Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-26
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,1HE PLATFORM NORTH OF NATIONAL ROAD.
lFrom The Cleveland Leader, Jure 23,l
The State Union Platform.

As we have said, we heartily indorse ev-
cry line and every word of the resolutions
adopted by our State Union Convention.
The tribute OF respect to the memory, and
the Endorsement of the policy, of our muir
dered President, Abraham Lincoln; the eX-
preston of confidence in Andrew johnson /;
the grateful recognition of the services of
the army and navy, and the loyal people
at home; the denunciatiOn Of slavery and
its institutions; the demand that recon-
struction shall be so conducted as to insure
peace and security not, oHly TO the loyal
people of the South but also to the Union /;
the thanks proffered TO the three War Gov
ernors of fOhio--Dennison, Tod and Brough; /;
the reassertion of the great principle of the
Declaration of Independence, that all men
are born free and equal and the pledge of
support in the State ticket, are all appro-
pirate and essential. We are glad to see
these principles announced and shall give
them hearty and cordial support. gIs.
Our objection to the platform lies not in
what it says but in what it fails to say. We
looked for a bold and explicit declaration
from the Convention on the subject of negro
suffrage in the South and of equal suffrage
to whites and blacks in the State of Ohio.
We are disappointed that it has not so de-
clared. This question cannot be lodged.
1t has been sprung upon the people by the
collapse of the rebellion, and it must be
met. State Conventions may ignore it, poll
ticans may eyade it, but the people will dis
cuss and decide it. 1t is irrepressible. 1t
comes up In the press, in the pulpit, in pri-
vate conversation. 1t is the issue-almost
the only issue-of the day. We regret
therefore, that the State Convention did not
declare itself explicitly and Enthusiastically
upon it. ..'-.-~. ..ui... u .. i. .-. b..
But the platform is framed, and we must
take it as it is. 1t is a compromise dOcu-
ment, and the nature of the compromise
may be inferred from the letters of Judge
Bishop and of our special correspondent,
in other parts of this paper. twill be seen
that the earnest efforts OF the anti-slavery
members of the committee on Resolutions
resulted in the admission into the platform
of some very significant resolutions. For
this result, our hearty thanks are due to
two or three loyal and radical members of
the committee, among them the excellent
representative of this district. The resolu-
ton extolling President Lincoln's exam
pie in "waiting for the solution of difficult
ties to be furnished by the progress OF time
and the logic of events recalls to mind
how the people and the Government ad-
vanced step by step to the policy of eman-
cipating the slaves and then to making them
soldiers. 1t suggests that the logic of
events will speedily solve, and solve
properly, the great question of me-
gro Suffrage, as it has the qucs-
ton of slavery. Meantime we de-
lnand that reconstruction shall be 'at such
time and upon such terms as shall give un-
questioned assurance Of the peace and securt,
not only of The loyal people ofthe South (black
lOyalists as well as white), but also of the
peace and prosperity of the Federal
Union." The meaning of this resolution,
introduced in committee by men who be-
lieve that the black mans ballot is his only
security against abuse and oppression, and
the only guarantee of the ''peace and secu-
rity of the Federal Union" is obvious. And
the eighth resolution, reaffirming the great
principles of the Declaration of Independ-
ence-that all men are born free and equal
though liable to the charge of being a
"glittering generality" is certainly recog-
milton of the great principle which lies at
the basis of the argument tor manhood suf-
frage. 1t will thus be seen that the resolu-
tions contain an implied recognition of the
principle for which we struggle, Let us
see to 1t that this principle is Kept before the
people, and that the issue be made fairly
and squarely in the coming campaign.