The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-09-18
THE POLITICAL. POSITION OF THE
DEMOCRACY OF ROCK ISLAND
COUNTY, FOR THE LAST
FOUR YEARS.
A RECORD OF PATRIOTISM, Low r.
OF CoUNrRY, DEVOTION TO
THE CONSTITUTION AND
THE LAWS.

The Rock Island UaiOn, the negro-suffrage
organ, in this city, proposes to discuss the
resolutions of the late democratic union and
administrator county convention separate
ly and in spirit of frankness and csndor,
and then it proceeds with a column and
half of the most shameful misrepresentation
we have ever read. IL produces resolutions
never adopted ky the democrats OF this coun-
~ and leaves il 10 b inferred that they were
SO adopted Ii publishes a resolution which
Il says the democrats adopted in nation
al convention" but which was never even
Offered In our national convention. 1t pub
fishes two more resolutions which 1t says
were passed by the democrats on the 4~h OF
July, 1868 and leaves 1t TO be Inferred that
they were passed by the democrats OF this
county. We have no evidence that they
were ever adopted 10y aoybody--It they were
the persons VINO adopted them ought 10 have
been arrested and imprisoned at once, under
IN act Of congress passed for just such peo-
pie We suspect that they were never passed
by any body, but were forged by the editor
Of the UhtiOR-but, whether they were or not,
we know that they never emanated from any
democrat OF this county, or were Endorsed IL
this county.
1t is also false that any democratic news
paper, or democratic speaker, or democratic
Tarty il this county ever spoke Of soldiers as
"Linooiu's hirelIugs" OF classed them with
dogs and demireps."
II the UI1iuH mas no,hin. bet.er to offer
than such lalseho9Is and misrepresenCat atoms,
its criticisms are beneath contempt. i this
what it calls IA sp,ris Of ca1dor p Ii so the
editor has queer notions Of cantor, or far
hess, honesty.
The Union says the demo .racy OF this
county are guilty OF AN aOLadOnn5nt OF the
principles uoon which it was accustomed 10
enter the canvass so defInciy during che last
four years ); It says our iuCe platform Is an
acknowledgement OF error"-s Population
OF tnaIr out whole record of iUar years
past, "a ri gut about face, the part vi
the democracy.
1t TINS we're true we certainly think the
UuiJl ou shs 10 commend for II, instead vi
cOudemuing Us. That paper has claimed
that we were generally wrong, heretotore.-
Ii we have abandoned our former prlnci-
pies, =" ''acknowiedge i our error" "repudiat-
cd our wnoie record of tour years past"
come to right about face" &c, &C., then
We must be right nov if we were wrong then.
That Is rs plain as pike staff
But we prop ,se to show that there has
been no such abandonment of principle"
''ackno wledgement of error" Republication
of record" or right about face" We pro-
pose to show what the record of the demo-
cratic party of Rock Island county is, and
has been, in regard to the war, &c, for the
last four years, aud we shall endeavorsto
make il so plain that it cannot be misunder.
stood.
When, in April, 1861, the democracy of
this county heard the report of rebel guns,
battering away at the walls of Fort Sumter,
thJy knew no party but the party OF the con
stiLution and their country, a. ] they, and
their newspaper, and their public speakers,
came forward with aIacrity to sustain Mr.
Lincoln in his constitu .ional efforts to pre-
serve the government. As the fall election
drew near their county committee met and
adopted the following:
WHEREAS, In times of national peril 1t IS the
dut- of all citizens to lay aside all differences of
parry politics and unite IN solid body for the
defense OF the government and the protection of
the constitutional Rad
WHEREAS, The running OF party tickets for Off
such time tends to raise divisions, excite
ments and iii-ieeing among tho people, and thus
weaken the hands oil the government; therefore,
IN view o these facts,
RESOLVED, That we. the democratic central COM
mttee OF Rock Island county, propose TO the
puohcan central committee to unite in calling a
1otnt-oeiegaie union convention OF the people for
the purpose oil nominating a union ticket for
county omcers tor the coming fall election, Nth
tee standing that the Offices shall be divided
sn nNn'oeT ana salary, nearly equal as possible
osIIssn taoSe trho haze formerly acted ,rith the