Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-09-07
THE MCCLELLAN PLATFORM.

The principal plank in the Chicago
Platform advocates the extraordinary
ground OF withdrawing our armies
from rebel territory-for that we take
it means " cessation of hostilities =
and Gen. Mcclellan is thus placed in
the unenviable position Of being
"peace on any terms" candidate, even
at the cost of disunion. However
much the copperheads may chuckle at
the idea of having secured general
to run their peace machine, the peo-
pie will as readily repndiate such a
candidate for President as they did
Woodward for Governor, with whose
views it will be remembered General
Mcclellan proclaimed he exactly
agreed. Here however is the resolu-
ton:
Resolced, That this Convention does ex
plicitlv declare as the sense of the American
people, that after four years of failure TO re-
store the Union, the experiment Of war du
cessitv. or the war power higher than the
Constitution the Constitution itself has been
disregarded in every part. and public liberty
and private right alike trodden down, and
the national prosperity Of the country essen
TALLY impaired. That Justice humanity, lib
erty and public welfare demand that immedi
ate efforts be made for the CESSATION OF
H0STILITIES. with view 10 the conven
ton of all the States. or other peaceful means
to that end, that at the earliest practicable
moment peace may be restored on the basis
Of the Federal Union of the States.
The Chicago platform proposes an
"inamediate cessation of hostiIities, and
an ''ultin,ate convention" of the States,
to change the Constitution so as to
smooth the way for the return Of the
rebels to its protecting folds To show
how ridiculous this proposition is, says
the n. Y. Times, such a convention
can be called only by two-thirds of
both bodies Of Congress, or on appIi-
cation to that body Of two-thirds of
the States, loyal as we'll as disloyal
The amendments, to become a part of
the Constitution, must be ratified by
three-fourths of the States. Should
the proposed course be adopted two
years would probably be consumed in
calling the convention, in its delibera-
tions, and the acceptance of its recon-
mendations. In the meantime the reb-
els would be enabled to realize at least
$1,000, 900 900 from the sale of cotton,
and with its proceeds to place them
selves in an impregnabIe position of
defense. Would not all the time so
gained be so used
But is it not perfectly notorious that
such a convention of the States as is
contemplated by the Constitution is,
at the present time, impossible? There
is not half dozen States, north or
south, that would join in an applica-
ton for one; nor could three-f -fourths of
them be brought to agree upon any
proposition. This was perfectly well
understood by the Chicago convention,
and its resolution, consequently was
a full assent to the disruption of the
Union and to the boundary line claim
ed by the rebels, which is to embrace
every inch of territory polluted, previ-
Gus to the rebellion, by the touch of
slavery. An immediate armistice is Just
the thing of all others which the reb-
els now want, 1t is what, of all 9th
ers, the loyal States should most dread.
1t would give the rebels all they need
ed to q successful resistance. while it
would render hopeless all attempts at
coercion by the Government.
The complaint that public liberty
and private right were alike trodden
down is another exemplifcation how
far men can stoop to degradation, for
this same General George B. McClel-
Ian was actually the first man in this
war who arrested private citizens, and
went so far as to arrest tie entire Nayu.
land Legislature in order to prevent
them from doing what he supposed they
would do. Out upon such ypocrites.
George I'll. Pendleton of Ohio was
nominated as the candidate for Vice
President. lie is full-bIooded peace
on any terms man, has steadily voted
against furnishing men and means to
carry on the war, and is such an abiect
tool of slavery and slave dealers that
a few months ago he declared in a
speech in Congress that even if three