The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-09-21

Union by war.
The great doctrine OF the Chicago Plat
form, reduced to a single sentence, Is this:
CESSATION oP HosTILITIEs NOW The great
doctrine in McClellan's acceptance OF that
/ Platform is this: Go on WITH THE WAR
TILL THE REBELS RETURN TO THE UNION.
Now here is an antagonism between the
Platform and It's candidate so complete that
none can be greater. No man can be in
favor Of immediate peace and continuance
of the war at the same time. The Opposi-
ton between them is as great as that be-
tween light and darkness: where one is, the
other cannot be.
This broad opposition between Mcclellan
and the platform he is supposed TO stand
on, is rendered more palpable and obvious
from his former record. He has never had
any open connection with the peace men;
and all his former acts have been for the
war Thus, in his letter to the President
Of July 7, 1862, he wrote:
% These views amount to convictions.
and are deeply impressed upon my mind
and heart. Our cause must never be
abandoned: it is the cause OF free insttu-
tiOns and self government. The Constitution
and the Union must be preserved, irhaterer
mag be tie cost IN tune, Treasure or blood
If secession is successful, other diSSOlutiOnS
are clearly TO be seen IN the future Let
neither military disaster, political faction,
or foreign tcar shake your settled purpose
to enforce the equal operation Of the lars OF
I fbo TAFT 10
State"
Here we have Mcclellan for putting down
the rebellion "tThdtecer Il may cost IN
TINE, TREASURE OR BLOOD" Yet what do
We see to-day a million or more Of voters
supporting the man for President who
wrote these words, because he is a Peace
candidate The same supporters Of McClel-
Ian complain Of the "time" spent in this
war--nearly four year they say-and there
fore they wish it given up Mcclellan says
no matter how much it costs in "time :"
They say it has cost thousands Of millions,
and will ruin the country if persisted in.
Mcclellan says 1.-THE cause must never be
abandoned" whatever may be the cost in
Treasure" These men are eloquent in
calculating the amount Of human blood
that has been shed, and some have curious
ly estimated what huge pyramid the
bodies OF our deceased soldiers would make
and they cry out No more blood ..
Mcclellan says this war is the cause oil
free institutions and self government, and
they must be preserved, trhatecer it may
cost In "bloOd :"
Again, in his recent West Point grafton,
Gen. Mcclellan said:
ITO secure ourselves from the fate Of
- -i-i@~.i p"r~hiirS of Italy and South
America, to secure our government from des-
truction, TO enforce its just power and laws,
10 nldintdtH our Ce,'y existence as u nation
these were the causes which impelled Us
to draw the sword.
Such q rebellion cannot be justified upon
ethical grounds; and the only dlternattres
for our choice are ats SUPPRESSION OR
THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR NATION
ALIT1. AT such time as this, and in
such a struggle, political pdrtizdnShiJ
should be merged ia q true and brdre D0t-
riOtiSDl, which thinks only of the good OF
the whole country. 1t was in this cause,
and in these motives, that so many of our
comrades have given their lives; and TO this
IRE are all pledged ia all honor and FIDELITY.
Shall such devotion as that OF our deao
comrades be Of no QrdH ? Shall il be said
in after ages that we lacked the vigOI
/ TO COMPLETE THE WORK THUS Be
/ GUN; that, after all these noble lives freely
given, IRE heSitdfed and failed 10 keen
straight on until our land lrGS Sared >"
We do not adduce the expression OF these
sentiments as principles which would be car
ried out in case OF McClellan's election, for
every President is limited and confined in
action by the will Of his party. and with
the COpperheads in the ascendency, McClel-
Ian might be compelled to pursue an ultra
peace policy. But we adduce them as evi-
dences of the total opposition between
Mcclellan and his platform.
How can this opposition be reconciled .
Let us suppose the case of large Dem
ocratic meeting where the orator, after a
full exposition of the Chicago Platform.
calls for "Mree cheers for the Platform ana
Peace :" The audience give three cheers,
and another speaker follows, who gives an
exposition of McClellan'S letter of accept
ance, and reads his strong language on
other occasions in support of the war, and
concludes with "nree cheers for Mcclellan
and trGr for the preservation Of The
Union ," Anintelligent audience, in rising
TO give the cheers, would either laugh in
each others faces at their own incOnsist-
ency, or feel as mean as though they had
been stealing sheep. Their ridiculous pos
ition is deeply felt by the Peace leaders Of
the party; and we see it stated that Val
landigham, having issued series Of APP
pointments, and fulfilled a part of them,
on receiving McClellans letter, recalled the
remainder, and retired from the political
field in disel.st. We do not see how the
others Wiz hold TO the same sentiments.
can d. otherwise.
i.ere, then, we have literally house di-
.ded against itself; and we have high au-
thority for believing that such house can
not stand long. The same Democratic root
covers both factions Of the party; but they
dwell on opposite sides of the house. and
neither can act without running square
against the other, and driving it out OF
doors. The best they can do is to stay in
the house together until election day, and
keep up Fictitious bond of Union between
themselves by shouting "Old Abe is a ty-
rant" After that time they will leave the
house and each party seek its fortunes sep
arately.
Our conclusion is, that Mcclellan has
materially increased his chances for large
vote by substituting his own letter for the
Chicago Platform Of peace: that the Dem
Ocratic party, in all its branches, with few
exceptions, will vote for him because he Is
the opponent of Lincoln: that be will poll
a large vote in all the States: that all the
electoral votes not given for Lincoln, will
be cast for him; and that he will carry quite