American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-10-26
NUMBER 45
They Won't Face the Music.

i
sick OF the campaign; they are convin-
ced that they made grand mistake at
Chicago; they are hopelessly and help
lessly foundering at sea, and know that
the political waves of November will car.
ry them down forever They rally round
their candidate for President, but he is
ship withouta ruddor, and is buifetel about.
by the winds and waves of his platform.
and the Vice Presidential Candidate
He wields what they call sword of war,
but it is merely the shadow of the sword
he SO feebly welded while commanding
our armies. He has attempted to discard
his party platform to erect one for himself
of words without meaning, whichin turn,
has been trod under foot by his co-candi-
date, the representative of the preponder-
ating element of his party
Among themselves they are terribly
torn and distracted. One faction supports
Mcclellan on his letter of acceptance
while the other supports Pendleton on the
Chicago Platform The platform, how.
ever, is seldom referred to, especially in
this locality. 1t is a dead weight, and,
with Pendleton added, is a millstona
around their necks, which is fast drawing
them into the political vortex from which
there is no succor Pretending to speak
''the sense Of the American people," ii
has grossly outraged that sense and it's
authors are trembling with craven fear of
the vindictiyc vengeance of the people
they offended, They know that there is
hope for Rcbel'ion--that the traitor
hosts are being rapidly scattered and des-
troyed-that the unity of the Govern
ment will be maintained, and that all who
have sympathized with rebellion will sink
into eternal oblivion.
We have repeatedly, during the cam.
paign, attacked the platform in many vul-
nerable points, but its champions have
made no defense. Why has it not been.
defended? Because Mcclellan has most
unmanfully refused tostandu upon itsquare-
ly. Unlike one of his predecessors who.
said 81 am no longer James Buchanan
am the Cincinnati Platform" he has
e.deavored and failed most sgnally to
explain away the cowardly features of
his platform. Strive as he will, he can
not separate himself from it. AS we'll
may he strive to separate the waters Of
the Monongahela aud Allegheny at their
confluence. Taking the keynote from
their candidate the Copperheads will not
be betrayed into defense of the plat
form
The most serious charge against Presi-
dent Llncoln, is the assumption Of extra
ordinary power, not justified by the Con-
stituton. Some time since, we grappled
this charge, proving its falsity, and made.
counter-charge on the Copperhcads.--
Based upon the opinions of some of eur
ablest statesmen, we showed that in times
of impending and imminent danger, the
right of self-defense-of self-presel lvation.
is inherent in nation, above all Con,
stitutions, and that in such peril, the mill.
tary law-the law of security, is para
mount to the civil law, and must be en-
ployed to succor the nation from destruc-
ton. In this way and for this purpose
only, has the law of necessity been en-
ployed by the government. The Chica-
90 platform crumbles to dust before such
an argument, and yet its champions here.
will not strive to save it. They have no.
confidence in it-they do not want their
followers to know its purport. Before the
truth they are dumbfounded, and dare
not raise voice in defense of their party
creed.-Pus. Com.