North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-08-01
button of arms in the Northern States, is

button OF arms IN the northern states, is
the initial step to its execution.
do not propose to comment upon the
result of such a movement 1t is obvious
that if any such Contingency should arise
the war would not be sectional, as was the
last-it would be war Of political parties
and of neighborhoods. Not only have the
great body of the Union party in Congress
no sympathy with these views and pur-
poses, but they are in the main ignorant
and incredulous of their existence. That
the extreme Radicals entertain them, how
ever, there is not the slightest doubt, and
we know, from the experience of secession
in 1861, how few men it sometimes re-
quires to plungea great party or great
nation into war,
The Philadelphia Con yention is another
source of panic to the Union party. BY
the Radicals of whom have spoken it Is
regarded as intended to pave the way for
bringing Northern Democrats and South
ern rebels into close concert of action under
the protection of the President, at the
opening of the next Congress for the pur
pose referred to above. And by nearly the
whole Union party, as represented here, it
is believed that its object is to break up
the Union organization and form new
party which shall embrace Northern Dem
ocrats, Southern rebels and such portions
of the Union party as may be detached
from the old organization. 1t seems to be
overlooked that this convention is called
simply for consultation that it is not pro-
posed 10 make nominations for any Office,
to organize any new party, or to interfere
in any way with existing political parties.
Any one or all of these things may be
done by the Convention-but none of them
are embraced or proposed in the cal, for
it. Those who may do them in Conven-
tion, or support them when done, will of
course be responsible for their action. If
the Convention should take steps hostile to
the Union party, no one could longer ad-
here to both. If it should make hostile
nominations, or adopt hostile platform,
no one could support both. But until
something of that sort is actually done, it
is not easy to see why any man of any par
ty may not 60 into consultation with his
felow-citizens from every party and from
every section, without forfeiting his party
relations The idea that members of
Congress have any right, in caucus or
elsewhere, to issue DEGREES of expulsion or
exclusion in such case is simply absurd.
At the same time it is evident that the
Philadelphia Convention is regarded with
great disfaror by all sections of the
Union party.
These defaults of its own have given the
| Philadelphia Convention a degree of
strength which it is not wise for the lead
ers of the Union party to ignore or under
rate. By judicious counsels at the outset
they might have prevented it; it is not vet
too late to save themselves from being ruin.
ed by it. But they will make fatal mis-
take if they content themselves with ignor.
inc or denouncing il. If it should happen
to be under the guidance of wise and patri
otto counsels if the Southern delegates who
NAV participate in its deliberations should
proffcr, in their words and their action, un-
mistakable evidence of the sincerity with
which they accept the adverse result of the
war they waged, and of their readiness to
adopt their laws, their habits and their
whole political action to the necessities
which that result has created, if the North
ern Democrats, who share Its action, should
cut loose from the men and the measures
which made them so obnoxious to public
censure during the war, and should pledge
themselves to the honor of the nation and
to liberal policy worthy alike of its histo-
ry and its destiny if the platform of prin-
clples which the Convention may adopt,
and the action it may recommend, shall
prove thus responsive to the enlarged and
lofty aspirations of the national heart, it
may be found that no party organization,
however compact it may seem to be, and
however strongly fortified by the memory
of past services, can withstand its influence
upon the sentiments and the action of the
great body of the American people.
The Italian army suffered a sad reverse
the other day because, trusting to the
goodness of its cause, it marched boldly
upon fortresses whose strength it despised.
The Union party will consult its own safety
and the good Of the country, by not throw
ing itself against the Philadelphia Con-
vention until it knows little more of the
nature and strength of its armament. r.
The Atlantic Cable Laid.