Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-06-03
The Record of John Coohrans.

- ----ttJ JnAo VI t4lo ASO'AA oA ahAp PStSA-
.a'si Of Fire-pullers in the columns Of tho
ch.csgo Post, war Democratic paper
As John PROCESSES to be war Democra
he cannot complain that the Post is infuen
ced By psrtizsn unfsirness.
Il sn item of popular belief that 8 cat
no matter from what elevation, nor in what
manner it may be hurled, always touches
the ground upon its feet. There are poll
tiuis5s Of this kind men who have the fac
ulty Of always striking upon their feet no
matter how suddenly or from what Quarter
they may fall The first intelligence We
have from the Cleveland Convention is to
the effect that John COehrane of New York
has been elested the permanent President
Mr.. John Coohrs7e has q cd reputs.
tion in the convention business. He has
been prominently conspicuous in ths line
foris considerable period, and his career
as conventionist is only equslled by his
csreer as an office. holder. There is very
little in politics that John is not familiar
with. Previous to 164S, he was an active
party operator, in New York he got up
states for city, county and state conven-
tions, on all Of which the name Of Goch-
rsne for direct and indirect bonors and
emoluments was plainly and conspicuous
ly lettered. In these days John was q
democrat, and as the softs had control Of
state sffsirs in Democratic councils. John
vas 9 soft-not q soft, but belonged to the
tribe that was styled the softs. John was
rewarded with ticket TO the Baltimore
Nationsl Democratic convention his del
egstion was for Van Buren,-and opposed
to Csss. Dickinson led the other delega-
ton, snd was for Cas5,' Buchanan, or any
one else, nominslly, but really for Dickin-
son. That was the occasion, if we mistake
not, when the old man spent 3 good many
hundreds Of dollars in bouquets to be
thrown at his feet when ha- made ~; -;
I speeGn ueciIning the nomination. At all
events Van Buren was not nominated, sad
| Cass was, and John Ooohlsne went home,
sdissppointedg man. It was all over with
Csss in New York, and sll over with those
who supported him 30 John went out to
Buffalo, and got up the famous Buffalo
convention that dominated Martin Van
Buren and Charles Francis Adams. John
| Cochrane drew up the Buffalo platform,
and be made it eloquent in denuncistions
Of the slave power and the exsction Of the
! 0lgaTchy. As was eIpected, General
| Taylor was elected, and the Csss men and
! the Van Buren men having whipped each
other very effectively, set to work to heal
the breach. John was busy busy ss a
| fly in bottle. He was here, there, and
! everywhere; now hlrd, very hard; now
| soft, very soft; every thing by turns, and
! 1othinR long, was John Cochrsne.
| In 1852 John turned up again. This
time he was violently in favor Of the com
promise measures though a short time
previo isly he was wiling that any num-
| Der Of other men should take his advice
and become martyrs in resisting the Fug-
tive Slave Law. John accepted the com-
promise measures IS a fnslity; that is,
John was willing to say to the South, as
he chickens feeding the stable proposed
to the horses:-'If you will not step on our
toes, we will not step on yours" John
buriet the tomshawk he had exhumed ct
Buffalo, and declared himself q devoted
sdmirer Of the resolutions Of '98. John
put on the sword and buckler, and fought
the abolition wings most desperately.
Pierce vas elected and John was in clover.
de was rewarded. He became q great
man. His voice was potential. The Van
Buren dynasty quarreled with Pierce but
John did not He had seen enough Of
qusrreling He would not play second
eddie 70 The abolitionists any more,-he
that is Johr Cochrsne-h4d soWn all
his wild oats; and hencefoeward he
was Democrat. The Kansas-Ne-
oFssks bill came up. There was
terrible wailing nong the New
York Democracy; all those leaders who
had failed in getting whs they wanted
from Pierce, went boldly against the Ne.
brsska bill on principle; those who had
testhered their nest went for tie bill on
principle. John was faithful. He kept in
good odor on both sides As the bat is said
to be connecting link between the beasts
and the birds, SO was John between the
Two factions. He preserved his eouipoise;
heWss for union and victory. In 1856 John
vas st Cincinnati. John vas a DOUGLAS
man, and the south WAS for Douglas, John
vas for anybody that the south was for,
in order to whip the Republicans John
Is something Of an Adonis, and had no ad-
mirstion for man who parted his hair in
the middle. He preferred old Buck, whose
nair DID not part at all, bat stood straight
up. John was for anybody to whip FIRE.
mont. The convention knocked the New
York delegations into one; John was con-
tent. because the south had 50 decided
As the votes Of the two delegations neu-
trslized .one smother, it left New York /
cypher in the convention. John was con-
tent, because the south so decided, and
John knelt at the feet Of the oligsrchy and
asked what further need there was for its
slave, John COchrsne, to do.
Old Buck WAS nominated and elected
John was rewarded with sn Office His de
votiOn to his master was painful; no slave
on cotton plantation was more sbject in
his obedience than was John Cochrane-
the author Of the Buffalo platform-to the
commands Of the slave drivers whom he
served He was selected for all kinds Of
dirty work, and the work, faithfully and
veil, did John Cschrsne do. He held his
otiee and he was Old Buek's best friend;
he friend Of JEFF. Davis and Jesse D.
Bright. Privately he swore,eternal friend
ship for Douglas but that was understood
and appreciated ss it deserved John was
1t Charleston; the New York delegates vo-
led as unit; John always took care to in
form slidell that he, John Cochrane
wss over-ruled, and John was over
ruled. To the Douglas men John was
always talking Of holding out until q
certain very hot place was frozen over
John appeared at Baltimore; John was
embarrassed. Hecould not sit in two con-
ven ions at once, SO he contented himself |
~ telling Caleb Gu hing and Ben Butter |
70 60 ahead, his heart was with them; but |
he Was compelled to stay where be was be- |
ing minsrity in his delegation. John
EOrked through the campaign in the same
way. He got into Congress and there he |
was the same John COohTane, all things 10 |
al men. VIII the war broke out he
bought very much like Dickinson; that