The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-08-14
RATE OF SUBSCRIPTIONS.
RATEs OF ADVERTIsINq.
J The PhIladelphla Convention.

curiosity throughout the country to see
the daily record of it's proceedings. We
presume the Associated press dispatch
es will afford us reasonably. full re-
port. We shall, at all events, from all
the sources open to us, try to keep our
readers intelligently posted up as to
the leading facts and incidents of the
Convention. ..5
We have already on several occasions
indicated our views of this Convention,
and especially as to the incongruity
and absolute irreconcilability of its ele-
ments, and more than all as to the inn
possibility of such convention being
able to frame a platform of principles
upon which the true and loyal men of
| the country can stand in this crisis of
our public affairs. The men from the
North and the South who will comprise
five-sixths of the convention are not of
those who acted or sympathized with
the Union party during the war. On
the contrary, they are Of those who, at
the South, were in arms against the
government, and who, at the North,
were secretly and openly in aid and
sympathy with the armed rebellion.
The Northern wing of the convention
will be mainly those who have been
following the standard of Vallandig-
ham and the Woods family. The
Southern wing will be led and repre-
sented by Stephens, the late Vice Presi-
dent of the rebel confederacy. The few
men who like Raymond and Doolittle,
have heretofore acted with the
Union party, will be not only in mea-
gre minority in the Convention, but
they will be utterly powerless to con-
troll its necessary policy. We say meces-
SGTy policy. We mean that the
Southern rebels and Northern copper
heads, who will mainly compose the
Convention, cannot afford to make dec
larations to the country at variance
with their records. They cannot afford
to repudiate the rebellion, the Chicago
Convention, the Knights of the Golden
Circle, and the votes of the Democratic
party in Congress during the war.
They must maintain a show of consist
ency at least, although if the advice of
the New York World, the leading or
gan of the Convention, is to be
followed, all considerations of con-
sistency will be as dust in the balance.
That paper has been for some time Civ
ing great deal of confidential advice
to the Convention. We do not allude
especially to it's recent exhortation that
that the delegates should not attempt
the great objects of their meeting to-
gether until they had eaten and drank
often with one another, and become
''mellowed" into a condition of perfect
unreserve. We allude to its more sober
and serious warning to them not to
take ground on embarrassing questions,
as for instanceits suggestion that no ex-
expression whatever should be made
in regard to the Test-oath or to the
question of Negro Suffrage. Strange
as it may seem Democratic ConYen-
ton is actually exhorted not to take
ground against the Test oath or against
Negro Suffrage. Think of that and
credit it who can. After all that we
have heard here in West Virginia
| and elsewhere about the Test oath,
| and about the monstrosity of Negro
suffrage, the Democracy are exhorted
that the temper of the times is such in a
progressive way on these subjects, that
in view of their ardent desire for sue
cess above all other considerations, the
party must keep. quiet and lie low on
the question of the abominable Test
| oath and the still more abomfnable idea
of Negro suffrage.
The ereasons for this wonderful change
of front are thus given by the New
York World, the leading organ, as we
said, of the Convention: tE 80
| eff the Convention accomplishes anV
good, it will be by detaching voters
from the Republican party, and there
oath not very Objectionable, and do not
disapprove of negro suffrage, who yet
| think that loyal Southern representa-
tives have perfect title to seats in Con-
gress. The right of the South to repre-
sentation rests on grounds which have
no necessary connection with either OF
| these topics. The test oath relates to
the personal qualifications of particular
individuals to. hold office; negro suf-
frage to the personal qualifications of a
certain class of ofinhabitants to vote; both
of which are entirely distinct questions
from the right of States to representa-
| ton. If all Northern citizens who be-
lieve in the latter will promptly act to-
gether, we can gain an easy victory on
it in the autumn elections.
On this point we need to make no
proselytes, but only to bring those who
think alike to act in concert. But the
Convention can take no ground on
negro suffrage or the test oath which
would satisfy all who agree with4it on
the main question. The vote of the
South will count for little in the poll
tics of the country until after the Union
is re-established; and the success of the
North in restoring the South to its
rights depends on reinforcements from
the Republican party, who will not act
with US unless we treat them with a
tolerant liberality. tits important that
the bearing of the Southern members in
the Convention should be such as to
convince moderate Republicans that
their restoration to Congress would be
safe as we'll as constitutional. Let the
! Convention promote harmony, by Civ
ing all its strength to the great issue
If we succeed with that, and succeed
Immediately, the minor ones cannot be
dangerous.
There is something very wonderful
fabout such language as the above, ad.
dressed to Democratic Convention
Not even overtures to fuse with, Wen.
dell Phillips at once could seem more
out of keeping with their record. But
even the policy advanced by the World
ridiculous in its sudden and entire
antagonism to everything ever advo
j Gated by the democracy, will be utterly
unavailing to mislead or deceive the