The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-09-07

had nOt-that II was right or wrong 10
make war on the national government
that they ought 10 stop il nOw-Or whether
the Democrats would or would not fight
them IL they did moi mako peace The Con
ventiOn would not trust itself To express its
feelings about the " southern brethren"
T. The leading peace men went to Chica-
90 with a determination 10 have the war
stopped Nowhere should he no more
| fighting. The Convention, by its resOlu-
tons Is only for having peace restored ''Gt
Tie earlsest pr0ct,caJle moment" All the
Eepublcans-indeed everybody, is for that
very thing. No steps for mD,ediGte peace,
by appointing a delegation To confer with
the President or otherwise. were taken
Tie peace question, for the present at least,
is leit practically just where it was.
). The Platform, as a statement Of ma
iOmal affairs, and a declaration OF the
course a great national party will pursue
respecting them. il the tamest and weakest
thing of the kind we ever remember to have
seen. But it will answer every practical
purpose for those who made il; and if 1t
had been reduced 10 one resolution, declar-
lbs, si,~t t,4.,nt" I.i'.ooi'. .,s.1 hi- policy
should be overthrow, il would have COM
manded just as many votes Tor the party as
the six resolutions adopted.
g. The most violent inyectives against
Mcclellan were freely INDUCED in 10y the
ultra peace men, on all occasions, public
and private, before the nominations were
made. But our cotempOraries who there
fore flatter themselves with the expectation
that this feud between the factions will
break out again in open war between them,
we think are destined to be disappointed.
Nearly all that are opposed to Lincoln will
unite for Mcclellan, for the purpose of throw
inc Lincoln out. Nallandigham was the
first to move that the nomination be made
unanimous; Ex-Governor Barry would not
vote for Mcclellan in the Convention, hut
he will vote for him in November; and so
will Harris and Long, and the others who
have been 50 violent against him. They
will do it on the principle, not that they
love Mcclellan much, hut they hate Lincoln
:. 4 resolution was offered by Wicklitle.
of XIV, that the Convention will not adjourn
sine die, but to meet again AT the call oil
the National Committee. This was adopt
ed and has peculiar significance To 1t
II is an assumption of power never confer
red on members by their constituents 1t
is an old trick of delegated bodies To pro
long their own existence indefinitely. 1t
was used successfully in working some OF
the rebel States out of the Union. The Con-
vention can he called together on any pre-
tence by majority OF that Committee, anu
all the present proceedings be reversed
1t may also he called together, in case Nc
Clenan should, by any possibility, be elect
ell, for the purpose of prescribing for hun,
before he enters upon his office, course OF
national policy agreeable to the dominant
faction of the party
:. There was a slaring Inconsistency III
a convention denOuncing arbitrary arrests,
emancipation, disregard of State rights,
and military interference in elections, a.
ascribed in practice 10 Lincoln, and nom-
mating another for the same place who had
done precisely the same things. But this
consideration will not avail much with
many. What is reason or consistency TO
one who has already determined in his own
mind that Lincoln j. an old tyrant, and he
will vote for the aevil himself if he only can
be the succ, .,ul candidate against him.
.. WheA We read the first resolution we
thou~nt it was for the maintenance of the
Ur. "a of the States under the Constitution
AID had taken our pen to refer To ii as
loyal and noble sentiment on which all cit
liens could unite, when, upon reading 1t
again. We found il had no such meaning
e. We will adhere with answering fidelity
to the Union under the Constitution" sc.
The Convention do not say, I'VE will pro-
tect. defend, maintain, or preserve the III
tegrity of the whole Union under the Con-
stitution." Nothing like it. We, a indi-
viduals, will adhere to the Union, but if
others will not, but will secede, we have
not one word to say about it, one way or
the other. This phraSeology was doubtless
inserted to avoid a dangerous discussion
and split in the Convention.
10. The acceptance of this nomination
will try Mcclellan, and show what kind Of
a man he is So far as the war is concern
ed, which is the one great issue, he can ac-
cept in these ways:
He can say TO the Convention My
whole soul is for peace, and am for imme
diately proposing 10 the people in rebellion
/ 10 come back into the Union as States, so
as 10 restore the Union in its full integrity.
This proposition can he made and answered
without an armistice and if answered
affirmatively, would take all needful pa
I cific measures 10 cOnSummate their return.
But if answered negatively, no armistice
should take place, and no negotiations look
/ ing 10 the dismemberment of this empire
should be entertained for a moment. but
the rebellion should be crushed by a vigor-
Gus prosecution OF the war" An answer
like this would agree perfectly with his for
mer military record and would secure re-
spect in the eyes of mankind.
Secondly, he may throw himself fully into
the arms OF the Peace-at-aDy-term party.
and reply: IF | am President on the 4th
of March next, and the war should he in
progress, l will Immediately order an ar
mistice of four or six months, so that Ma
tiOnal Convention will have time To meet
and adjust all difficulties" No man knows
better than Mcclellan that such a cessation
+ of hOstilities would paralyze all our immense
ornaments by land and sea, so that not a
gun would ever again be fired, but the reb-
els would be left free to perfect their indie
pendence, without any opposition on our
part, in their own time and way, and on
I their own terms.