Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-20
VARIETIES OF POLITICAL OPINION.

n low Jays poioro Inc assembling OF the CnlcaSo
Convention, in remarking on the political aspects
of the time as presented by the different shades Of
political opinion represented in the Democratic and
in the Republican parties, we held the following
language:
"Al parties have their radicsls aud their conservs
tves There are men in the Republican party who deve
lop certain OF its doctrines In line of direction which tends
to dsnteg of the Union and of the
party And there are in the Democratic party who
develop certain aspirations the popular thought line
of direction which equally tends TO disntegraon if they
shall assume to make full aud implicit adhesion to their
sole views OF public policy the condition which they will
operate with their fellow citizens of other creeds in the
effort to effect change of aud in the
duct of the Government As the only ground of supposed
the comparative merits of peace war; considered
policies looking to restoration of the Union, or
destand that the advocates OF the peace policy dsavow
all willingness to accept disunion peace it is easyto
perceive that the question between them in the present
of our affairs purely theoretical rather than prac
tical for as all righteous waged simply to pro-
cure righteous and honorable peace the most determn
ed advocate OF the for the Union will be ready at
any moment to renounce the policy Of
shall appear that peaceful negotiations conduct to
restoration Of the Union and settlement Of tie ques
at issue between the people of the Loyal and the In
surgent States"
On the 22d of August last, only week before
the Chicago Convention met to nominate candi-
~sOeS ioA siAo iSSiuonoy SAu LUG Iresiuoncy, VIC
wrote as follows:
We think it hardly too much TO say that this
bage will hold the hearts of the people in its hands and
according its counses shall seem to be prompted by
spirit OF comprehensive and catholic patriotism, by
the spirit Of faction and dseenson it may upon the
Judgment which will be pronounced its obors. Mems
thoughts no longer run in the old channels Party
have lost all their power to charm The people every
where looking for leader who will offer them under bis
guidance the prospect of an escape from the terrible evils
the a we
want leader, with heart, head and hand equal
to the crisis in which he shall be called to acta who
by his native qualities by his sntecedens shall inspire
confidence not only in his disposition but in his capacity to
bring healing to this distracted land"
And at the same time, after presupposiug that
the Chicago Convention, following the example Of
its predecessors in late years, would feel called to
construct what, in modern parlance, is known as
ga platform" we added
Our readers know that have great respect for
this species of political structure Platforms have always
seemed to clumsy device for the elevation of small
men into cOnpicuOusness which they would have
received from the dignity of their characters the
nence OF their public services As has been we'll said by
another, they commonly made in times of high excite
ment, under pressure If circumstances, and with the
view to concae present support rather than to establish
permanent system of principles and line of policy for the
future good government of the country The Conventions
which form them transient in their nature their power
and influence are consumed in the using leaving
tnuing obligation upon their respective parties and hence
need not wonder that platforms 30 made are hardly
ever acted upon In practice"
With such sentiments our readers have been at
no loss to understand that nothing which the So
called Chicago platform" either contains or omits
has been with US reason for supporting Gen.
Mcclellan, as nothing contained in or omitted from
the Baltimore platform has been with us a reason
for opposing the reelection of President Lincoln.
We have looked simply and steadfastly to the po-
litical principles which, as embodied in the life,
record and known opinions Of the respective candi'
dates, and as viewed in combination with their
personal characters, have seemed to offer to our
minds the surest if not the only hope of restor-
alton of the Union Wholly abjuring the spell of
party names, we should have been as willing to
support Republican as Democrat, provided he had
presented in his person the assurance of possess
ing in higher degree than his opponent those
principles and qualifications which would better
fit him to be the leader of the people in this great
crisis.
In all political connections, embracing "many
men Of many minds" it must necessarily happen
that there will be diversities of sentiment and
sometimes divergent tendencies emD0dled In the
same organization. 1t is SO in the Democratic
party at the present time, and it is equally SO in
the Republican party as at present constituted
The so-called "Valandigham faction" in the
Democratic party occupies the same place and per-
forms the same function in it as the "Greeley
faction /" in the Republican party, with this
essential difference, that whereas the former is
powerless to impress its views on the supporters
of General Mcclellan or on General Mcclellan
himself, the presumption On which Mr. Greeley
supports Mr.. Lincoln is, that if he should be
reelected it will be in the power Of his moro ad
vanced and radical adherents to impart to his Ad-
mnistration their qualities of "vigor," earnest
ness" and understanding"
We are very far from charging that all who sup
port the reelection of Mr. Lincoln do so in the
expectation that he will be governed by the advice
and influenced by the "pressure" of this "Gree-
ley faction" to which, as we'll from principle as
from personal inclination, he is known to be op-
posed And when we see men as divergent in their
views as the Hon. Montgomery Blair and Wen
dell Phillips practically united in support of the
same Presidential candidate, it would be very un-
Just in us to charge either with sharing the views
OF the other because Of the political fellowship