Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-25

AHO NooAs iA NO-1ag INC PoOPiS VI
these Szfel are to decide upon the ques-
tiOns at issue during the past three and a
half years. The free north has given men
and money with a lavish prodigslity never
before witnessed, simply because we havo
regarded the struggle in which we are ea.
gagged as involving ali that we hold dear.
Sorrow has OyeF-shadowsd every hearth
stone snd tens of thousands Of brave
hearts he sleeping in death. The rebel
hon itself is in the desperate agonies OF
its last hours- Under thess circumstances
the people Of the North are called upon to
decide what ahsll be the policy of the
next four years, whether the war shall be
prosecuted until the armed rebellion is
crushed or whether an attempt shall be
made tonegotiate for peace on the basis Of
the Chicago Platform. Two more weeks
remain, before thst decision shall be made
uPl So far as the people have
already expressed themselves there is
every assnranc that they have made up
their minds to the former. But, in tbetwo
weeks remaining, the Democratic leaders
hope to lsy trap TO catch the unwary and
unthinking- an the devices of politicians
at the North and rebels ct the South win
be resorted to- to influence public opinion.
The completely of purpose between the
rebels South and their sympathiEers North
becomes more and more evident. A few
weeks since, Mcclellan was nominated and
q platform, calling for a Convention Of
States with view to the restoration of the
Union, was adopted. At last the great
remedy had been discovered. Here wss'a
plan by which peace could be obtained-slI
that was necessary for the trap was that
there should be response from the rebels
showing disposition to favor the plan
JEFF Davis could do it but a betterarrange-
ment is desirous. Davis makes S trip
through the South and breaches separation
and Independence as the only condition
of peace. Vice President Stephens, how
ever, in a sort of semi-o4icial way,
throws out the few crumbs of comfort
needed by the rsvening Chicago politi-
clans. Ho affects to favor convention of
the States, and the Chicago Peace men
shout aloud that the South is ready to ne
gOtiate Herschel Y. johnson also comes
out in letter. carefully guarded and in
tended to encourage the same idea. Con-
gresham Boyce is also resdy with his let
ter, and thus three shining lights in rebel
dom appear at first to favor the Mcclellan
Pendleton process of reaching peace. AL
this Is very ingenious trap for catching
gudgeons- They pretend to favor con-
vention of States, but are very guarded
against admitting that this convention
shall, in saF event, result in the restoration
Of the Union. They say nothing about
Union, but talk blandly about a conyen-
ton of sovereign States, and the WondIous
beauties of such a convention. Stevens
guards himself carefully. When he talks
of q conJ ention, he means only "a peace
full conference and interchange Of views
between equal and sovereign powers, just
as the convention Of 1857 wss called and
assembled. The properly constituted au-
thorities at Washington and Richmond,
the dlsty 7aitthOTised representatives of the
tn0o eOnfsderaeies of the States now at war
with each other, might give their assent 10
such proposition"
All tnis, and similar declarations from
Boyce and johnson, are eagerly seized BY
Democratic journals as an evidence that
there is party in the South who agree to
to the Chicago proposition The Journal
of Commerce cries Mr.. Stevens PROPOSE
zion ought to betsken advantage Of" The
Rorldssys thatabsolute State sovereignty,
the doctrine of Mr. Stevens, sought to be
viewed maFely "a salEe to the wounded
pride Of the South" fhe Cincinnati En-
qRirsr sees q @ray Of light TIE Chicago
Times and the New York NeDs grow hill
ariouA Such is the trap laid to catch the
unsuspeeting. The Chicago platform wants
a convention with view to the restoration
of the Union. Stevens, Boyee and John
son favor q convention "between equal
and sovereign powers" and say not
word abOnt restoring the Union.
Noone need be deceived by this trick,
any more than by the great joy that GER
tain rebel journals profess to feel over the
coming lection of Abraham Lincoln. A
convention of "equal and sovereign States, /"
Is q convention between two independent
powers. We admit Immediately, in assent
ing to such convention, what we have been
fighting against for three years and half.
By acknowledging the independence Of
the South ourselves we justify England
and France in similar recognition, sure
10 follow Immediately such an act on the
part of the North. We justify them In
breaking the blockade. We agree to with
draw our armies North to the Ohio and
the Potomac. We barter away our nation
slity We consent to broken, dismem-
bered Union. The people of Ohio need to
think of these things. The Union once
dissolved, and secession established, who
shall maintain the unity of the East and
the West. Ohio becomes the thesterr of
future wara. The desolotion winch sf1icts
Virginia and Missouri becomes our desols-
ton. The narrow strip Of territory thai
unites Lake Erie and the Ohio river be-
comes the contested ground. If we wish
to avert these evils We must stand by the
Union We must repCdiste this LAST Dem-
ocrasie strategy. The people are not silly
gudgsOns thus to be caught.