Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-02-20
The Platform of the Ohio Democracy.

The Platform of the Ohio Democracy
| It has occurred to US that we might rende
good service at this time by republishing tb'
Platform of the Ohio Democratic State Con
vention Of July A, 1862. That is our poltlca
catechism, or confession Of faith, and by 1t VI
must all stand, as il is the authoritative expo
stion OF our creed. The closing paragraph Of
the powerful exordium, and the resolutions at
tached, which were adopted without dissent
ing voice, are as follows;
We;therefore, the representatives of nearly
or quite two hundred thousand voters of the
State of Ohio, who have as deep stake In the
welfare of the country and in the preservation
of the Union, as any other equal number oi
men, in the exercise OF our duty and constitu-
tionsl rights, and With the desire Of upholding
instead of weakening the just powers of our
Government, and anxious to unite all men,
tiops, who agree with us in opinion, and to
treat all loyal men who honestly differ from us
With becoming respect, do hereby declare our
own opinions and those of our constituents, as
follows:
/. Resolued, That we are, as we ever have
been, the devoted friends Of the Constitution
aud the Union, and we have no sympathy with
the enemies Of either.
9. That every dictate Of patriotism requires
that, 10 the terrible struggle in which we are
engaged for the preservation of the Govern
ment, the loyal people Of Ahe Union should
present an unbroken front; and therefore all
efforts to obtain, or perpetuate party ascendency
by forcing party issues upon them that neces-
sarily tend TO divide and distract them, as the
Aboitionists are constantly doing, are hostile
to the best interests of the country.
3. That the Abolition party, by their denun-
citation of the President whenever he has mani
tested conservative spirit, by their atrocious
defamation of our generals who we're exposing
their lives for their country, and who needed
and merited its hearty support, by their acts
and declarations tending to promote insubordi-
nation in our armies, and want Of confidence
In their commanders, and by their persistent
representations of all conservative men in the
loyal States, as sympathizers with the rebels,
have given immense aid and comfort to the reb-
ell cause, and encouraged them to hope for ul-
innate success.
intimation of the Governor Of Massachusetts,
that that State will be slow in furnishing her
quota of troops, unless the war be carried on for
purposes of emancipation. When the nation ia
straining every nerve, and pouring out its blood
and treasure like water, to preserve its exist
ence, it is monstrous that conditional Union
ism that places Abolitionism above the Consti-
tuition; and the success of party above the in.
tegrity of the Republic, should thus rear its
head in high places and seek to dictate the con-
duct Of the war.
,wauld nut oA
and legal punishment to the plotters of, and
leaders in, the rebellion, we are opposed to the
contemplated sweeping and iDdiscriminste acts
of .confscation and emancipation, by congress
sional legislation or Executive proclamation
because:
Let. We do not believe that such acts would
be constitutional.
I'd. We.believe that by driving the rebels to
desperation, and converting Union men at the
South into rebels, they would have the effect to
indefinitely prolong the war, afford a pretext for
foreign Intervention, and render the restor alton
of the Ulion next 10, or quite impossible.
Sd. Because. if practicable and carried out
they would epgender feeling Of bitterness be-
tween the different sections of the Union that
would not be allsyed for generations to come,
and that would be an ever-present cause of dan
ger and disturbance TO the public peace, q
source of perpetual weakness in the Govern.
ment, and an ever-present incentive to foreign
powers to interfere in our domestic concerns,
aud to promote disruption and overthrow of
the republic.
4!h. Because they would destroy, in great
degree, If not entirely, for many years to come,
the industrial interests Of large section OF
the country, and m0st injuriously effect the in
terests of the whole people.
5th. Because the immediate and indiscfiml-
nate emancipation of the slaves would be an
act Of inhumanity to them.
9th. Because such an emancipation would
throw upon the border States and especially
upon Ohio, an immense number Of negroes to
compete with, and underworld, the white labor
ers of the State, and to constitute, in various
ways, an almost, or quite, unbesrable nuisance,
If suffered to remain among US. And we would
deem il most unjust to our gallant soldiers to
see them compelled to fres the negroes Of the
South and thereby fill Ohio With q degraded
population TO compete with these same soldiers
upon their return to the peacesble avocations
OF life.
6. That, entertaining these views, we connot
Too strongly condemn the refusal OF our Gener-
al Assembly to prohibit by law, the immigra-
ton Of negroes into this State.
- luht VIC hEo oPPVnou w uOipb snAOu w
purchase the freedom Of negro elaves. With
all due respect for the opinions Of others, We
think that such measure would be unconsti-
tutional, impolitic and unjust.
8. That the unparalleled frauds and pecula-
tions upon the Government revealed by the
Investig eating committees, and otherwise, dc.
mand the sterpest condemnation Of every hon.
est man and friend of the country, and call for
the aaverest punishment prescribed by the
laws.
8. That true patriotism, courage and skill
manifested by our armies has never been ex-
ceeded in the history Of the world, and deserves
and receives our highest admiration and graft
tude.
10. That the refusal Of the General Assem-.
bly, to permit our gallant soldiers in the field
the right to vote, was great and unjustifable
wrong to them, that ought not to have been
committed.