contained in the 10th resolu-
ton of the late Mahoney platform, which de.
clares that there is no hope in the future of
the Government except, among other things,
sin submitting questions which might here.
after arise, affecting the legal rights ofStates,
to the Judicial tribunals and not to the Leg
lslative or Executive departments of the Gov
ernment.' Now what arc these 'legal
rights Of States" that are to be left to the
Judicial tribunals and not to the Legislative
or Executive departments What ''legal
rights Of States belonging to the Judicial
tribunals have been usurped by the Execu-
tive or Legislative branches of the Govern
ment! DO they mean confiscatiop of trail
tors property? No, for that affects individ-
ual and not State rights, and besides they
have separate plank in their platform es-
pec'ally referring to that. Do they mean
the Ema pcipa ton of Clora,,x II.