Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-08-24
FRIDAY, AUGUsr..............-..s4, 1905.
PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION.

viscd to the declaration Of princi.
Pies put forth by tho National Uni,
on Convention, and which may be
found on our FIRST page. The weighi
oftalent congregatsd on the occasion,
the large experience derived from a
revolution which fully tested the
strength of our institutions, and the
unanimity that characterized the de-
alterations Of that body, combined to
inspire the liyeliest hope that remedies
were about to be found for every III
that afaicts the body polite How
far this hope will be realized, must
depend more upon the after Labor to
be performed aud upon the patriotic
impulses Of the northern masses than
upon the wisdom Of those lately in
council. With every inclination to
DO satisfied with the labors of the
Convention, honesty compels US to
say that We are disappointed; and
that We may not be considered cap
tious, We cite the fact, that in ten
declarations" into which the series
is divided, there arc but four sound
doctines promulgated, and they are
coeval with the government. Let US
cnumerate them in the order in which
they occur:
Representation in the Congress Of
the United States and in the Electo-
raj College, is right recognized by
the constitution as abiding in every
State"
"The constitution Of the United
States and the laws thereof are the
supreme law of the land" and to the
States is reserved the "right to pre-
scribe the qualifications for the elect
i've franchise"
amendments to the constitution
of the United States may be made by
the people thereof, as they may deem
e1pedient, but only in the mode
pointed out by it,"
These are important political tru
isms, but it was scarcely worth while
to 60 to Philadelphia to proclaim
them when they are as familiar to the
public as household words. Nor can
we see by what sort Of magic the re-
petition Of these trite political axi-
Oms can be made to advance the
cause which so deeply enlists the
sympathies of the friends of the con-
vention. These quotations from the
organic law of the land, if useless,
are harmless, and it is to be regretted
that they are found mixed with as
sumptions unfounded, and seutiments
sectional and discourteous.
The South, be it remembered, was
invited to take part in the action Of
the late convention, and the invita-
tion was accepted. But there was a
delicacy and popularity in the cir
canstances attending the invitation
and its acceptance, that appealed,
earnestly, for the avoidance of every
thing calculated to add to the embar-
EASEMENTS necessarily incident to the
situation. Much to our regret, how
ever, the situation was not apprecia-
ted, and the convention re. paraded
before the country the we'll known
facts, that slavery is abolished that
secession has been abandoned and
the Confederate debt repudiated.-
When it is remembered that slavery
was abolished by force, and that the
southern recognition Of the uncon :
stitutional act was obtained by force;
that, by force, the South was made to
abandon the right Of secession and to
rcpudiate its honest debt, il seems to
us that self-respcct and decent 70.
gard for the feelings Of others would
have stihed northern inclination to
Haunt such deeds in the faces of the
Representatives Of the people so foul
ly wrongsd. The history Of the war
is not written; its merits have rot
been adjudicated and, whilst the ri ,ht
and wrong remain unadjus,cd by a
competent tribunal, the conqueror
aud conquered should not bear, to-
wards each other, the relations of
exulting victor and submissive slave.
The respective positions of the two
sections, prior to the war, involve
considerations OF a peculiar charac
ter all pointing to the fact that there
can be no harmonious union without
the present aud continuous exercise
ofjustice and courtecy. The man
you knock down is never made your
friend by the bo,st In all oonnan;oo