The Portland daily press., 1866-08-14
This PHILADELPHIA Convention

Tins Fhii3ucipn1u COnFeut1Oms
The great political drama in which many
viii play their parts will be enacted to-day in
the city of "Brotherly Love-" Vallandigham,
one of the prominent characters who will fig
ure in it, in spite of the opposition of some of
the more hypocritical politicians, says, some
what facetiously, that one great question will
be discussed in the convention, that is, wheth-
er the whale swallowed Jonah or Jonah the
whale. But he has no doubt, however, who
will do the swallowing. Such Jonahs as
Dooittle, Raymond and others of that class
must make up their minds to be swallowed by
that great whale the Democratic party. Pen
dleton, Wood, Vallandgham, and other great
leaders of the Democratic wigwam, possess a
wonderful power of deglutition, and such lit
tie fellows as Raymond can be swallowed
without winking But we shall soon know
who is to be Sucked in" on that memorable
occasion. One thing is quite certain-the 10y
al voters of the North will not be sucked in,
nor those of the West, and the true Union
men of the South cannot be fed on such soft
corn. They understand the motives that
No disguise they may wear can conceal their
true characters from the gaze of vigilant
and patriotic people.
The leaders of the Democratic party very
well know that they committed great blum
der in not fully endorsing those whose swords
ieaped from their scabbards at the firing upon
Sumter by the Charleston rebels. They ut
terly mistook the character of the Northern
and Western people, and found that there
was such thing on this continent as the
spirit of true patriotism. Great efforts were
made to give currency to the doctrine of 'no
coercion" which was generated in the brain
of that imbecle creature, James Buchanan,
who'held the reins of government We will
not now stop to discuss the question whether
he was weak or wicked, cowardly or corrupt.
and SO we let him pass down the stream of
time to his appropriate place.
The Jews were ignorant when they nailed
the Savior of the world to the Cross and He
said Father, forgive them for they know not
what they do" But can such heavenly words
be spoken Of the leading rebels of the South
Did they not know what they were doing
when they murderously clutched at the throat
oftbe nation? Were they ignorant when they
drenched their sacred soip' in the best blood
of the country? Did not Beauregard know
what must follow the firing of the first rebel
gun at Sumter? Do the members of this
trumped up convention hope to stop up the
ears and blind the eyes of the American peo-
pie? Such hope is like the spiders Web
The age Of miracles has passed and some poll
ticians would do well to remember that his
torical fact when they attempt to play such
fantastic tricks before high heaven.
The leaders aforesaid, finding they had
made great mistake and committed an eyre
gious blunder, have been casting about for
the last four years to find some plank to slide
off upon, or some ladder to climb up SO that
they might not be compelled to confess them
selves either knaves or fools. They have
scanned the political horizon, but they saw
nothing but clouds and darkness surrounding
them. No bright sky crossed their vision, no
lighthouse on their desert coast, and the
breakers" were constantly sounding in their
ears, The night of utter despair was set
Ting down upon their corrupt souls and they
could not pray, fer they felt that would be an
abemination in the sight of Heaven. Thus
they CROPPED along their dark and dismal way
for months and years, and now some one thinks
he sees light and says, "Let a convention he |
called embracing the disafected Republicans
and war democrats both North and South.
East and West" Well, convention has
been called, but it was found on close Gallon
lation that it would not be very numerouslv
attended, if southern rebels and northern |
copperheads were kept out. and so all will be |
admitted who have fought against the govern |
ment in the grey uniform of an out-and-out |
rebel or in the more contemplate disguise of
a northern sympathizer. Such is the stuff of |
which this convention will be made.
Now what have the loyal people of the
country to hope for from a convention COM
posed of such materials? or rather, what have
they not to fear from such an assemblage of
politicians? 1t might work much mischief
in country where the masses are less intelli-
gent than they are in ours, but we are firm in
the belief that such conglomerate body of
politicians cannot galvanize into new life the
old Democratic party, nor form new organ
lzation which can exercise much moral or po-
itlcal power. This country is too enlighten-
ed, ana Inc people Of this country too well
posted up in political affairs to be influenced
by convention of such men. The Southern
rebels have committed enormous crimes which |
cannot be covered up and hidden from, tbe
world by the arts of all the demagoyues in
Christendon. Their hands are red with tho
best blood of the nation, and no art or sophist-
ny OF political harlequins can wash out the