The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-09-22
Thursday Morning, Sept %, 1854.
From the Springfield Republican
Only Adjourned.

W h@h 0oCS ~ AlNanE Ht AhicaIO CO0YeQ-
tion adopts platform. 1t 1tnomlnalrs its can
dldales. 1t does up the work which is sup
posed 70 belong TO such conventions, and il
does 1t up brown. At ropes everybody in
Every yDody Is satisfied and his wife TOO. Val
landlglaln moves TO make the nominations
unanimous. Peace and war are goedirieads
Every body cheers Tor the Candidates Gov.
Seymour is pleasef.t So are his -friends.'
Every body loves everybody, and everybody
taAes y drink. Ii ever there was a conyen-
lion that had Alright TO dissolve, and TO be
dissolved, il was that same Chicago conyen-
tion. But il didn't dissolve. Ii only adjourn
ed. IL AZ any time la the immediate future,
which la truth threatens TO be somewhat
stormy, the democratic national committee
shaI say lile soid, and name the lime and
place, aud prestot the Chicago convention
VIA be there. IL becomes us, therefore, to
speak with some cauiioa Ga body that may
rise again 10 haunt US. Dead men tell no
tales. We confess We should breathe little
treer II tnat convention were fairly under
ground. but II isn't, II Is only adjourned.
Now, then, that means something, and the
question Is, What does it meane That is the
question We have been-casting about in or.
miad. Aad Z Il were not such an immense
impertinence TO quote even weFd or figure
from Abranatn Lincoln 70 use Id an article on
tlS NAAkdSO NC hlloQlu uS
ed to describe the action OF our mind upon
the aforesaid question IN the very words of
the President. We too have tried for once
80 bound north and TO bound it south, 10
bound II east and TO bound 1t westn And we
FnluK We have succeeded, We believe that we
have got light. And what we have got we
are bound 70 dispense. Our readers snail be
told 10 all frankness what we think were the
probable reasons which led the Chicago con-
yention not to dissolve but only to adjourn.
lne Chicago platform is Curious docu-
mcnt. The only positive thing IN Il, except
little love pat for the soldiers iust at the end,
which they Of all men will best know how 10
take, is u proposal for an armistee. There is
in il sufficient denuncialion OF the present ad-
minisiration, and loud nouthed generailtles
about devotion to the Union, bat the only one
thing OF practical nature IN the platform,
the one only thing which the democratic par
ty proposes 10 do, is 10 have an armistice with
the rebels. Now an armistice is some times
q very respectable thing, aud sounds we'll. Ii
two nations about equally balanced in peet
TO power are at war, and neither has gained
or IS likely to gain decisive advantage over
the Other, there is nothing In The world more
rational and respectable than the proposal Tor
an arInistice. But il the war be between q
nation aud some OF its citizens who are in re-
DtliJH tSttLct W. duu ~ tu1c tCONfifOu tdilllOt
justify ils existence 10 the enlightened public
opinion OF any nation on the earth, and If al
ready the rebellion itself be In large part
suppressed, and the decided advantages exist
In The hauds oi the nation for ils total sup
preston, then the proposal for an arniistice is,
10 say the least, little unusual. Still, the
democratic party, looking the field all over,
ioreseelng lae chances, The probabilities, the
discontents, all the elements which go to de-
terIniDe presidential campaign concludes 10
make an armistice the one practie al plank oil
their platform, and to go into the contest sub
stan:ialy on that alone. This, though IL is
unreasonable aud unpatriotic, and in some
aspects OF II monstrous, is not now ridiculous.
But little shifting OF the scenes might make
It ridiculous Grant has already got a thor
ougn grip on the throat OF the rebellion,
Sherman is at its yitals with hostile intent,
and Farragut Is even now binding its heels
together with iron thongs. A month OF very
possible success Ia Grants army might send
jeff Davis and the whole rebel government
flying along the inhospitable Lynchburg road,
whIcn leads down 10 loyal East Tennessee.
Suppose this to happen, the democratic party
shouting all the time 10 catch the ear of the
fleeing rebels, Friend JEFF, and armistice!
an drnsistice jeff" -
That would be too much for the risibles of
American people. That would be more than
even the democratic party could bear. just
think Of it-one month OF reasonable success
in either of our main armies would make the
Chicago platform perfectly ridiculous. And
we think it may have been an inkling Of this,
dim presentiment on the part OF the more
sagaclous that the platform might need
changing some before November, that q new
aud moro sonorons battle-cry might become
necessary, that led the Chicago convention
not TO dissolve but only 10 adjourn.
Moreover, there was another reason, and
that reason at any rate took hold. Abraham
Lincoln, according to the ideas of all ortho-
dox peace democrats, is tyrant lie breaks
up organizations hostile TO the government
He ferrets out concealed arms and ammuni-
tions gathered with trai,orous intent. He does
not allow open rebels to deposit their votes al
the polls. Hethrowsintop prison rampant seces,
sionists. notwishstanding that they are good
democrats. Now then the Chicago conven
lion Is hung in terrorem o7er the head of tn
SAID Abraham 10 warn him not to do such
things any more. If he wilt persist in doing
such acts, they will be held as reyolulionar,
and resisted with all the means and power III
der the control" OF the Chicago convention
- See in detail the third resolution OF the plat
form. To be able TO enforce this public ihrea
with show Of national authority, to attempt
TO overawe the misunderstanding so that it shal
not dare to disturb good democrats, whateve
else they may be at the same time, and also Il
be in position TO tack the course OF the great
democratic ship in case the wind shall shift
II was for these reasons, We suspecS that III,
Chicago convention did not dissolve, but onll
adjourned.