The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-13
A VERY PRETTY QUARREL AS IT
STANDS.

FROM ne Tjms,.
Mr.. Valandipham, in his speech at DAYTON.
+ giving his account Of the Chicago Convention.
said --"That Cunyoulion has met every expecta
Eion of mine. The promises hnic all been yegJj-sJ
AZ Stems the martyr was a little too fast He finds
hat the promics have not all been realized and
Dn seeing McClellan's letter Of acceptance he dis
i i5ards him on the instant.
The promises referred to are no mystery
EalandiRham went 70 Chicago the admired Of
all COpperbead admirers, and master of the situa
I ton. His mere nod ruled twO-thrds of the c ln-
fyention. He was put on the Committee on Reso-
4 buttons, and had the absolute shaping of the
4 platform; Then came the question Of making
'ihe candidates. Here. too, Nallandighams
power was supreme lie could have given the
nomination to either Of the Seymours, or 20 any
man of his own stripe.
Il There WAS "A hard pressure for Mcclellan on
Ehe ground that he was the most available man
THE COpperhead chief yielded to that pressure
on the strength Of positive stipuatons that
Mcclellan should plant himself squarely on the
platform; and when the vote was taken, 1t was
Nalandigham who moved that the nomination be
made unanimous. He went home as his Dayton
speech shows, with the completest assurance
hat these stipulations would be faithfully OBJ
served.
OF course It is plain enough why they we're no
observed. The fall of Atlanta was heard of lust
three days from the adjournment of the Conyen-
y tion. II came like thunderbolt from clear
sky. It kindled war spirit everywhere into new
life. 1t was felt by Mcclellan, or rather by those
who have him in charge, that in these altered
circumstances, it would be simply cOurtng de-
structon TO stick to the platform. Mcclellan,
therefore, In his letter of acceptance, shifted his
position but in such fashion that he thought Val
iandigham would not complain of it. He kept
his left leg on, while he put his right leg off,
II was very awkward position; loyal men,
indeed, thought II "A very ridiculous one; but nc
hoped that, considering the emergency, it would
be accounted sufficient sticking to promise,
rfalI uo ha vOr1a call fha "a
tee that be believed the attitude here taken was
the attitude Of the Convention. 1t was a mistake.
MIR. Vallandigham, on seeing how Mcclellan had
placed himself, angrily turned on his heel and is
now understood to be after rod left in pickle.
Lieutenant Ben. Wood less able TO restrain him
self, fell foul at once, with kicks and blows.
The Uorld, brimtul of wrath, flies to the
! rescue, and falls pe nell upon the man of the
ilNe,oS. New combatants are pouring in on each
side, fast and furious; and as we look out this
morning upon the peace party, we see nothing
u but one confused thick-thwack, cut.aud hack,
Z 'belter-skelter, hggledy- piggedy, hurly-burly,
spltter-spatter, head-over-hees, tooth and nail,
n rough and tumble.
y 1t Is sorry spectacle. General Mcclellan Is a
man of personal rcspectabity, and never should
have got himself into this miserable position. 1t
was a fatal mistake for him ever to have allowed
his friends at Chicago 10 commit him to the plat
form. If they did it without his permission, he
should have telegraphed to Chicago forthwith
{ that he could not take the nomination on such a
basis. Or, if he then had opportunity reflect,
he should have improved the time that passed
before the arrival of the com mittee which brought
the nomination, and have been prepared TO say,
Gentlemen, these are peace resolutions; l can
not accept them.
81 believe this to be righteous war. In favor at
washington or out of favor. | 90 for crushing
this Rebellion. You must seek some other man
to represent you, l cannot" Had General
Mcclellan thus played the man he would have
won to himself every loyal heart in the land All
I,of his former shortcomings and errors would
have been cast into oblivion at once, and, though
opposed to the Administration, he would have
\ challenged its homage To be sure, he could not
have gained the Presidency thereby but neither
can he gain 1t now.
Such noble self-assertion would have cost him
nothing, and yet given him glory beyond all
price. But he yielded to the politicians about
h him, and was deluded into the belief that a few
juggling words would enable him to keep the
nomination, and yet, in some sort at least, dis
connect himself from the odious platform. Il
was a pitiaOe weakness in soldier to betake
himself 10 such Shift for true soldier is Of all
men the most frank, downright, and independent.
But 1t was weaker yet to imagine that any such
half eommittal 10 that platform would satisfy
either the ruling spirits of that convention, or
the body of the people whose support alone
could make him President.
1t could not satisfy the men who governed the
, convention, for they had been identified with an
out-and-out peace policy all through the war
and II could not satisfy the people, for when
mighty issues are at stake, the people never
recognize, and infinitely less follow, halfway
course DetWeen' Inc peace pohcy OF tue Chlcago
Convention was no sham; it meant exactly the
"cessation of hosulities" set forth. The war
spirit of the people is just as genuine. 1t is a
spirit that means TO continue hostilites until the
Rebellion is conquered-nothing more, nothing
Z l""- A Presidential candidate must side with the
,... .. the other of these. 1t is sheer infatuatOn
In him 10 think to escape it.
1t is idle TO speculate what the final upshot OF
this quarrel will be. IL may result in the nomi-
nation of a new candidate by the Vallandgham
wing OF the party, and may not. Pfactic lily il is
of very little consequence. The Copperheads,
whether united or divided, whether following one
path or two, will alike be swept out of sight in
the floods of November.