Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-07-03
.IN|f t|
The Chicago d War Failure Re"o.
lmnlnm.


Oils vsfrqdt iWtion'I4ye
The Oleueland Leader Is kind enough 70
bring TO our attention the following reso-
luton, that was adopted at the Democratic
National Convention held at Chicago last
year: io od'.-'3a 3Gi o. oT
"Resotred That this Convention does er-
.yicifiu declare. As the sense of the American
neopie. that, after four years Of FAILURE TO
rest6ret the Union By the experiment Of todr, dur
inc which, under the pretense OF military
necessity Of q war power higher than the
Constitution, the Constitution itself has
been disregarded In every part. and pubic
liberty aud private right alike trodden
down, and the material prosperity Oh tne
country essentially impaired, justice, hu-
manity. liberty and the public welfare de-
mand that Immediate efforts be made for a
cessation of hostilities, with view to an
ultimate convention Of all the States, or
other peucedble means 20 The end uidt az tRe
earliest practicable moment peace may oe re-
stored on, the basis Of the Federal Union o.
the States"
What Is offensive In this resolution?
When the Convention was in session that
adopted the resolution, the War had PCT re-
stored the Union, and even now the Abo-
lirionists who demand that suffrage shall
be conferred on the Southern Blacks, de-
clare that the Union has not been restored.
They berate President JOHNSON because he
will not regard the Southern States as be-
ing out of the Union. The line of their ar
gument and the policy they suggest admit
of no other construction than that the Union
has not been restored-that notwithstand-
inc the surrender. the breaking up and
dispersion of the Rebel armies, the expert
ment of War has proven an utter failure as
a restorer of the Union. Had the War itself
been effectual in restoring the Union, the
States would occupy to the Federal Gov
ernment the same relation that they held
to it before the Rebellion took martial
f,rm-not right would be impaired. Not
a right would either be withheld or denied.
All that could rightfully have been required
under such a condition of affairs was that
the States should move along within their
respective spheres as though nothing had
occurred. a.t.- -fs, 81 OH
Inasmuch as up to the time Of the sitting
of the National Democratic Convention, the
Union had not been restored by the exper-
iment of War, they resolved that peaceful
means, be resorted to Ito the end that al
the earliest practicable moment peace"
might ..be restored on the basis Of the Federal
Union of the States" Beyond the mainten-
ance of the Union, and the putting a stop
TO the carnage and desolation of War, the
Democrats had no other object in view.
At last Peace Conference did precede the
overthrow of the military power OF the
Rebellion. That Conference did good'
And now President JOHNSON is doing the
best he possibly can, through peaceful meas
rires, to restore the Union. Our brave SOL
diers have saved the territory of the Union
from being disrupted; but until civil Gov
ernment is in full operation in the lately
insurgent States; until their representa-
tiyes take their seats in the Congress Oh the
United States; until military commissions
arbitrary arrests and arbitrary trials are
abolished, and the hdbeGs corpus and the
trial by jury are fully in operation
the work of restoring the Union viii
not have been finished. And Aboli-
tionists declare that the Southern States
shall be denied representation in Congress
until they shall have conferred suffrage on
the Black men. Had General SHERMAN's
treaty been ratified that he entered into
with Gen. JOHNSTON the Union would un-
doubtedly have been restored. Now IL Is
not likely to be done until the Abolitionists
are voted out of power. ..,...
Is The great crime justly chargeable down
TO the account of the Democratic party Is,
that they in the first instance would have
saved the Union without War, and that
after War was on our hands, they would
have saved the Onion, by the least possible
sacrifice of life and treasure, and that they
now encourage President JOHNSON to make
the Constitution the guide of his political
action, instead of the Declaration of lnde-
.pendeuce as it is construed by the AboIi-
tionists for the exclusive benefit OF Black
x,,an .'f t.i