Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-04-07
The Baltimore Conyention--The
eFCstpopement Movement.
/ lFfun the Ohio STATE Joamal.l

hMc wAtttsnOre reCcnvonttOn-sEh
sRcstponement Movement.
,sy4r, lFfun the Ohio STATE Joafnall
we read With some attention an editorial
iutbs New York Post of March 81, areu
ing for postponement Of the Union M.
ticnai Convention till the first of meet Sep
TENDER, Wo considered we'll and carefully
the arguments put forward by the Post 10
favor OF this strange proposition, and we
confess to an utter disappointment in our
effort to tind anything forcible in the reasons
there sdduced.
The Post objects, in the first place, to the
place where the Convention
IL called to meet and suggests that Uoum-
bus, Cincinnati, or Louisville would be bet
ter positions for the assembling OF the Con-
yention. With all due thanktulness to tho
Post for thus honcrably mentioning our own
city and State, we do not concur with our
contemporary in his conclusion.
baltimore witnessed the first baptism Of
blood with which unholy hanls sprinklod
the soil that slavery called its own when
this war of rebellion began. That self same
coil has since been virtually reclaimed for
Freedom. II is therefore city historic in
both the present and the past. And it oc.
ours to us ns being most itly ordered that
the great National Convention of 1864, with
FREEDoM inscribed on its every banner,
should there assemble as rpan the spot con
secrated by the first shedding OF blood in
this war for the defense Of Freedom.
.As for convenience Of access, we have
beard no complaint, not the slightest. by
those most interested in the mere question
OF convenience in that regard And why
our friends of the East should urge that
point, which no one else has objected to,
and when they are themselves most accom-.
rnodatcd thereby, we are unable to divine
Certain it is that the point has in it nothing
OF serious import.
Another point made by the Post is that
possibly We may meet with some reverse in
tho field that would induce the Convention
20 cast aside DR.. Lincoln as a candidate -
Is the wish the father to the thought?--
Suppose reverse should happen to eur
arms (which we cannot expect) should that
circumstance disqualify Mr.. Lincoln for
nomination? What il some military com
inander should lose battle. either by mis-
take or from some one of the thousand nc
cidents that battles are subject to, how does
that affect the question Of Mr.. Lincoln's
fitness TOR denomination to the Presidency?
The reason given by the Post is logical
non sequifW And if the reason were good
and sound, who can tell that battles may
not DO lost letween September, the Post 3
chosen period. and the November election ?
---and shall we in that case be called upon
TO abandon Mr. Lincoln, supposing him to
he the nominee, because same General has
been faulty or unfortunate? II the former
reason is good, the latter is equally correct.
And yet its absurdity is obvious.
Another point Of ELECTION raised BY the
Post consists IN an exhoTtatioB TO wait for
the moving of tho waters OF freedom IN the
democratic stream OF politics This, though
put forward as the climacteric Of the logic
used for postpOnemcnt, Is, in our humble
opinion, weakest of all. The proposition
resolves itself into this, that wo are to wait
for their conversion before we begin our mi,-
Eonary work. 1t may as well be accepted
first a. last, that delay in nominating our
candidates and dcining our creed of pOlit-
ical faith under the logic OF events, would
only be mischisvous to our own cause with.
out winning a single squad from the ranks
Of those who would not otherwise join our
standard of Freedom. Those whom we can
not gain, from the month of June, will be
incorrigible after September We most
heartily concur with the Post when it says {:
The loyal party-the party of the Gov
"ernment and the Union needs to lie made
strong as it can be by tho accession of
loyal elements from all sides. and should
"open its arms with especial c0rdialty TO
those democrats who think more Of their
country than they do Of their party. and
in the face OF time.honorel traditions
"strlke blow at the monster who has dc
''voured our prosperity and destroyed our
peace"
This is eminently Just and true But,
would we not more eflectually close her doors
against such by Withholding from them the
privilege OF considering our cause and weigh
ing vol our principles till within sixty days
OF the Presidential election, than by open
ing to them the principles and faith by
which we are to be guided, for four months
instead Of two before voting2
But, no man OF any expericncs will un.
6ertake 10 show how Presidential cam
paign Of the magnitude of that which is be.
fore US can even be organized in the sixty
days time that tho Post would leave Us for
the whole work. This is "a great country
o country of magnificent distances The
army is to be reached and tho proceedings
prescribed by law tor securing the soldiers
vote in remote positions, wheresoever they
may be, have TO be insugurated and >ys-
temitizsd This would exhaust tho whole
lin. indicated by the Post, and then would
6e found hurried and probably inaccurate.
The time now named, June 7th, is even
later, by at least one month, thnn has been
usual for holding the National Convention.
Then, why is il that in certain quarters,
thore is unseemly sensitiveness about do.
claring our principles and announcing our
candidateY This movement is not confined
TO the Post. What do they dread? Or for
what do they hopef that they should thus
higglo for delay do they hope for some
thing to turn up whereby some specisl
fkyorite Of their clique might rise 10 the
Assendent? Do they dread tie people .
Better, infinitely better, for themselves and
the cause they advocate, would il be for
those wl.o would juggle with the business o.
politics and manipulate with conventions,
II they would more closely heed tho oals oil
the people, and abandon tho political for
tunes OF any man who in the matter of nomi
nation would attempt to nterpose his own
fortunes between the people and their choice
IL Ia conceded, in unequivocal terms, by
the very papers who cla,nor for delay and
pestponement, that, it the nomination were
to be made now, or soon. Mr. Lincoln would
be ronomInated with great enthusiasm and
perhaps by ncclamation--and IA this tbo