Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-10-26
A Few Plain Questions.


The Democratic Convention that met a.
Triadelpha and nominated the presen
Democratic County ticket for the House o.
Delegates, viz = Messrs. Richardson, Paul
and Garrison, adopted the following preface
to their resolutions or platform, viz:
I'VE, the delegated representatives ol
the Democratic and conservative voters oi
Ohio County, in convention assembled, be-
lieving that The history ofhe past Jeto gear,
demonstrates he necessity Of Tie reorgd,,iza
ton end perpetudtion Of the Democratic
party, hereby resolve" &c.
The italcised words 10 the above preface
are thus emphasized by u, with view Of
bringing them out in the boldest possible
relief before the eyes Of our readers. In
the light Of the history of the Democratic
party for the past few years" VIC consider
the above affirmation as little else than a
presumptuous attempt upon popular ere
dulity Apparently the Convention was
willing to take it for granted that the peo-
pie efOhio County were totally oblvious oi
the history Of parties for the past few years.
We should like to ask the trainers and en-.
dorsers of the above preface few questions.
First--Was not the Democratic party in
power when the rebellion began in the
South2
Second-Was not James Buchanan Pres
ident, and were not Floyd, Cobb, Thomp-
son and Toucey members of his Cabinet?
Third-Did not James Buchanan send in
a message to Congress, after General Scott
had urged him to strengthen the Southern
m n IA inf tarfo ra
with the secession and rebellion then id pro-
gress?
Fourth-Was net Floyd then stealing the
arms of the United States and sending them
South, and Toucey scattering our sbips Of
war to far distant seas2 And were not the
bonds Of the United States, uuder Cobb,
twelve per cent below par2
Fifth-Was not Jefferson Davis, himself,
a Democrat? Was he not voted for fifty.
seven times in tho Charleston Convention
And was not Breckenridge, afterwards nom
mated, also Democrat?
Sixth-Was not every Governor OF every
seeding State Democrat, and did they
not each and all go into rebellion, and do
all in their power to make the rebellion q
success2
Seventh-Did not every Democratic daily
paper in Virginia, including the one then
existing in this city, advocate and uphold,
aid abet the rebellion? Were not the votes
cast here in favor Of secession cast by per-
sons who had been voting the Democratic
ticket2 Was there single other vote for
secession?
Eighth-Were there not persons in the
Triadelphia Convention-member of it,
who voted for the ordinance of secession
and who then, before and since, aud now,
called, and call themselves Democrats p
And was not every person who left this vi
cinity and went off into the rebellion to as
sist and aid in overthrowing the government
of the United States, a professed Demo
crat? And have not the Democracy of thi.
city, on several occasions, nominated and
elected to Office persons who voted for the
ordinance of secession2
Ninth--Did not the Democracy oppose
the formation of West Virginia as State ?
Did they not call convention at Parkers.
burg, and there pronounce it an unconsti.
tutional act; and did they NOT advise the
people to stay away from the polls and have
no part or lot in il? And did not one of
the authors of the address issued to the
Democracy on the subject, go off South
soen afterwards and join the rebellion.
These things being so, and many more
that we could enumerate, in what respect
do they tend to convince people that the
history of the nation and of our State, du'
ring the past few years, demonstrates the
necessity ofthe reorganization and perpetu
alton of the Democratic party?' Do no,
the facts we have adduced make it plainly
evident that the reorganization of such {
party, is the great danger that the country
has now to fear and struggle apainst2