The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-14

Friday Evening. .lf.
The Chicago platform declared the war iah>
ure.-Chicago Journal, 10Th.
The Chicago platform declared no such thing,
and the Journal knows it did not.-RoeN is'o,so
Argus.
Here is the language of the chief resolution
sdonted by the Democratic National ConVeh'
ton, at Chicago:
ssTb,t this Convention does explicitly oeS1are,
as the sense OF the American PeCPPie.p rSToEE
THEuNION BY THE EXPERIMENT W An.
y Justice, humanity liberty ana Me PNo ~
,rs,fdrs demand that immediate efforts De maze J0'
a cessation of hostiiittes, etc.
Iftbat does not declare the war failure
a flour years" failure-then 1t declares HULL
ing at all Chicago Journal, 1871.
The Journal publishes garoied extract
from the resolution, but gives enough OF IL
to prove that our statement was true. we
give it, below, in full:
RESOLVED, That this convention does exPhelIJ
declare, as the sense OF the American TILE
after four years of FAILURE TO hes iohE ne
UNION by the experiment OF war, during mn ,..n,
nnder the pretence of military necessity, or war
power higher than the constitution, the cons'tu,
ton itself has been disregarded in every part ana
public liberty and private right alike troooeh oo"h
and the material prosperity OF the country essen.
iaIIy impaired,-ustice, humanity, liberty ana
the public welfare demand that mmpdlate EFFORTS
be made for cessation Of hosttItfses, with we"
to an ultimate convention of the states, or otnsI
peaceable means to the end that az Se oN The
practicable moment peace may be restored ON E
BASIS OF THE FEDERAL UNION ot IhH
STATES.
The resolution does not "declare the war
failure" Tt declares, what was the fact'
that the Union had not been restored by war.
1t was a simple fact then, and 1t Is tact
now. There acas Failure to restore the
Union by the experiment of war" but
there was no declaration made that our arm
les had failed to whip the rebels, or to win
battles everywhere, on all occasions when
we had equal advantages with. the rebels,
and in many cases where they had advanta-
ges over us. There was no declaration or
intimation that our soldiers had failed to per-
form their whole duty, or to fight with une-
qualed bravery and skill, and win battles In
the face of apparently insurmountable OBJ
stacles. No man, unless he was stupid or
dishonest, ever believed that the Chicago
convention declared or intended to declare
the war, as war, failure. Such was not
the intention of the convention. The resolu-
ton was not so regarded by those who draft
ed it, or those who adopted it, 1t was de-
olaration of what was perfectly apparent
fact, viz that there was a failure TO restore
the Union by war alone, and some other
means. in addition to war, must be used or
the Union could never be restored. That
was all the convention said, or intimated, or
intended to intimate,-and that was true
then, and is true now. The action OF the
administration is proving it to be true, every
day. We have conquered the rebels, and
overrun their territory, by war, but we have
not restored the Union and cannot restore 1t
by war alone. Other means are requisite to
accomplish that object, and We are happy to
see that the administration is now trying
other means, and means which we believe
will be effectual. To conquer and dispense
the rebel armies, and overrun and lay waste
the territory of the south, has not restored
the Union, and never will do it. The people
must be conciliated, reconciled, and sho1on
that vengeance is not our policy. By such
means the Union can be restored, and by no
other.
The Convention also
RESOLVED, That the aim and object of the demo
cratic party is to preserve the Federal Union and
the rights ofthe states unimPaired.
And it also
RESOLVED That the sympathy of the democratic
party ls heartily and earnestly extended to the
soldery of armies and sailors OF our navy, who
are, and have been In the field and on the sea, I'M
der the flag oftheIr country; and IN the event OF
its attaining power, they will receive all the care,
protection and regard that the brave soldiers and
sailors ofthe republic have SO nobly earned.
No man, in his senses, could impute to the
democratic party, an unfriendly feeling to-
wards our soldiers, or sailors. Great mum
bers of them are our personal and political
friends, ard al! the generals of acknowledged
ability, and who have won the grandest VIC
tories of the war, were and are now, demo-
Gratis.
The army and navy, as mass, have won
imperishable glory, and for their bravery and
general good conduct are entitled to the last
ing gratitude of the country,-and the effort
of small and bigoted partjzans to create an
impression that the Chicago convention de-
clared that they had failed in any duty as
signed them is contemplate in the extreme.
They had not made a failure of the effort to
restore the Union, but the administration, by
its emancipation, oou6scation, and other ex-
treme radical measures had made a failure.
and under the policy it was conducting the
war the Union could never be restored. Time
has proved this to be true, and the preeent
change of policy of the administration has
indicated the position of the Chicago con
vention, and of the democratic party.