The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-06-21

rHr srH OF JANUARY c3NvE.

fcoECBUDED
THE srH OF JANUARY CONVENTION.
In Indiana we have a proper field 10
work. There had been one tet.ng held.
that of the 9Th of January. Let US see
whether this will answer the purposes, aud
if not, let us repudiate it and make better
organization. As to the men on thar TICKET,
they are decidedly unohjectionaole lie had
q high respect for most of the members OF
that convention with whom he was person.
ally acquainted. But as citizen, having
duty to perform, must look ut the acts OF
that body, and govern my action accord
ipgly care little about the name OF
thing. Yet | must judge OF casket by
its contents, aud not by the label upon II.
Let us look st the facts. Though il grieves
me know that many good men were leo
by peace organization, wholly out OF
place in time of war, to attend and partici-
pate in that convention, yet i: Is apparent
that their efforts were futile TO keep 1t from
becoming an anti-war convention. Such
was the whole animus of that assenblage.
Its speeches, its resolutions and the sur
roundings, all prove this to be the TACT
Teke the speech of John @. Davis, who
said that he would vote for no mau who
was for the unconditional prosecution of
the war. What is a government worth II
this man or that man can make conditions
of his support ofit? have as mneh right
to make conditions as SIR. Davis, aud 50 has
every other man in the country. This speech
is published with and made part OF the 9TH
cial proceedings of the convention, signed
by its officers and with It's official imprima-
teur. The speech has been published in the
rebel city of Richmond.
THE PLATFoRM.
What of the platform While every
auti-war man in the State advocates that
platform, large body support it, claiming
it to be for the war and The suppsrt OF be
Government. The speech of Davis, some
sty, the convention is not responsible for;
but claim that the Convention is response
bic for publishing officially such sentiments
and thereby endorsing them to the fullest
extent. If rat falls into bucket Of water,
shall threw it out and drink OF the water
or shall throw both away eRiireiy?
THEY TOOK THE CHANCES. r-.
1t should be borne in mind that when
the Ssh of January Convention was held,
no great battle had taken place since our
defeat at Manassas. The hearts of our peo-
pie were down. The sunlight OF success
had not dawned since the dark cloud over
shadowed us on the 2lst of July. Fort
DoneIson had not then fallen. Fort Henry
was not taken. Under such a state of feel
| ing the platform was made. Gentlemen
who had taken part in tha' Convention, had
since admitted that if victories should fol-
low our army, their cause would fail, but II
defeat should stain the banner OF the nion
their party organization would go up, and
they would win the day. Mr.. Calhoun
once said, that the question as to how far
minorities might oppose the Government
in time of war, was a very delicate ques-
tion. The Union victories have come since
and it was now claimed that IL was good
Union platform. Some one had introduced
a resolution endorsing Douglas AID his
loyalty to the Government, but 1t was
ruled out OF order, ard was not passed. !
suppose il was ascerlained that Douglas bad
not taken the oath of allegiance, tor res
olution endorsing the Sentinel and its ed
itor, was afterward introduced and passed.
Mr.. Bright stated in the Senate that be was
opposed to the whole coercive policy of the
Government and that he endors this
platform throughout. Yet it is a war plat
form -
Judge Hughes thsn took up the sth of
January platform, reading each resolution
and commenting thereon,
The Convention declared that the eoun-
try could only be saved by restoring the
Democratic party to power Which wing of
the party was meant Certainly not the
Douglas party, for that had never been IN
power. That party could not be placed in
power rs it stood before without taking IN
JEFF Davis and all other rebels, and to do |
that you ould have to restore the whole
rebellious South to the Union, or take the
Confederate Constitution in lieu of our
own. 5--..-z a- a
As to the resolution insisting that COM
promise might have been made, he denied !
the facts set forth. No Seeding State had |
ever asked for compromise. JEFF. Davis /
said there must be separation or war
Throughout the seeded States it had been |
claimed that the flag of separate and dis. |
tinct sovereignty had been unfurled, and it
would be maintained by blood. All the
propositions from the South had come from
unauthorized individuals. Mr.. Crittenden's
compromise was that the Missouri line be
restored with slavery south of il, and pro-
hibited In the Territories north ofn.-
Though Mr. Crittenden was from a border I
Slave State, he bad no right to speak for
such radicals as JEFF. Davis, Wigfall, and /
Toombs, and their speeches attest that even I
had they the right to speak for secession
conventions, they gave no great favor 10
this measure Secession wac an accom-
plished fact before Mr. Lincoln came into
Office Whether the Republicans ought TO
have compromised this matter or not does
not relieve as of our duty now. sam 81
But the most Objectionable resolution
was the 9th. Had 1t not been for this res
olutiou, perhaps he would no. be speaking
here tonight. Ii was the marrow of the
whole platform. It asseveFates that tke
maintenance of the Union upon the prin-
ciples of the Constitution can only be ac-
complished by the ascendency of the Union
party at the Soath, which shall, by counter
revolution, ,displace those who control and di-
rect the present rebellion. That no effort TO
create and sustain such party can be sue