New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-16
THE PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION,

The accounts of the opening proceedings OF
the Philadelphia convention are full OF en-
couragement. The best spirit seems to pre-
vail, and sincere desire for harmony of
action. directed to the accomplishment of a
great rurposs, which must exercise q controll- |
inc influence on the public mind. Contrary
to general expectation, there are no indiea-
tons of those irreoonoilable differences which
might have been anticipated from the past
antagonisms of the various delegations but,
Ion the contrary the efforts of ambitious and
| Interested peEsons TO SOW aissension and dis
Cord have been completely nullifed by the
prevailing conviction of the existing necessity
for entire harmony of act and object in the
conduct the great struggle in which the
country is row involved. For some time past
it has seemed that some of the very persons
who were conspicuous in projecting and prg-
/ ing the movement which has eliminated in the
/ Philadelphia convention were really DESTROYS of
| defeating the purposes for which the eonyen-
| ton is held. Prominent among these persons
is Mr. Raymond, Of the New York Times,
representing g select circle of politicians who
I
their own benefit by insisting on the exclusion
from the convention of large and influential
class, who, from their past history, were neces-
sarily led to the support of President John
sons pokcy, and who, for the same reasons,
/ were regarded with particular favor by the
! people Of the South. The proposal, on its
face, was absurd, unjust and ungenerous; and
| when it was extended SO far as to embrace in
/ the proposed exclusion, not only Northern
/ Democrats, but Southerners who could not
take the test oath, it assumed the character OF
a direct assault on the integrity OF the con
veution, and Of an attempt to divert really
useful and patriotic project to purely personal
and selfish aims. The plan of consti-
tuting convention, supposed to be
E composed Of all parties hostile to the
radicals, by excluding the great majority of
the contemplated organization from repre-
sentation, vas as ridiculous as for a general to
go into an enemy's country to recruit his
I,arnny The authors of this project, in their
anxiety to maintain some sort of influence,
tseemed incapable Of peroeiving that the emas-
soHlatory process which they desired to apply
: TO the convention would deprive that body Of
any effective power, and would reduce it to
: the dimensions of a mere conclave of office
? hunting politicians, representing nothing but
a chronic sense of personal importance.
Fortunately the plan has failed The good
{ sense eff the public has detected the fallacy on
: which it was founded, and has perceived the
Z necessity Of constructing reconstruction y
convention out of materials which should
4 represent the great idea for which the con-
vention was called together. 1t is pleasing
to perceive that, between the conduct
Of the authors of the exclusive policy, and Of
the persons at whom that policy was mainly
leveled there is so wide and marked differ
ence and that, while the selfish ambition of
the former has made itself painfully conspicu-
GUS, the generous and self-denying course OF
the latter has been emphasized with equal
distinctness. We.learn by the telegraph that
e Mr.. Fernando Wood, Of New York, and Mr..
. Yallandigham, of Ohio, have both declined to
: go into the eenEention--not because they
t were not ardently anxious for the success Of
the movement, but because they had been
assured that their presence might give rise to
untimely and damaging discussions These
two gentlemen represent large and inHuen-
tial portion of the Democratic party, and a
phase of Democratic opinion which, within
the party, has been dominant in many por-
tons of the North. No two men in
: the country have greater right to
appear in the Philadelphia convention, if we
consider the fact that their present attitude is
the direct and logical consequence of the
! principles which they have always avowed
Z and the policy which they have always sup
! ported They are now, just as we are, desi-
rous Of reconstruction of the Union on the
basis ofeonstitutionalrig right and State equality;
but not after having, like many who most Bit
terly denounee and oppose them, labored for
the success of policy which, if carried to its
Iifnal and legitimate expression, must lead to
the destruction of constitutional right and
State equality But it is this very consis-
tency that makes them SO Objectionable to
the exclusives who9 wanted to control the
Philadelphia convention Mr.. Raymond and
Il Mr. Weed seem to have an irrepressible horror
! Of yallandiggham. It is a good thing to
restore the Union, they think but to
restore it in company with a man who
never did anything to break it up
is toomuch for their sensitive nature. 1t is a
fine thing to revive the Constitution, they de-
clare but to regiyeit with the assistance of a
man who never violated it, is most intolera-
bic. and not to be endured" Now, we donot
suppose that Messrs. yallandigham and Wood
care atsall for the absurd denrnciations and
ridiculous proteBtations of their adversafies;
but they know that in the present contest
every vote is Of Importance. They know that
che party whom they represent being in-
fueneed sosely by sincere desire to defeat the
despotica1 schemes OF the radicals, will submit
even to the exclusion Of their delegates rather
than endanger success by untimely remon-
STRANGE. But they prefer to take all prete4t
for opposition from the Raymond clique, and
all cause of complaint from their own friends,
by voluntarily suIrendering their claims to
seats in the convention.
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LOYALTY OF THE SOUTH.