Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-07-15
THE NEW YORK INDEPENDENT AND
THE CLEVELAND CONVENTION.


9 No one doubts the radiealisn of the New York
Independent 1t has lead in the van in every pro-
gressive movement upon the slavery question
which has Of late years been made, with precer-
ton so clear as to make it most safe and eompe-
tent pilot It's views therefore in the present con-
fusion upon the Presidential question are entitled
to great respect, and the suboned extracts, which
we take from that paper, Indicate great deal Of
penetration and good sense. They are true in ev-
cry word and letter; aud we would ask for them
careful reading on the part of every Radical man
who has not yet got his eyes opeA as to the true
meaning of what is defined as 'the Cleveland STRAIT
agem. Taken in connection with the develop
ments made at the late New York Fremont and
Coehrane ratification demonstration, they must
carry conviction to every reasonable man After
describing the utterance of the Baltimore platform
as being beyond any point of anti-slavery COM
mitment hitherto reached by any political conven-
ton known to American history the Iadepead-
eet thus giFesits opinion of the C2ecela,d plat
form:
We can neither see the wisdom. the statesman
ship nor the radiealisnl of the singular position
assumed by the Cleveland platform that slavery
is already dead It is well to say, for rhetorical
emphasis. that the shot at Sumter destroyed sla-
VERY; but many things are destroyed, rhetorcally
that afterward like Daniel Webster, still live
William Pitt had habit Of eloouently overthrow
ing Napoleon, amid the cheers of Parliament, only
to be at last brought to his grave by Napoleon s
nnceasing victories. The Cleveland Convention
sitting IN May, knowing that the Fugitive Slave
Law was still unrepealed, knowing that Congress
had refused to vote an amendment to the Consti-
tuition prohibiting slavery, knowing that the proc
anation ofelnanelpatlon, without its confess
ed dependence upon doubtful Supreme Court
reaches only three millions of slaves, while one
million still remain legally misunderstanding
all these things nevertheless voted to say that sla
very was already destroyed, But il was not dead
then it is 0tdeadnow it may not be dead In twen-
IL years When Alexander The Great was report
ed dead, the reply was, No, else thewhole world
would smell of the carcass We claim that it is
an unmaniy treatment OF the slavery question to
get rid of it by auntiy saying that slavery is al
ready destIoyed-as if the question were one which
could now be safely put aside-as if Banquo' sghost
would not reappear Is this wise position for
Radicals to take? 1t is just the position taken
not long ago by James Brooks, Copperhead, in a
speech in Congress They who wish to see sla-
very perpetuated would be glad to have all other
men to believe itnow extinct They would be glad
TO see no further effort made to destroy it.
The Cleveland Convention spreads grave-cloth
over giant not dead but sleeping, who may spring
up at any moment with weapon in his hand If
slavery has come to its DEATH we are not among
the tear-shedders-on we hold with Mentaigne
that '.the deadest deaths are best. A cat may
suffer eight deaths and still have one tei and, as
slavery is harder TO kill than cat, We are sorry
that the Cleveland Convention should have dealt
a blow only to wound and not TO slay.
The Baltimore Convention, instead Of saying that
''the rebellion has virtually destroyed slavery.
says Just the opposite namely, that the natioual
safety demands its utter and complete extirpaton.
This is the sensible view. This we believe, is the
view which would have been taken by the Gleve-
land Convention, had not that body, in making
its platform, sought TO use a GINNING form of
phrase, which the coming Democratic Convention
at Chicago might not deem too heretieal to adopt.
We suppose that Mr. William Goodell, bir Ste
phen S. Foster, Mr. Parker Pillsbury, and Mr.
Henry T. Cheever had no thought at Cleveland,
and have no thought now, of making an alliance
with the Democracy Bnt Mr. Fremont and Mr.
Coehrane, the Cleveland candidates, show no blush
at playing their cards for the Chicago nominations
We reject the anti-slayery position of the Clere-
land platforR as one unworthy of the the greatness
of the case, and unworthy Of those good men in
the convention who, while there, seem to have
strangely lost the warming voices with which they
have been accustomed to speak elsewere.
=
That convention in the minds of It's chief mana
gers and most interested parties, were simply the
first caucas of the coming Chicago Conrentton A
few noble minded men and women, by their pres
ence or by letter. contributed their influence to the
meeting because, in view of the unsatisfactory
progress of the war and of general public affairs
during the present administration, they thought
a change Of administration would profit the coun
try This view has been held by many thoughtful
minds outside of that convention 1t has had its
utterance in many a faithful presence. We our
selves would have preferred, for the next four
years, a more complete change of administration
the Baltimore Convention has already provided
for 1 Though that Convention has already proyi-
ded that its candidates in accepting its platform
must make changes in his cabinet. But when we
ore asked to take the Cleveland platform with its
inadequate antsayery position, and its candidates
with their uncommendable political designs in
exchange for the Baltimore platform With its great
er expcitness, and its candidates with their surer
honesty, We respectfully decline We refuse to
make ourselves alley, In any way, directly of in
directly, with the so-called Democratic party
There are now three Democrats-the War Democ- |
-acy, the Radical Democracy and the Peace De
We believe that the larger and better !
part Of the War Democracy will join itself before
November to the one great party of the Union, |
eaving the Radical and the Peace Democracies to /
DIN themselves in fellowship of the earthern and /
he ircn pot, the -one to break and the other to |
ink, and both to 90 to the bottom of Salt river.
Our iefregret in view ofthe Cleveland Conven-
ion is, that it has unhappily led number ofexcel
ent friends of the good cause into snare. The |
pirit gifts leaders has become more apparent since
he Convention than before. Among respectable |
american Journals, not one, IN any quarter seem
us so entirely unpatrotie, bitter, and malignant
S the NeaC Ndtion Mr. FremQnt's special organ
u which we are told, he has already spent 500 600