Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-09-28
AN INSIDE HISTORY OF THE CHI.
CAGO CONVENTION.

The trickery of the Yankees at the Chi
cago Convention will be amusing to our
readers, especially since they have read
the sleight-ofhand letter of Mcclellan, in
which he places the platform in position
described by the proprietor of the !" little
joker" by the professional ejaculation of
"now you see it, and now You don't sec
it." From very long letter in the New
York Herald, written after the adjourn
ment of the Convention, we find what the
writer calls an inside view of its proceed
ings. We give some extracts, which will
be found interesting:
THE STRENGTH OF PARTIES AT THE OPENING.
When the delegates first came together
there was wide difference in their views
as to platform and principles, and each
set stuck to their ideas with great petina-
city. At the same time each faction de-
clared that there was too much at stake to
quarrel, and they must harmonic in some
way. The outside ultra peace element
were much more persistent than the dele
gates, and endeavored to press their ideas
to the utmost 1t was his fact that weak
ened the peace element. The cry was
Immediately started that they came here
to break up the Convention and reflect
Lincoln. The tide therefore soon turned
against them. 1t was this that shelved
Wood and his pocket committee, that was
not elected at Syracuse, and destroyed
completely their influence for good or
evil.
Valandigham labored under the same
dif3inpIfu onH with h1o ho oG1orc rnS,,
Southern Ohio, made powerless ins the
end. The war element, which really conf
posed majority of the Convention on the
start, laid their plans for positive war
platform but on consultation it was found
that a decisive and unequivocal move
would strengthen the peace faction, and
concentrate them into strong faction
large enough to make defeat certain
They, with the moderate peace men, then,
directed every effort to secure the nominal
ton of Mcclellan, who, they all agreed,
the masses, east and west, clamored for
Finding that they could not get a platform
to SHIT them without a split, their next
dodge was to make the resolutions so gon-
eral in their tone that they would not
amount to much further than pledging the
party to the integrity of the Union and
its restoration, but general in their forms,
and let the candidate be his own platform.
The public have already seen how they
succeeded in this, At least, the war ele-
ment consider that they accomplished this
point, and the entire Convention, with the
exception of a few rabid men from Ohio
and Maryland, jumped at it. It was ad-
opted without calling the yeas and nays.
The only voices heard in the negative
were from, few delegates from Ohio and
Maryland.
THE FIGHT IN THE COMMITTEE OVER THE
PLATFORM.
The contest in the Committee on Reso-
buttons was severe one. Vallandigham
boosted that he had the committee with
him at least two to one. But he soon
found different, for the first contest that
came up was in the election of chairman,
in which he was badly beaten, sixteen
votes being poled against him. As soon
as the committee met, one Of Vallandig.
hams friends moved that he be the chair.
man OF the committee. At this, Samue]
}. Tilden, OF New York, Immediately 3D.
posed. tie, in few remarks, paid a high
enlogy to Kentucky, referring to her sHf:
ferings in this contest, and closed by NOV.
ing that James Guthrie how be substituted
in the place of Vallandigham. This led
to a spiey debate, which finally resulted
in calling the roll, and each member of tha
committee voting for the person he pre-
ferred.. The result, as heretofore stated.
was thirteen for Guthrie, eight for Val,
.landighanl, and three scatterins-iust the
reverse Of what Vallandigham anticipated.
This was followed with a bitter attack
upon his heresies by Guthrie, Tilden and
other members Of the committee. Whilst
this was going on, Vsliandigham's friends
flew about in desperate rage. In every
quarter the cry was, There is going to be
a row." The .bluster7 Of these men on
tuesday night, when the committee were
in session, was amusing, but to many
alarming A free fight looked imminent.
Vallandighad not only insisted upon
budget, as he urged it upon the commit