American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-09-28
Disnnion Avowad,


SaHday Mercury, makes curiousrevel
tion in regard to certain consultations
which took place at Niagara before the
meeting of the Chicago Convention, be-
tween rebel politicians in Canada and GER
tain of the Opposition leaders. If we
may believe the Mercury, which is pretty
good authority, the success of the oppo-
sition would bring about a very singular
state of things upon this continent they
arc said to have agreed with the represen-
tatives of JEFF. Davis upon new "com-
promise" which would secure to the reb-
els, in a sort of left handed way, but just
as certainly as by direct action, all that
they have demanded-the destruction of
the Union. The bargain thus made is
one of those oldfashioned compromises,
by which the, free and loyal states get the
two shells, and the rebel planters secure
to themselves the oyster that lies between
them. JEFF. Davis cannot destroy the
Union by war; but with the help of the
corrupt tricky politicians Of Chicago he
hopes yet to achieve his purpose by dip
lomatic intrigues.
The Mcrcwy introduces its story with
a paragraph Of reflections upon the "im-
possibility Of restoring the Union, "On-
ly IA aany," it says, would ever dream Of
its being restored" These Chicago poll
ticians seem to forget that under Grant
and Sherman and Farragut there are sew
eral hundred thousand such " zanes, WHO
are offering up their lives for just this
dream" and that these have leftat home
good many millions Of relatives and
friends who are dreaming the same dream.
Here is the Aercwys article; we com
mend it to Union men who think there
is no danger in supporting the Chicago
PLATFORM
"THE OLD UNION IMPOSSIBLE.
"Talk as we may of the old Union, un-
der which the nation attained such de-
gree of prosperity, and advanced at once
to the front rank among the nationalties
of the world, its restoration is an impossi-
bility. only a zdny 'could ever dyeam Of
Hsbciag restored. There's will, undoubt-
edly, be reconstruction, but never a re-
storation of the Union. The question
that are to be settled, the new condition
of things consequent upon the disruption
of the old, the Congratulations of capital
and labor, the increase Of the quantity of
power surrendered to the general govern
mcnt by the people, the relation of the
states to the federal Union, the Influence
IN the conduct of national affairs, which
is sure to be accorded to the military ele-
mental these considerations forbid the
idea of our living under a Union such as
that under which we lived and thrived
from l776 to 1861. This statement may
appal the thousands of good people who
live in thepa and dream of days thatare
no more. These days not only are, but
can be no more. lie is wilfully Or stu
pidly blind who does not see the changed
condition of public affairs in this country.
We may hurrah for the Union, but it is
not the old Union for which we hurrah
The nation has entered upon an entirely
new phase of its existence, whether we
are willing or not to acknowledge it,
"This grand fact was duly recognized
by those who formed this conclavc at Nj
agara Falls. The problem they set to
work to solve was to reconstruct the Un-
ion on plan satisfactory to all sections,
and to convince the Democratic party of
the necessity of adopting this plan or one
of similar import. Afterlong and earnest
deliberation, in which Messrs. Clay, Hol-
combe and Sanders participated, the fol-
lowing general conclusion was reached,
and was tacitly agreed to by the National
Democratic Convention at Chicago
"THE PLAN FOR RECONSTRUCTION.
1t was, that whatwa once the United
States be divided into five separate confed-
eracies, ea5h Independent Of the other in
the management Of its local affairs, yet
bound to each other in certain respects, of
which | shall speak hereafter. These
confederacies, as divided, were to consist
of the following states
81. The Cotton and South Atlantic
states.
"2. The Trans-Mississippi states.
"3. The states of the great Northwest.
"4. The Middle states.
"5. The New England states.
In relation to the states comprised in
this last division there was no little de-
bate as to the propriety or expediency of
admitting to the general Union at all
Whether justly or not, it cannot be dis
guised that they are no favorites with the
majority of the people which comprised