Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-08-31
The Confederate Democratic
(lomVenfIon.

|
Convention.
The Convention at Columbus nominated
General George w. Morgan for Governor,
in order to express its appreciation of the
war. General G.. w. Morgan is celebrated
for his evacuation of Cumberland Gap Just
at the time when it was important to hold
it. His military is the antetype Of his
political campaign.
The spirit of the Convention was that ofa
party enraged by defeat in the war, boiling
with venom, and incoherent with the rush |
of words. Its resolutions begin with agush,
and continue with an Indefinite drizzle. 1t |
is as if everybody had contributed until he !
ran out of words.
In the presence of the sea of bloodshed, |
and the wide waste of destruction which has
been brought upon the land by such fooling
with treason, they resolve to maintain State
rights, referring to various party resolutions
and declarations to mystify them. Do they
mean the right to secede? Not one ofthem
dare answer This question on the stump
will puncture their verbose initiation about
State rights, for except this none Of them
can tell what they mean By State rights
All their treacherous stuff about taxation is
simply the same Democratic determination
that has been kept up through the war, to
deprive the Government of supplies, repu-
diate its obligations, and break it down be-
fore the rebellion. The Democratic Bour-
bous have learned nothing and forgotten
nothing. The treacherous policy which
made them infamous in the war, they bring
up again, relying on that first and last and
oHy article Of the Democratic creed, faith in
the ultimate decentralization and degradation
of the people.
Are there any signs ofsuch dcgeneracy in
the people as to lead any one to suppose
that they will now embrace the vice which
before was so hateful to theu2 To believe
so rapid moral declension is to lose faith
in humanity.
. The Convention resolved in favor Of
throwing away all that our soldiers have
toiled, fought, bled and died to achieve, by
setting up the rebels in full control of thoir
Northern confederates, to the control of the
r National Governments; and then it added
tho insult to our soldiers of a resolution ap-
phudng their valor. To damn them with
hypocritical praise and betray them to the
: enemy. is the Democratic policy toward our
5 volunteers.
The platform resolves against negro suf.
frage, ard for unrestricted rebel suffrage =
1t talks OF the franchise being dshonored
by the votes of loyal blacks, and denies that
treason can dshonor it. Such is Demo
a cratic morality.
But the biggest feat of qualification is in
the resolution to stand by President johnson
Q in all constitutional measures to set up the
n rebel States, after having resolved that every
q exercise of power which prevents the rebels
a from resunling their control Of the State
Governments ust as they ,were during the
s war is subversive of the Constitution, and t
d be resisted by the Democratic party in every
: way, and especially denouncing his direction
Of affairs in Tennessee.
y But this thing of shreds and patches il
70 more remarkable for what it onits than fol
h what it contains. Is the slavery question
~ annihlatcd that the Democratic party in
State platform makes no mention of it no
Of the means by which it has been taken off
Here is party that has slept for five years
t. and that wakes up quito unconscious that
h war has bcen going on, or that an elnancipa
tion proclamation has been issued, ant
y which falls to resolving State Rights, takin
is up the tune where it left off, aud to beatin
the air to warm itself on negro suffrage.
But it has awakened with the same spirit
&c The Southern section of tho party has ha
!. enough Of secession doctrines and their con
q sequences. They have had their fill of ray
ol head and bloody bones. But their North
is ern Confederates, who have played th
al game in safety by treachercus promises {
" cooperation, and by secret conspracit
f. which swore oaths Of Flemish felrfulncst
m and resolved unutterabc deeds Of blood br
-, never could screw their courage up to til
y sticking point of striking the blow, want
III see the game of rebellion kept up. Non
le are so insatiaby bloodthirsty as those VIII
rs perform their palt without risk Of life, lin
is or property.
,e After all the terrible cost of this Demt
10 cratic rebellion, while its battlcieds arc =,
~ rocking with the blood Of Our citizens, an
y ghastly with their unburied bones, I'll
le Confederate Democracy of Ohio woul
G. begin anew the conflict. 1t again resolyt
rs the Same treachorous play upon words, thi
rs before instigated and justified secession.
It, Again it promises that if it gains power Il
= South shall triumph. Again it resolves I
tb cripple the Government, to deprive it
W revenues, TO assail every measure for Il
IN national security, and to try to rcsurrect II
In fragments Of the rebellion with new hope
ne But the mein of this treason is no less hat
full to the people of Ohio now than wht
IN they repeatedly declared it infamous,
VI dirty furry on the question ofnegro suffral
IN has not at all concealed its real features; al
Ike the people will again send it bowling bat
- to its secret dens, where for years it h
y conspired to plunge the State into bloodsh,