The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-08
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1866.
The Work OF the Loyal Southern Con.
VentiOn,

ventiOn.
THE Loyalist Convention having adjourned
sine die, after a session OF five days, it may
be well for us to look at the work It has
accomplished. When the call first appeared,
some two months since, it was feared that the
assemblage would not be a success ana there
seems to be but little doubt but that the
large number of attending delegates, the
enthusiasm and the courage displayed, was
principally caused by the New Orleans mas
sacre. The blood of the martyrs was again
the seed of the political church, and good
thing has come out OF the Southern Naza-
reth. The butchers, as they went to work to
complete their murderous task OF slaughter,
little thought that for every life they should
remove from the side of freedom score of
new converts would arise.
From the moment that the news of the
murders was received, all doubts in regard
not only to the extent, but OF the enthusiasm
of the Convention, were at an end. When it
met here on Monday, the whole North was
resonant with shouts of welcome, and its pro-
ceedings were looked for with the utmost
anxiety. 1t has accomplished all that was
L
should accomplish.
1t made anaddress to the people of America,
which contrasts most favorably with the one
delivered by the August assemblage a few
weeks ago. The one was short, pithy, and to
the point, the other was immensely long,
prolix, and seeking to avoid the issue. The
Loyalists advanced great truths, based on
facts; the August Convention uttered suppo-
sitions, which they sought to sustain by multi
plying words.
The one bears testimony to what they had
seen, and speaking as they have consistently
spoken for four years, they are entitled to
full credit, and all their promises deserve
and demand to be received as truth. The
other was selfevidently false. Who can be-
Iieve that the Rebel delegates spoke sim
cereIy when they thanked our soldiers for
thrashing them on the field Of battle, and
declared that The national debt was most
sacred and their own an illegal contraction?
Who can believe that there was any sincerity
in the declaration chat they held secession to
be O wrong, and sighted by an omission the
generals whom we all know they still wor-
ship2 But there is no such inconsistency in
the Address of the Loyalists. 1t is vigorous,
and so selE-evidently true, that even our op-
ponents cannot accuse it of being the muz-
zIed utterance of politicians, adopted only
for political effect The Address is just such
q one as will be read, and when read will
carry conviction.
OF the resolution we also must speak most
approvingly. They are not as strong as many
would desire. They omit to deal with some
subjects on which we perfectly agree with
our Southern brethren; but this very omis
sion was dictated by sincere desire of not
incommoding the Northern party in the COM
ing elections. The issue OF negro suffrage is
one which sooner or later the American peo-
Die will be called upon to decide. 1t requires
no penetration to see that the same progress
Of advancement which caused the consumma-
ton Of freedom, will also lead us to the deci-
sion Of this vexed question.
How it will be settled we will not predict;
but that to-day, but five weeks before an
election, it would be the most unwise judg-
ment that would precipitate such an issue,
all will concur in asserting. We have made
up our platform for the campaign. We are
going to fight it out on the line OF the Con-
stitutional amendment, and on that line we
will conquer. But il, with such short time,
such new question was to be brought for
ward, it would only embarrass the election
and do no good. We are, therefore, well
satisfied that the Convention left all opinion
on the impartial suffrage question out OF their
platform.
The delegates from the non-reconstructed
States expressed their own views, but with
the distinct understanding that they were to
have no binding effect on the party. They
bore their evidence to what was needed in
their sections, and in giving their testimony
acted but The part of witnesses. They did
their duty, and their testimony will do much
good. When, at last, the body ended its
existence, it could safely say that it had put
period to what it ought to do, and the
members can go home to their States and
speak for the next two months on the issues
raised and the principles which must ulti-
mately triumph.
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