Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-24

design to destroy Republican institutions.
Regard for our own safety, and for the fu-
ture security of the Republic, demand that
no such attempt should succeed
Sth Resolved, That it is the duty of Con-
gresS to secure the full Federal bounty to
all honorably discharged soldiers, irrespec-
tive of date of their enlistment.
9th. Resolved, That we recognize in Ed
win NJ. Stanton, the present honest and
able head Of the Department of War,
public servant who has deserved well OF
his country, and has borne himself so clear
iu his great Office as to merit the earnest
gratitude of all loyal men and We tender
- him, and to his distinguished colleagues
III the Cabinet, our thanks for their val
uablr services in the cause of liberty and
law
10Th. ResoiUed, That the constant devo-
ton oi Governor Curtin to the best inter
ests of the State and nation, during the
last four years, and his interchangeable eff
forts, on all occasions, to pay the Just debt
of gratitude we owe our national deten-
ders, not merely by words, but also by
Deeds entities him to the thanks Of every
loyal citizen of Pennsylvania.
llth Resolved, That this Convention,
representing the loyal people Of Pennsyl-
vania, recognize the claims of our citizen
soldiers on our confidence and gratitude,
and that, in the nominations for offices, es-
pecial regard should be paid to the claims
of those who have faithfully served their
country in the army or the navy, III the
suppression of the rebellion.
18th Resolved, That the leaders Of the
Democratic party stand arraigned before
the people of Pennsylvania for constantly
obstructing the efforts of the constituted
authorities to maintain the life Of the re-
public They did this by in1aming the
passions of the ignorant followers against
the legally elected officers Of the Federal
Government, and refraining from all re-
proach against treason or armed traitors :;
by procuring a decision from the Democrat
ic Judges Of our Supreme Court denying
the right Of the Government to services Of
citizens of this State for the defence of our
imperilied country; by discouraging men
from volunteering into the armies OF the
union thus rendering it necessary to sue
cumb to treason, or to pay large bountles,
and 50 burdening every ward, township,
and borough in the State with debt to fill
the ranks Of our armies by opposing the
enlistment of negroes for our defence al
though thus one white man less was re-
qured for every black one who could be
enlisted, and this at the very moment when
the battle of Gettysburg was raging on
the soil of Pennsylvania, and the result of
that decisive battle was uncertain by de-
nying to our soldiers the right to vote
while fighting for the flag of our fathers, on
the plea that such rights were not allowed
by our Constitution, and by opposing an
amendment which removed the objection
and relieved our brave soldiers from this
disability by exaggeratlng public lndebt-
edness, denying public credit, and teaching
that the financial resources of the North
were unequal to the suppression of REBEL
ion by shameful opposition to the meas
ures for extending relief to the families of
Union soldiers by malignant effort by
these means to secure the success Of the
rebels in the field, or such protraction of
the war as would exhaust the nation in its
effort to subdue their friends by now heap
ing abuse upon the Government for punish
ing assassins and their accomphces ; by
demanding the release of leading traitors ;
by frowning down all attempts to punish
ment the tiends who starved our soldiers
by assuring rebels that neither i'll person
or property shall they be punished for their
crimes. And if anything were wanting to
complete their intamy, we have it in their
determined opposition to free labor and tU
tariff, which, while it would make labor
profitable by protecting the workingmen of
Pennsylvania from British competition,
would largely increase the revenue essen
tial to the maintenance of the public faith
and credit.
| Mr.. Cessna called for division of the
question on the resolutions, the first divis,
ison to embrace the platform, excepting the
resolutions relative to the selection of sold
iers as the candidates of the Convention,
and referring to the appointment of mem
bers of the State Central Committee the
second division to embrace the resolution
relative to the selection Of soldiers as the
candidates of the Convention, and the third
division to be the resolution relative to the
| appointment of the State Central Commit
! tee.
Mr. Todd said that the platform contain
ed resolutions for which he could not vote,
among others the resolution proposing
wholesale cOnfscation of the lands of the
Southern people He contended that if a
man was guilty of crime he should be pun
ished, and that man thus guilty should
not escape punishment because he was not
worth certain amount of money. The
proposition seemed to be not to punish men
because of their completely with treason,
but because of their being worth ten thou
sand dollars. The policy indicated by the
resolution was unjust, inasmuch as it could
not be disputed that it was the poor man of
the South who formed the bone and muscle
of the rebellion.
The Chairman called attention to the fact
that the question before the body was upon
the motion of Mr. Cessna as to the form of
considering the resolutions.
Mr. Todd said that he was about to pro-
pose al amendment to the original motion
providing for taking up the resolutions sep
arately.
\ vote was then taken on the amendment
when it was not agreed to.
The first portion of the question on the
motion Of Mr. Cessna was then determined
affirmatively, the platform in the main being
adopted,
The second portion of the question was
stated to be on the resolution recognizing
the claims Of our citizen soldiers, and re-
commencing that in nominations for officers
special regard should be paid to the claims