Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-06-23
The Cleveland Convention.

!
The Cleveland Convention.
From Harpefs weskiy.l
The action of the Cleveland Conven-
ton gratihed every Copperhead and rebel
in the country and every foreign enemy. =
Its ostenslble motive was dissatisfaction with
| the Administration, but its hicfinspiration
was the desire Of personal revenge. 1t was
the work partly of angry and intriguing.
| partly Of impracticable men. That some Of
! the chief actors in its proceedings have es-
/ pecia personal reasons of dissatisfaction
with the Administration j, well known; and
/ that Messrs. Parker Pilsbury and Stephen
I ). Foster represent in their opinions any
! great multitude of the people, or that they
aie by temperament or training or popu
/ lar sympathy fitted to be leaders in such
/ crisis as this, nobody familiar with their ca
rcers, sincere as each Of them doubtless j.,
! eau possibly believe. The only name Of
practical importance connected with the
Convention was that Of Lucius R,binson,
the Controller Of the State of New York,
and one of its most honored and honorable
citizens, aud his letter was read in silence
! his suggestions disregarded, and the work
! the Convention assembled 10 do was done
1t came to nominate General Fremont, and
It nUuunated hin. His friend, announced
in advance that Mr.. Lincoln should have no
chance in the Convention, and making
puerlle an base inSinuitiOn, declared that
q, it he sent any OF his miniOns TO interrupt
the proceedings the consequences should he
upon their own heads. Refusing to verify
credentials the assembly resolved itself into
4 mass meeting, AMI assuming to speak for
the American people. made il. nominations,
baptized itself the Radical Democracy, and
adjourned.
1t is indisputable that any number Of cit
iZ1nS have perfect right to meet aud ex-
press their opinions. AMI nominate candi
dates for any ottice. Bat it is no less indis
putable that at moment OF extreme ma
tional peril the practical union of all faith
iul citizens is high and moral necessity.
and that imneIs, fIrbearance. AMI patti
enc, are imperative patriotic duties. Wien
therefore. practicable and usual method
ofasc4rtainnt the general popular wish is
opened--when all voters who wi1ll' the un-
con litional maintenance ofthe Government
by every efficient means, including tn over
throw of Slavery, if that shall be deemed
essential, are invited tn send representatives
of their views to Convention, then every
citz, IN who wishes to maintain that unity,
and who knows hat his private preference
! ulhSI NY VIC HlkltSt utCtSSlly, yttil W tuS
general conviction, will abide by the action
5 OF that Convention. II he il OF opinion that
the policy Of the Government is weak OF
, slow he will do what he can to impress the
pubic mina with his views. But. failing
| to succeed he will not do all that he can to
change that policy for one which, by giving
, the Presidency to the friends Of rebels. sub
stitutes treaehery for weakness, and which,
, instead OF slowly defending the tight makes
haste to yield to the wrong.
The Clevelan Convention w:s called by
men who desp ,rel of controlling the Union
Convention ut b fillmore. When they saw
that the overpow 3ring tendency Of popular
5 preference WIS for Mr. Lincpln, they de.
nounced the Biltmore Convention as pack.
t ed, and called another to meet a week pre-.
e viousy and nominate another candidate.
t with the intention of saying that the nomi
: natinn at Baltimore, after Union candi'
r date was in the field, was willful schism
Q and distraction OF the Union party. Was
/? this loyal and honorable action, or was il
n an Indication that personal passion wa
It stronger than patrlotisuR Were the gen
= tlemcn who met at Cleveland really the rep
: resentatives of the great mass OF the Unior
If men of the country? Was the response tt
3 the call before the meeting general, unani
= NOUS. enthusiastic? Is the response to it
- acton the hearty amen OF the nation? Tn
ir call was welcomed by three classes: some
i but by no means all, OF the extreme aboli
s. tioni,ts; bv the few who are morbidly angr
e with the A lministration; and by the friend
of the rebels, who hope to divide the Unlo
e vote and thereby secure the success Of tn
- Comprehend candidate Thus the WorlJ
: the Herald. AMI Mr.. Wendell Phillips uni
e ted in approving the call. Mr.. Phillips
:, letter was read with enthusiasm to the Cou
Ie vention, while Mr.. Rpbinson's was heard j
4, silence. Now there is no question that tn
sr un ted Union vote would triumphantly pre-
N vail in November. There may he que
ct ton whether it can be divided and yet tn
is victory be secured. Mr.. Phillips and hi
N friends take this chance; and if McClella
b. should be elected he will owe the hearies
r thanks to Mr.. Phillips and the Clevelan
Y. Convention. .l,.......... .s...i
nt II it be asked why should not the fiend
10 Of Mr.. Linnoln give way to those of Gensrf
re Fremont the reply Is one OF TACT; namely
Is. that every sign shows Mr., Lincoln to be
m upoa the whole, the candidate most accep
= able TO the great mass Of the Union patty
n II this were not so, if this we're not know
We to be the truth, why should the Copper
,s. head Journals 50 Justly cheer Alr Phiihr
he AMI his Cevcl,nd friend? tits becaus
r. thcv hope AMI arlentlv pray thatthe.e ger
ur tlemen NAV what Mr.. Birney's fl M
Dff dil in 1874 They elected Mr.. P0!k b
ur dr,wp. off ist enough votes in on' Stat
h. from Mr. Clay. Can the better part of tn
he Cleveland gentlemen really wish to draw q
ill enough votes from Mr. Lincoln TO elect Il
to Chicago candidate? Four years ag
no when Mr.. lincoln was nominated, Nj
n Phillips denounced him as ''the slavehour
la of ILLINOIS," because he thought that
srs some way, he acq',iesced in the .Fugii
he Slave Ltw. By what name does Mr.. Ph
I'D lins expect to be known it he help. to p
ID. this Government nto the power of Cope
w, heads and rebelious Shareholders? ~ Il
nst The Presidential question, like everv OF
er question in politics, is one Of expedienC
ng not of abstract, absolute right. ln the CO
ent duct of human affairs We must do what !
of can, upon fair estimate Of the facts. Al
re- will any sagacous, unbiased man delibera
cy. " say that he thinks it more practicable
in elect Gen. Fremont than Mr., Lincoln.
Is T. '-'' ~ ~ ---- ---~,