The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-30
The Great Convention at Philadelphia -
Progress of the Counter Revolution.



From dte Herald.
In the papers, during the hot days in the city
and at all the wateringplace the principal
topic of discussion is the Philadelphia National
Union Convention. Wherever two or three
persons are gathered together this subject is
sure to be ventilated. As standard matter
of conversation it has quite superseded the
weather. Our exchanges are full of IT. Calls
for State conventions to elect delegates to it
are being issued. Everybody is going TO attend
it. An immense wigwam for it is in course Of
erection. The railroads will run extra trains to
accommodate the crowd. The old proverb tells
us that 1t is better to be out of the world than
out OF the fashion, and decidedly il will be the
fashion 20 60 to the Convention. No politician
of any importance can afford to stay away,
unless he be a radical doomed 10 the wrath to
come. In that case he may reserve himself for
Jack Hamilton's negro-worshlppng convention
in September.
But while everybody Is preparing to go to the
National Union gathering, it is singular that
each OF the cliques and factions wants to keep
all the rest out. Weed and Raymond promise
to be there; but they turn up their noses at the
Wood Brothers, and at Marble and Belmont, the
shent,per-shent twins, and at Vallandigham and
his TAIL and insist that all these notorious
people must be excluded. We should like to
know why. The terms OF the call for the Con-
vention do not exclude them, and nothing else
can. What is there about the Wood Brothers,
for instance, that units them to sit in the big
wigwam with Weed and Raymond? We presume
that the latter gentlemen will not insist too
strongly upon a comparison OF personal re.
cords or of general jobs. Is it, then, that the
Woods, and Vaandig ham, and Belmont and
Marble sympathlzed with the Rebels during the
war and are a little tainted that way still
Mr.. Belmont will not admit this soft mpeach-
ment and Mr.. Marble Indignantly denies 1t and
calls TOR pistols and coffee, as If he had purchased
some of the warlike spirit of the Chevalier Webb
when he bought in the old duellist's paper. But
even in the notorious cases Of the Woods and
Vallandigham, how can Weed and Raymond re-
fuse to associate with these worthless, when they
are willing to act with the repentant Rebels of
the South? Copperhead may be as bad as, or
even worse than, traitor; that is mere matter
OF opinion. But certainly when Copperhead
becomes converted to the Union cause he is just
| as good as a converted Rebel, and those VINO
| are anxious to meet with reformed Rebels, can
not, with any sort of grace consistency. refuse
| TO admit reformed Copperheads to the coalition,
| No political church can undertake to shut out
single class of sinners who really and honestly
| desire TO avail themselves of the benefits of
| saving grace.
| The continual discussion about the Philadel-
phia Convention has drlfted away from first
| principles. To keep themselves straight, the
| parties concerned ought to publish the original
| call every other day. That call recognizes the
| great issue between the President and Con.
| eress, and invites all who support the President
| and his policy of reunion to take part in the
| Convention. 1t says nothing about the Woods,
| or Vallandigham, or Belmont, or Marble, or any
|
| broad, solid platform, upon which all may
| stand without crOwdlng each other off. The
| war is over now; old things have passed away;
| everything is to begin de nOUUedu. 1t makes no
| difference what mans position was as to other
| issues, now dead and buried; the only vital
| question is as to his position in regard to this
| great new issue between the President and
| Congress. We know the Woods thoroughly; we
| have no more confidence IN them at present than
we had while they were selling themselves to
| both sides during the war; but if they state that
| they are ready to sustain the Presidents policy
and the Onion, they cannot be turned out OF
the Philadelphia Convention under the terms o.
its call.
Messrs. Weed and Raymond, who are clearly
not without sin, should not throw the first stone
in this rude and uniustfable manner. Some
| body may retaliate before long by opposing the
| admission of lobbyists. 1t is much better tt
| take the only true ground and advocate the ad
| mission of all comers One clique will ther
| neutralize another, and we shall get mora
| force from the combined influence of the Con
| venton that will work most powerfully in tn,
| tall elections. These squabbles beforeha nd owe
| Mr.. Ben Woods dirty linen or Mr.. Weeds dirt,
| linen can amount to nothing. All the linen vii
| be made pure and spOtless by the Convention
| Those whose sins were as scarlet will come tortl
| white as snow. The issues between the Presi
| dent and Congress will absorb all other issues
| and every politician will be Judged, not by VIVA
| he has DONE but by what he is doing. Let u
| have general political amnesty, and the peopl
| will accomplish all the rest.