Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-22
The Abolition Convention - The

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Yesterday there assembled in the old
Theater of this city Convention in the
name OF the Union Party" In Its mem
.bership and in its numbers, it was respect
able body. The proceedings OF the Con-
yention will be found elsewhere. Gen. w.
d. WOODS was called to preside as tempo
rary Chairman at the convening OF the
Convention. The conclusion OF his speech,
wherein he intimated that the constitu-
ted authorities In their efforts to estao-
lishl good order and good Governments
I'M the RebelHous States, should be earnestly
andheartiiy supported, and that they should
temper Justice with mercy in dealing with
the Rebels, was received by that Conven-
tion with applause that was scarcely per-
centible. II was as feeble as woman In
the last stages OF consumption. 1t served
TO show the predominant feeling in that
Convention In relation to the Presidents
reorganization policy and as to the exercise
OF clemency. 1t was decidedly and unmis-
takably adverse to both. The nominations
were made with considerable unanimity-
that of the Governor by acclamation. Gen.
Cox the nominee for that position, is
gentleman, and of respectable civil ability
In the army he has acquitted himself cred
itably. In these particulars he has no draw
backs that we are aware of. He Is, how
ever, an Abolitionist; was educated at the
Oberlin College, and is understood to enter
tain the belief that the Negroes should be
made the equal of White men before the
law, in the jury box and at the ballot-box.
For anything we know to the contrary,
the other candidates put in nomination are
equally unexceptionable in point of char
acter and ability, and equally acceptable to
the Reservites on the score of Negro Suf-
frage. At least we hope that we are
not mistaken as to their moral character
and ability; for If it is decreed that our
State officials are to be Abolitio lists, we de-
sire that they should be men of character
and ability. We have the authority OF
Scripture for saying, that when the wicked
ruleth the people have occasion to mourn.
Poor JOB E. STEVENSON, perhaps, should
have been honored with nomination. Ger
tainly, there is no more malignant hater OF
the members of the Democratic party than
him. .
We did hope, with earnest sincerity, that
the Convention would have adopted a plat
form to which we could give our cordial
support. We suggested the outlines Of a
platform to which the Democratic party
could not have taken any exceptions. In
these days of President JoHNsoN's great
trial, in which he needs the support of the
whole country, it was especially important
that the two great parties of the State OF
Ohio should unite in the declaration of a
positive and unequivocal support OF his re-
organization policy. No intelligent person
is ignorant of the fact that this poll
cy is antagonized by the Radicals
and Malignants-antagonized because it
does not confer suffrage on the Southren
Black man. WENDELL PHILLIPS, Senators
SUMNER, WILSON, SHERMAN, Gen. BUTLER,
HORACE GREELEY, and the active, earnest
leaders in the Abolition party generally,
have pronounced against that policy. They
are bedeviling the Presidentabout it. They
want to swerve him from his convictions
of right in the matter. In view of this
fact it was absolutely essential that the
Convention should have unequivocally in
dorsed that policy. Doubtless, some OF the
soldier delegates may imagine they have.
done it. We know they intended to do 1t,
and perhaps they will point to the second
Resolution, as proof that.it has been done.
This Resolution declares that President
JOHNSON has the ''highest confidence" of
the Convention, which ''eheerfully indOrses
the policy of his Administration, looking
to the restoration of peace and civil order
in the so-called seeded States, and that as
Union men Of Ohio" they will give him
their ''hearty and undivided support"
This is well as far as it goes, and would
have been altogether satisfactory had they
stopped there with that subject. They did
not do it, however. In their sixth resolu-
tion they declare that while they ''are anx-
ious for an early reconstruction OF frater-
nal relations with the insurgent states,
they "DEMAND Den . that reconstruction saaH De
at such time and upon such terms as VIII give
onnquestlonable assurance OF the peace ana
security, not only OF tne 'oya3 people @ me
, Rebel States put also OF the peace ana pros
perity OF tne Feoerai onioh' ,g,,I
liHWill any one nave the anoacity 10 Tell us