The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1866-08-02
tFor the News.
The Democratic Party and the
sO-calIed ''NatiOnal Union"
Convention.


sO-calIed S'NatiOnal Union
Convention.
The recent history of the Democratic
party, and its present crisis, are objects of
interesting study. Whether 1t shall lay
aside the prestige of a name which was
once tower OF strength, but which has
been sadly damaged by the traitorous
course of its leaders during the war for
the preservation of the Government, and
sink its once proud and distinctive organi-
zation, to come up again in the shape of
monster, which under the manipulation of
the Philadelphia Convention is in process
of CESSATION, and which is to be brought
forth under the name OF "National Union
party" is the great question.
The "Peace party''-the Wood, valland-
igham and voorhees, party-who still as
sert "that the Government had NJ right to
make war upon the Southern States for at
tempting to secede from the Union, and
consistently with that belief, took no part
in the war upon the South" (says Ben
Wood) propose, in conjunction with recon-
structed rebels, under the prestige of a
more odorous name, to make combined
effort for the control of that Government
which they deserted and betrayed in the
hour of its extreme and peril, which some of
them spent four years in trying to over
throw.
If the party which adopted the Chicago
platform had prevailed, where now would
have been the Union of our fathers p
Would not our institutions be amongst the
things that were, and our once happy
country, disunited and distracted by null
titude of antagonistic interests, would pre-
sent a scene of anarchy and misery of
which history affords no parallel. Is it
not evident to every intelligent mind, that
the South, if successful in battle, or by ne
gotiation, would have persevered in its
mad attempt to set up another Government
on this continent, founded upon the corner
stone of perpetual slavery, and that foreign
alliances would have been formed, and
every cause of alienation and division
strengthened and multipliedP 1t is,
therefore, clear, that the glorious result of
the war for the Union-the preservation of
one Government, and ,Uhole Country-is
not due to the "Peace party"
| But what do we now see? This same
party, with Satanic impudence, claiming to
be the true Union party, and inaugurating
a movement for "the immediate restora-
ton" to power, of "men black with MUIR
der, treason, sacrilege, and crimes that
strike the soul with horror but to name
them"
Such combination is the subject of Sc
cret conclaves and open Conventions
Blood-stained, unrepentant rebels, confed-
crate with Northern Copperheads, are to
make grand effort to regain that position
in the Union which they lost by rebellion
and war. Having failed in the field, they
propose TO renew the struggle in the Halls
of Congress.
Slavery being dead, as our "Southern
brethren" admit, why should the strife be
continued over the dead body, whose rank
offence "smells to Heaven?" Should not
all parties rather join to bury it out of
sight? If slavery be dead, why should not
the irrepressible conflict" be ended also
If free labor is to take the place of slave
labor, why should not legislation be directed
to provide for the changed condition The
Government has vindicated its constitution
al supremacy, and its right to "coerce"
organizations or as "citizens." 1t has es-
tablished its right to paramount allegi-
ance. Let these results be accepted, and
embodied in some enduring forms, and all
is settled. The States will resume their
functions as States, as defined in the Con-
stitution-intact and unimpaired.
Andrew Johnson, in stirring appeal in
1861, when he called for help on the part of
the "loyal, brave, patriotic and unsubdued
three hundred and twenty-five thousand
people who claimed to be the State" of
Tennessee, said:
"Holding to the Stars and Stripes, the
flag of our Country, we demand protection
from the Federal Government. We de-
mand ii according to law. We demand it
upon the guarantees of the Constitution
You are bound to guarantee to us Re-
puDllcan form OF GOVernment. we ask
it as a Constitutional right. We have
commenced the battle of freedom. II is
freedom's cause. We are resisting usurpa-
ton, and oppression. Right is with us
we will triumph,-we must triumph =
For
- .HFFecdom' hattie once begun
btqueethed from bleeaing siio 70 son,
Though bafied of, is ever wOn." 30
Thus spake Andrew Johnson.
Though freedoms battle is won, Is there
nothing to be done TO secure and bequeath
the fruits of victory "from bleeding sire to
son"2 Are any additional guarantees of "A
Republican form of Government needed
Does the change from slavery TO freedom
require no adjustment of the basis of Rep
resentation, TO guarantee a Republican
form of government and secure that
equality of States, which is now demanded
so vociferously2 ~
The Congress OF the U. s., the represen-
tatives of the people, propose to secure the
fruits Of victory, so that "usurpation and
oppression" may forever hide their heads.
A. Johnson, as President, pledged himself
that "treason should be made odious" by
the punishment of the leading traitors
but i'my policy, has developed a different
programme, and brought about an issue