Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-09-09


sale at his News Depot.
THs Chicago democratic platform was
made to suit the peace men-the men who
are stopping the war even at the cost of
disunion and southern Independence
Their game is to satisfy the peace men with
the talk about armistice and a national
convention, while the war democrats are
to be fed on the previously declared opin-
ions of the presidential nominee. The New
York World illuminated the whole plot by
printing, in connection with its report of
the Chicago convention, Gen. McClellan's
Harrison Landing letter, under the title
"Geu. McOlelIsn's Platform" If General
Mcclellan is honest and frank, as a true
soldier should be, he cannot stand at the
same time on his platform of 1852 and that
built for him at Chicago. He must either
accept the nomination and repudiate the
platform, or must publicly recant and dis
avow his former opinions. If he accepts
the Chicago nomination and is silent as to
that platform, he will prove himself as
declared him to be in war. At the Chicago
convention Dean Richmond attempted to
have added to the platform the declaration
that "if the rebel leaders refuse to re-
enter the Union on any terms, the war shall
be continued till they are forced to sub
nit" The Vallandighsm and Wood faction
would not agree to even this, and the plat
form declares the attempt to restore the
Union by war an temperament" and "fail.
ure," and proposes only an armistice, an
ultimate convention of the States, "or
some other peaceable means" for the res
toration of the Union. By implication, and
Intentionally SO, this is a declaration
against the future prosecution of the war
under any circumstances, and the peace
delegates threatened to bolt, and would
have bolted, if there had been put into the
resolutions the least intimatiou that the
war shall be prosecuted under any circum-
stances 1t follows that the South is to
be allowed peaceable separation if it can
not be coaxed to come back.
What does McClellan's platform of 1862
BayH de tells the Hresldeut:-
"Our cause must never be abandoned:
1t is the cause of free institutions and self
government. The constitution and the
Union must be preserved, whatever may be
the cost in time, treasure or blood. If
secession is successful, other dissolutions
are clearly to be seen in the future. Let
neither military disasters, political faction
or foreign war shake your settled purpose
to enforce the equal operation of the laws
of the United States upon the people OF
every state"
In his letter in favor of the election of
Judge Woodward as governor of Pennsyl-
vania. in 1852, Gen. Mcclellan said:-
81 understand Judge Woodward to be in
favor of the prosecution of the war with all
the means at the command of the loyal
states, until the military power of the re-
bellion is destroyed"
In his report, published within a year,
Gen. Mcclellan expressed this sound opiu-
ion:
"I believe that a necessary preliminary
to the re. establishment of the Union is the
entire defeat or virtual destruction of the
organized military power of the confede-
rates."
Aud so recently as the 18th of June last,
in his West Point speech he said again =
"Such a rebellion cannot be justified up
on ethical grounds, and the only alterna-
tives for our choice are its suppression or
the destruction Of our nationality"
It needs no words to show the complete
antagonism of these declarations with the
Chicago armistice resolution. General
Mcclellan knows that there is no need of
negotiation to determine the fact that the
rebels will now refuse all offers of peace
except on condition of the independence of
the confederaey, and that the natural and
inevitable result of an armistice would be
either disunion peace or the renewal of
tie war under increased difficulties. He
knows, therefore, that it will be cheaper to
fight it through without pause, and if he
is still for the preservation of the Union,
"Whatever may be the cost in time, treas
urs and blood" it it impossible that he can
at heart approve the Chicago platform. he
ought also to know that the people are
not 80 lost to selfinterest and patriotism
as to consent to disunion for the sake of
peace. .,.
VERHoNT is for the Union. The copper.
heads have been making great caIcula.
tions on what Vermont would do for them
at this election-how she would elect
Governor opposed to the war policy of the
administration, and return copperheads to
the next Congress. But they have been
disappointed-sadly disappointed. Yer
: mont is sound to the core. The dispatch
states that the returns thouoh allow In