The New York herald., 1864-10-26
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The platform which we submitted to President
Lincoln. General Mcclellan, the people and
the politicians, yesterday, is brief, comprehen-
sive and emphatic. Unlike political platforms
in general, it means something, and states what
it means very decidedly. Our platform has
only three planks; but each OF them is sound
and staunch and strong The first plank is the
suppression of the rebellion by force as the
surest and quickest mode of securing an hon.
orable and permanent peace and reunited
| nation The second plank is reconstruction
of the Union, after the rebellion is suppressed,
by the return to Congress of representatives
from the seeded States, to be followed bya
| convention Of all the States to settle all un-
settled questions. The third and last plank is
the vindcation of the Monroe doctrine, the
expulsion of the French from Mexico, and the
recovery from England of damages for the
injuries she has inflicted upon us during this
war. These three planks cover all the issues
and any candidate who stands upon this plat
form will stand side by side with the masses of
the American people, and will assurcdy be
elected.
We offer the HERALD platform to Mr. Lin
coin and to General Mcclellan, and ask them
what they have to say about it, and whether
they are willing to accept it. To these plain
questions we require plain answers. We do
not want joke or a story from Old Abe,
| or a non-commttal note from Little Mac
Let each of these candidates state his
views fairly, frankly and explicitly, and we
will give them immediate consideration. If
| MIR. Lincoln endorses our platform uncquivo
cally, we will waive all past errors and differ
| ences, and promise him our support aad that
| OF the people whom we represent. If General
Mcclellan steps boldly upon cur platform we
will make him the same promise, the drivel of
the Shent-per-shent Convention to the contrary
Notwithstanding. If both of the candidates
agree to our pledge, we will at once decide
which Of them is the more worthy Of trust, and
| give him the benefit of our decision. These
| offers we make in perfect good faith, and they
| ought to be accepted in the same spirit. But
| it must be understood on both sides that we
shall hold our candidate to a strict account
ability to the platform if he be elected. We
deal, it will be observed, not with the past,
but with the present and the future. We re-
cognize the fact, which the partisans seem to
have forgotten, that we are about to elect a
| President for the four years to come, and not
| for the four years which have passed. Dead
issues have no attractions for us: we look at the
! issues Of the present, and at those soon to be
forced upon us by the inevitable logic of
events. Who cares what Lincoln or Mcclellan
did two or three years ago. The question that
interests us all is, what do they pledge them
selves to do in the years to come? In order to
obtain definite answer to this question we
have prepared our platform, and now we ask
the Presidential candidates to respond to it
Immediately.
We know, and Messrs. Lincoln and McClel-
Ian ought to have sense enough to know, that
the Baltimore and Chicago platforms are not
| satisfactory to the people. How could they be
| satisfactory! They were concocted by polti-
| cal conventions, and were intended to mean
| anything or nothing as the exgencies OF po-
litcal canvass might require. political con-
vention does not represent the people, and has
no hold upon the sympathies of the people. It
is machine constructed by partisans to effect
certain partisan objects. A set of small, grog-
drinking, ignorant, rascally politicians get to-
gether in what are called primary meetings,
ard elect set Of larger politicians to what
are called State conventions. These State con-
ventions, thus constituted, appoint another set
of still larger politicians--who drink wine in
stead Of wbiskey and steal thousands instead
of hundreds-as delegates to what are called
national conventions. Then these national
conventions, thus appointed, select the candi-
dates and lay down the platforms, in accord
ance with instructions from the party man
ayers. Now, what have the people to do with
all this i? Just nothing. The politicians de-
prive the people Of all power in the premises
except the power Of voting; and that simply
amounts, in most cases, to a choice between
two evils. The Baltimore and Chicago Con.
ventions were composed and conducted in the
manner we have described. II the voice Of
the people had been regarded by either Of
| them, General Grant would be the next Presi-
| dent Of the United States beyond doubt.
But the old, bad order Of things has prevailed,
and it only remains for US to make the best of
! it. Compelled to choose between Lincoln and
| McClellan;o or to have no choice at ALL we have
bit upon popular and practical way by which
these two candidates can put themselves
squarely before the people upon the only
issnes the people care anything about. Neither
| Mr.. Lincoln nor General Mcclellan need be
afraid to respond. If it be not beneath their
| dignity to reply to the address Of convention
Of professional politicians, surely they will not
compromise themselves by replying to the
HERALD, the organ Of the people and the rep
resentative Of that great, patriotic, national
sentiment which politicians cannot appreciate,
but which guides the destinies Of the country
in spite Of them. Avery few days from this