Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-09-13
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE rLArFoRN-THE MORAL
THE SOUTH NEVER HAVING MORE NEED OF
vIGILAsT LEADERS AND A CONSUMPTION. Krc.


From the Richmond Examiner September s..
As there is at least a chance of the Yankee
election in November giving that nation McClel
Ian for President and Pendleton for Vice Presi
dent il becomes well worth while TO examine
carefully the document which they call plat
form basis OF the intended policy of the Demo
cratic party. in case of their succeeding % the
government.
Inasmuch AZ we are at war with that country
and the chief controversy between its parties is
upon the maintenance of this very war; and on
the best way Of prosecuting the same, If it is to
be prosecuted at ALIVE have. unhappily. a
nearer interest in their approaching election than
We should wish TO feel in anv Of the concerns of
that people forevermore.
The platform" is prepared With care, as these
documents usually are. Ii may turn out to be
actually the programme or scheme of the admin
isiratiOn OF the ebemy's country for four years
TO come. and we much concerned in forming
a clear idea Of what this document, yerbiaee
apart. really means and what it does not mean
The first and leading idea Is that the party and
its candidates ''adhere with answering fidelity
TO the Union.' which they pronounce to be
"eg lally conducive TO the welfare of all the
States, Northern and Southern" thus under
taking to Judge OF what conduces TO the welfare
not only Of the States represented in that con-
vention, but also of those which are now the
Confederate States. Democrats cannot bear
no more than aboitionists-to look upon this as
a foreign land. They cannot live without US
Without ns they say they bave no country At all
Here Is n most singular srdor OF attachment
which. though unreciproea ted, cannot be cooled?
The studied disdain and even repugnsnce OF the
beloved object, does not abate this passion whit
aud &c slows as warmly in the Democratic as in
the Republican breast. Hitherto. under the Lin
coin regime, our adorers have paid court to US
but roughly: they have woocd Us the tiger
woos his bride.
But Mcclellan and Pendletoa--as appears
from q subsequent part of the platiorm-promise
to be lovers of milder mood They propose to
take hint from the parable of the Traveller. the
North Wind and the Sun. This cloak of Con
federate Independence cannot be blown of by
the rudest blasts of Boreas on the contrary, the
traveller only wraps it the more closely around
him But the sun, after March next, is to beam
with go gracious a warmth that the traveller is
expected 10 fling his cloak off upon the roadside.
&c a soldier, on a hot march. sometimes filings his
overcoat. The platform declares that "immedi
ate efforts should be made for a cessation of hos
Utilities" This is carefully calculated expires
sion Why "efforts!" Democrats we'll as
AbOliiionists know that the Government OF that
Nation can bring about cessation of hostilities
at any moment, without any effort at all; it is
Vuil OcdeinI, upOu tutlT pfiti IIom uvShINttc
upon u.s. and all hostiliues cease on the instant
But the trainers Of the platform" take care 10
intimate that this is not what they mean--the
cessation Of bostilities" which they seek is TO
be expressly with view 10 the ultimate con
yentiOn Of all the States. or other peaceaDle
means. 10 The end that at the earliest practicable
moment peace may be restored on the basis Of
the Federal Union of the States-meaniDg union
of the Confederate with the Federal States IT
cessation Of hosti,ies ia to be proposed, even
with this view" We cannot see that any effort is
required; the Federal Government could. at any
time. stop the war and invite convention OF
what they call all the States; but. in short, the
use Of the word effort, proves that the cesss
ton OF hostilities they contemplate is not only
with this view. bat upon this condition-ihe con
dltioa that The Con isderate States agree 10 come
into the convention, and be bound by il, or IN
some other pcaceable place themselves once
more ION the basis of the Federal Union"
Now TO bring about a cessation of hostiities
upon these conditions may certainly require an
effort. ard the word is not misplaced
This platform, then. does not pledge the new
Administration. If il come into power. 10 stop
the war, nor 30 much a. TO suspend hostilties
for a single moment, but only to make efforts to
induce the Confedsrate States 10 come into con
venton for the restoration of the "Union"-
that is 10 submit ne condition OF even an ar
mstice
One paragraph OF this document declares that
the object OF the Democratic party IS not only to
preserve the Union, but also "the rights OF the
States unimpaired" But IL is sufficiently clear
that among these rights Of the States they do
not count the right OF secession. inasmnch as
they do not even once hint throughout their
platform" ths, there can be any peace Without
Union. and especially as they have nominated
for President the man who committed the very
first and most conspicuous outrage upon State
rights and sovereignty by throwing into prison
the whole legislature Of MARYLAND on the mere
susaicon that il was about to take that State out
of the Union.
But It i also evident that among the State
rights ihey wish TO preserve is not reckoned the
rght OF secession from this further Circumstance,
that 10 the resolution eobdemnng Lincoln's usur
patton Of dangerous powers not granted BY the
Constitution. and the subversion Of the civil BY
the military law In States not In Instruction
they imply tbs there are States ln Instruction.
namely. these Confederate States; and that in
these shsfe cat be 10 objection TO such sssump-
ton oi extraordinary powefs-that in these
there il no eonstituton-and that in these toe
civil Law ought to be subverted by the military.
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