Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-09-24
05lo Statesman
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
The Ohio Statesman Company.
SATURDAY MORNING, SEPT. "a.
SPEECH OF
HON. S. S. COX,
-... AT THE
Democratic Ratification Meeting in Cincinnati,
Saturday Evening, Sept II, 1864.
IContinuod.1

Meanwhile the parties in the North have
met and made their sign. AT Baltimore,
the sectional party of Hate have met, and
renewed their determination to pursue the
work of violence, to listen to no overtures
tor peace, to still keep to the path Of subju-
cation. Forgetting all the lessons of his
tory, taking their inspiration from passion,
reckless OF the unity Which only kInuness
can inspire, they nominate again the chief
architect of this ruin; the capital delinquent
in this evil day; the majestic criminal in
this hour of wantonness and blood.
But scarcely has his name been sent
abroad, before the pause grows deeper, and
i'm its hush come thoughts of love, desires
to check the strife, and admonitiOns of rea-
son. Even the insensate ear of the ribald
nominee is oppressed with the heaviness of
the air about him. He finds it his policy to
be audient to the still Small voice of peace.
At Niagara, at Richmond he has his ennis
saries, feeling, i'm his blind and puerile way
toward something that will make him less
odious and his election sure. That his pro-
jects failed, was owing, not alone to the alb
surd manner, but 10 the bad substance of
his overtures. His attempts to make peace
have been as ridiculous as his failures to
make successful warfare. Because he can
do neither-because he lacks the wisdom of
the Great Magistrate, and so failed that his
crimes, like fiends, will pursue and drag
him down to his fall; because he has proven
the assassin of Liberty AID the foe of our
Union; because he has been the mar-plot in
war and the impeachment to peace-the peo-
pie are about to consign him to an ignomin-
ious fate.
This is harsh language; but to justify it l
call on Senator Wade and Winter Davis,
who have arraigned the President for no
less a usurpation than the destruction of
States, by plan gotten up tor his own am
bilious designs. They have called npon
the nation to apply the remedy for these
crimes. What is ii? His dethronement
from power, and his impeachment.
On the 10Th of August last the Democracy
met and made their nomination and plat
form. First they adopted PLATFORM
Some have complained of it as not suffi-
ciently explicit as to the maintenance of the
Union, and others affect to find it incOn-
sistent with the letter of General Mcclellan.
1t is obnoxious to neither objection. Those
who criticise it thus are not friends, but
enemies to Democracy, peace and union !;
either one of the three.
The capital idea of the platform, the first
and staunchest plank, Is the declaration of
''unswerving fidelity to the Constitution and
Union, as the only solid foundation of our
strength" The Democracy were never-for
any cause-from that to swerve. To that
idea, cardinal, catholic and paramount, they
would adhere sat all hazards" The whole
platform is irradiated with this principle.
The second resolution, which affirms that
peaceable means should be used, reaffirms
the same principle. Such means tend to
only one "end, that at the earliest practi-
cable moment peace may be restored ON the
basis of the Federal URiOR." Again, in the
fourth resolution, which enumerates the
usurpations of the Executive, it denounces
them because they are calculated to prevent
the restoration of the Union.
Does General Mcclellan say more or less
With the plainness of the soldier, and with
out the platitude of the politician, he, too,
to be the Union. 1t is IAN indispensable
condition in any settlement" So soon as ii
is clear, or even probable, that our adver-
saries are ready for peace on the Union basis,
he too is ready. Who complains of this? Is
it a Democrat? l ask him IL he wants peace
and separation? Never. What then
Cessation of hostilities," with view to
Union Very well but not before 1t is prob
able that you can negotiate on that basis.
Is such hope probablep You believe so.
believe it. If / had time, could showit.
Iknoao it. Then, why not accept this ex-
preston and, if you believe peace is at
tainable with Union by conciliatiOn, stand
by the party and its nominee, who will ex-
haust all the means "practiced by civilized
nations" for peace and Union. The man
who is dissatisfied with that platform, and
the liberal and fair reading of it given by
Mcclellan, must desire peace for disunion
purposes; or else he is afioat without star
or compass. The duty is plain. If he
desires disunion, let him at once join the
party which, by its peculiar conduct of the
war, is making Union impossible. II he
cannot take the Democratic party and its
men and measures, he has but one resource
let him at once join the ranks of Lincoln,
or Join the Confederate cause. It matters
little which, for both work to the same bad
end.
1t is no time for Democrats to quibble
about platforms or letters. We mean peace,
but we mean Union. The odium of dis
union, with my humble aid, shall never
tarnish the Democratic escutcheOn. Let
those who have worked for disunion for so
many years, North and South, wear the
brand till it blisters them into eternal infa-
my. No peace without Union; no war but
for the Union. No peace that will bring
dishonor, either in boundary or political as
sociation. The Union at all hazards
I now come to the pleasing task of speak
ing of our nominees. need not, in this
city, refer to George II. Pendleton. 1t
would be but gliding refined gold, to eulo-
gize his consistency and Democracy through
all the terrible trials of the past four Con-