The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-26
THE PESDbEToN FOLLY.

From a. ItUrss
Tie October elections have awakened tho Chi.
cago candidate for tho Vice Presidency to the
necessity Of making some sign again. When
put on the peace platform he was all cock -a-hoop
for peace. Atlanta foll, and for six weeks he
didn't Tctp. Not even wink could be got from
him indicating whether he would stand, and how.
But tue October elections have come like three
buckets Of water upon him. He huttored-aftcr
little pccked at Has',in, then pocled at Ward
then turned tail for New York, and here we have
him.
The sercnadc speech which Mr.. Peudleton de-
iiNeted at the New York Hotel is about the most
piti!ul exhibition we have had In this campaign
yet Does this man take our people to be idiots
Docs lie fancy this election TO be mere chid's
game OF push.pin What we want tD know is
MS position on the great question OF peace or
war with the Rebellion that seeks 70 break up our
'COrntty. Is that position tho same that, for four
years, he occupied in Congress What oXplsui-
tion has lie to make of thar Congressional action
Hsfublishei letter to Ha,kin docs not satisfy us.
ltWds only lust such profession Of high regard
lor the Jnion and the Constitution as can be
fourd IN the last speeches OF Judah =. Bonilmin
and John G. breckenridge in the United States
Senate. HIS published letter to Wood does not
satisfy us. It is only claim that he "yoted
against no bill which was confined simply 20 the
otltcsof supplies for the army and navy
The complaint Is that he did not vote for them;
that lie faithlCsSly lodged every one of them
which did not contain some itCm that would
serve MIN as PreteNt for direct negative. In
ms New York hotel speech, il wa, hoped that he
would try to clear up his Congressional record
A pamphlet made mp Of his votes as appearing
IN tho Congressional Globe, had boon given him
for that purpose. What does he do with ii He
looks It over and finds typographical error in
certain date, seizes upon IT, and, in his speech
takes mp and dismis'e the whole subject with
these words -
"op the seventh page Of tha pamphlet / CHARGED
July. 1861 Now II any or You gSntlcmsn win EXAMINE
the Gobc or the e OF dllb spaper OF your city
or viii even tax his recolen don win nnd that Congress
sdoucd on the 4th day OF July 1861 From this spec-
billy Of the whole jijrfcqiSoW" ''' '''u'
What sort Of cowardice is it that can thus
palter on question that has TO do with the very
lie OF the nation What sort Of mcndacity is Il
that can thus style votes taken word for
word from the official paper of Congress
wholly fabrication because OF error in a single
unimportsnt date He might thousand times
better have Kept an absolute silence than thus
insult our people and degrade his own manhood.
What is wanted of Mr.. Pendleton Is only do.
nial Of his votes in Congress. Those votes are
matter OF record, and arc well understood. To
deny them effects nothing. He can make nobody
believe him. What Is desired is a plain spscif-
cation of the practical policy he intends TO carry
out If he becomes President. Should the Chicago
ticket succeed, it may be he, and not General
Mcclellan, who will be inauguraed President on
the 4th of March next or he may become Presi-
dent on any day OF the four years afterwards.
No mans life is certain for an hour. As for
General Mcclellan, we know that he has no
policy, and will have none, except what is i'm
posed upon him by the schemers around him.
Are we or are we not to understand that, as
President of the United States, Mr.. Pendleton
would hold in principle, what he declared In his
seat in Congress, that "the whole scheme of coer-
cion is impracticable it is contrary to the spirit
and genius of the Constitution :" and that he
would send Franklin Pierce and Milard Fill
more, and others, to negotiate an armistice with
the Rebels, in accordance with the resolutions
presented TO Congress last February by his col
league, Alexander Long, for which he, with
twenty one others, voted. If he has adopted any
different principle or measure IL is incumbent
upon him to make it known. 1t touches the vital
interests of the country, and equivocation con-
ceTning II ID O crime.
1t is almost beyond belief that there should be
politicians who believe that Presidential cleo
ton can be managed in this terrible crisis OF the
country by little trickery of speech on the part
OF candidates. Never, in our national history,
have the people been so thoroughly aroused to
earnest thought and act. They know the vast
interests at stake, and will choose their ballots as
for their very life. Candidates who at this hour
undertake to win their confidence by falsehoOd
or palterirg, can get nothing bat indignation and
scorn. The Chicago nominees will wake, two
weeks from this morning, wiser and saddcr men.