The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-09-03


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The CeppefhesA NeninstiAns.
The Chicago conclave has places in NOM
nation George B. Mcclellan for President
and George 81. Pepdleton. for Vice Presi-
Asnt. The former has been Commander
IN Chief Of our armies, and has been guilty
pf taking part in what the Copperheads say
II needless and causeless war against our
Southern brethren. The second has been
from the beginning, an opponent Of the
war, Z justifer Of the rebellion, q friend
and advocate Of the traitors, an enemy o.
the Government and . constant denounceE
Of all acts calculated to assist in suppress
ing the enormous treason. There are some
persons who believe that Mcclellan 10 still
loyal and true to the Union. But Pendle-
ton has taken pains to be consistent. No
ono charges him with anything Of that sort.
All who know him at all are aware that
he has done all he could to prove himself
the supporter Of the revolt and to obstruct
the Government in it, efforts to suppress 1t.
He runs along with Vallandigham-is the
same sort Of person, and his ideas OF
peace are precisely those OF the martyr
and exile. If there is any loyalty In NC
Clellan, it IL . queer conjunction Of names.
Ifthere Ia not, It must DO because both men
occupy the same, position and have the
same purposes. ga
But the platform settles this most defin.
itely. The Committee which prepared It,
took pains to declare publicly that all its
members were "peace" men. Vallandig-
ham was one Of these, and 30 far - We are
acquainted with the names Of the rest, they
are undoubtedly Of the same character.
But We may take their word for that.
They know each other, know their posi-
tons and opinion, and when they made the
declaration, did it with q purpose. That
purpose was to assure the "peace" men
everywhere that they controlled the Con-
vention, that their aims were its aims, and
that the Nominees, whoever they might be,
would be pledged by their acceptance to
the policy and ends Of the ultra Copper
head faction. And when the platform it
self appeared it proved the declaration
true. We have already pointed out Its
meaning and effect. It contains no word
Of loyalty, no condemnation Of treason. no
censure Of revolt. It denounces nothing
but the Administration, and denounces
that simply for enforcing the laws, for
punishinp criminals, for seeking to sustain
the Government Of the people. Itproposes
nothing but absolute submission to the
rebels. It sanctions nothing but the
insolent assumption that the people
have no right to elect President or de-
clare . policy Duplicating to the minority.
It proposes to afanm the doctrine Of JEFF
Davis that the minority ought to rule
and the majority ought always to submit.
This il. the abstract and essence Of the
platform. ae
We don't know that Mcclellan win &C.
cept the nomination on this platform. II
there 10 spark Of manhood or patriotism
in his mind he can't and won't do it, III
he consents to stand upon it, he must be
held to mean and intend what IL means
and intends. But 20 far ~ We have dis.
covered, none Of his friends objected to the
platform. They seem to have thought it
would suit him. They ought to b &C.
quainted with his opinions. II they think
that platform Of deliberate treason to the
Of pre-ordained submission to
traitors and rebels, II must b because they
believe he has sunk to the level Of their
own dishonor, and has become quite will |
ing to grovel in The filth Of treason, national |
and eternal ruin. We confess we
have seen no reason to doubt that they
Are correct in their conclusion, and accord !
that hewin further damn HIM |
elf BY accepting the nomination. He has
proved himself weak lndvain and presump-
'ious. Such mems principles, when they
have any, do not often stand in the path Of
ambition. We have no idea that any hick- |
ring remains Of fidelity and honor win
nducs Mcclellan to reject the nomination |
N that platform with the scorn of an hon.
Ut and loyal man. By accepting IL he
makes himself the leader Of the whole
and Of Northern traitors, he sanctions all I
heir past treasons and all they contem- |
late, he makes himself worse than Val.
andigham or Wood or any other Of the
in 30 far - he steps out Of the
,ath Of honor he once trod, into that Of
lishonor and crime, at one time denounced
y him as such. He will voluntarily make
limself the chief Of reasonable oreani-
alton. He assumes its terrible response
,ilities. He hopes for fame and win reap
My eternal infamy.
11Some people will wonder why the
'eace men nominated Mcclellan. There
> no difficulty in solving that question:
They did it for two reasons. The first was
BECAUSE they knew him to be an exceed
ngly weak-minded man, one they could
to their own aims as easily as
'iece Of wax, even If he did at heart en-.
ertain views opposed to theirs. The
econd reason was because they have the