Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-06-18
The Cleveland Convention---Letter Of Accept
Of Enannnnf-

TO MeSsrs Worttington q. .Snetile11, Of Mary
land. Edscard Gilbert, Of NesO York; Caspar
Ba.tz. of Mnois; Charles T. Noss, Of Ms
souri, !; NJ p Sanger, Of Psnnsyluanid, Com
naittee, dc. -
GENTLEMEN: In answer to the letter which
/ have had the honor to receive from you, on
the part of the representatives of the peo-
pie assembled at Cleveland on the Slst of
NAV, desire to express my thanks for the
confidence which led them TO offer me the
honorable and difficult position of their can
didate in the approaching presidential cleo
ton very honorable, because in offering it
!. to me you act in the name of great number
of citizens who seek, above all things, the
good of their country, and who have no sort
of selfish interest in view. Very difficult,
because, in accepting the candidacy you pro-
pose to me, i am exposed to the reproach of
creating schism in the party with which ]
have been identified.
Had Mr. Lincoln remained faithful to the
principles he was elected to defend, no schism
could have been created, and no contest could
have been possible. This is not an ordinary
election; it is contest even for the right to
have candidates, and not merely, as usual, for
the choice among them. Now, for the first
time since nc, the question of Constitutional
Liberty has been brought directly before the
vote The ordinary rights secured under the
Constitution and the laws of the country have
been violated, and extraordinary powers have
been usurped by the executive. 1t is directly
before the people now to say whether or not
the principles established by the revolution
are worth maintaining. If, as we have been
taught to believe, those guarantees for Gber-
ty, which made the distinctive value and
glory of our country, all in truth inviolable
sacred, then there must be protest against
the arbitrary violation, which had not even
the excuse of necessity. The schism is made
by those who force the choice between a
shameful silence or a protest against wrong.
In such considerations originated the Cleve-
land Convention.
1t was among its objects to arouse the at
| tention of the people to such facts, and to
bring them to realize that while we are satu-
rating Southern soil with the best blood of the
country in the name of liberty, we have real
| ly parted with it at home.
To-day we have in the country the abuses
of military dictation, without its unity of ac-
| ton and vigor of execution; an Administra-
ton marked at home by disregard of consti-
tutional rights, by its violation of personal
liberty and the liberty of the press, and, as a
browning shame, by its abandonment of the
| right of asylum dear to all free nations
abroad. Its course has been characterized
| by feebleness and want of principle which
has misled European powers and driven them
| TO believe that only commercial interests and
personal aims are concerned, and that no
great principles are involved in the issue.
| The admirable conduct of tie people, their
readiness to make every sacrifice demanded
of them, their forbearance and silence under
| the suspension of everything that could be
suspended, their manly acts of heroism and
| sacrifice, were all rendered fruitless by the
| incapacity, or, to speak more exactly, by the
personal ends for which the war was man
| aged. This incapacity and selfshness natu-
| rally produced such results as led the Euro
pean powers, and logically enough, to the
CONVICTION that the North and its greatly su-
perior population, its numerous resources and
its credit will never be able to recover the
South. Sympathies which would have been
with US from the outset of the war were
turned against US, and in this way the Ad-
ministration~has done the country double
wrong abroad. 1t created hostility, or,
at best, indifference among those who
would have been its friends, if the real
intention of the people could have been bet
ter known, while at the same time it neg
lected no occasion for making the most hu-
initiating concessions.
Against this disastrous condition of affairs,
the Cleveland Convention was a protest.
The principles which form the basis of its
platform, have my unqualified and cordial
appreciation; but cannot so heartily concur
in all the measures which you propose. do
not believe that confscation extended to the
property of all rebels, is practicable, and if it
were so, l do not think it a measure of sound
policy. 1t is, in fact, question belonging to
the people themselves to decide, and is
proper occasion for the exercise of their orr
ginal and sovereign authority. As a var
measure in the beginning of a revolt which
might be quelled by prompt severity, l I'M
derstand the policy of confscation; but not
as a final measure of reconstruction, after the
suppression of an insurrection.
In the adjustments which are to follow
peace, no consideration of vengeance can be
consistently admitted.
The object of the war is to make perma-
nently secure the peace and happiness of the
whole country, and there was but a single ell
ement in the way of its attainment, This ell
ement of slavery may be considered practi-
cally destroyed in the country, and it needs
only your proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution to make it's extinction complete.
With this extinction of Slavery, the party
divisions created by it have disappeared, and
if in the history of the country there has ever
OCCA q blnlO tlAO pcOplc, Will
out regard to one or another of the political
divisions, were called upon to give solemnly
their voice in a matter which involved the
safety of the United States, it is assuredly the
present time.
If the Convention at Baltimore will nomi-
nate any man whose past life justifes a we'll
grounded confidence in his fidelity to our
cordial principles, there is no reason why
there should be any division among the real
ly patriotic men of the country. To any
such, should be most happy to give cordi-
al and active support.
My own decided preference is to aid in this
way and not to be myself candidate; but,
| if Mr.. Lincoln be renominated, as 1 believe
it would be fatal to the country to endorse a
policy and renew power which has cost us
| the lives of thousands of men and needlessly
put the country on the road to bankruptcy,
there will remain no alternative but to organ
ize against him every element of conscien-
tious opposition, with the view to prevent the
misfortune of his reelection.
In this contingency accept the nomina.
ton at Cleveland, and as q preliminary step,
l have resigned my commission in the army
This was sacrifice it gave me pain to make.
But had for long time fruitlessly endeav-
ored to obtain service. make this sacrifice
only to regain liberty of speech and to
leave nothing in the way of discharging to
my utmost ability the task you have set for
me.
With my earnest and sincere thanks for
e