Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-08-23
THE PHILADELPHIA DOOLITTLE CONFEN-
TION.

pocricy of the prime movers, were as trans
parent as in the last weeks Philadelphia
Convention of Johnson men, Democrats
and Rebels aud there is verdancy ex-
hibited in those who hail it as a great sue
coss, that should disgrace school-boy.
Drowning men catch at straws," and ne
cessity often begets hopes which wise men
do not divulge, because they do not like to
be laughed at but simpleton's bones are
broken in the TESTERS mortar" For ex-
ample, look reader, at few prominent
facts.
This Convention, in its declaration of
principles asserts that " No State or Con-
vention of States, has right to withdraw
from the Union," and ALEX. II. STEPHENS,
the Vice President of the rebel Confedera-
cy, was delegate to this Convention, and
agrees to this proposition. Yet he has de-
clared number of times since the close
of the war-and the declaration is Oh re-
cord over the whole country--that while
he did not believe it was good policy to
withdraw from the Union when secession
took place, he beliered, nevertheless that the
States had the right to do so: and all the in
telligent men of the South beliered this. That
the South appealed to arms and was de-
feated, and that the people would submit
to this decision but that their defeat did
not change their c0nuictionS" Now all the
intelligent men Of the rebel states were
represented in the Convention in Philadel-
phia, by intelligent delegates, and they
agree that no State, or Convention of
Union" In view of all the facts connected
with the South, her disastrous overthrow,
her hatred of the Free States, her ambition,
and her anxiety still to erect a Slave Con-
federacy, who believes in this sudden
chrnge Who does not know that she is
deceiving and STOPPING to conquer?
Again, here is FERNANDO WooD of New
York, notooious sympathizer with rebel
lion, who from the beginning to the end of
the war, denied both our right and our pow
er, under the Constitution, to subdue the
South, and denounced the Emancipation of
Slaves as an outrage upon the Constitution,
and the people of the South, and that the
amendment prohibiting Slavery, as ratified,
was fraud, says he withdrew from the
| Convention in order to secure harmy to its
| deliberations, but that he neither regrets or
recalls any of his acts during the war.
| Still, this same FERNANDO WooD now agrees
| that the war has maintained the Consti-
tution," and " that slavery is abolished"
So with EALLANDIGHAM, and the whole north
crn portion Of the democratic party.
Then, the out-spoken, unrepentant rebels
from the Southern States, who proclaim
their purpose to reach through the govern
ment what they failed to accomplish by
arms, viz the division of the Union, are
made to say in the propositions of this
Convention, that revering the Constitu-
! ton as it comes from our ancestors, regard
ing the Union, in its restoration as more
sacred than ever" This is sacriIege of the
grossests kind and those whipped-in trail
| tors, would not so far forget what is due to
their own manhood as to give expression to
such bald falsehoods, in a convention of
their own and in their own States, but
having weakened republicans, like Sena-
tor CowAN, to give them utterance, they
give to them a silent acquiescence, in the
| hope that through this and other kinds of
deceptive practices, they may again get IN
| to power.
The formation of this Philadelphia Con-
vention too has singular feature, which
deserves a passing notice. 1t will be re-
membered that it is called a National I'm
ion Convention, and that democrats, cop
| perheads, and rebels, from all the states
and territories, were invited, and expected
to take part in its deliberations and il is
usual, when diverging sections, or discord-
ant elements are thrown together in a con.
vention like this, to divide the honors and
labors among the various divisions as near
ly as may be equally. But in this Nation
al Doolittle Convention, there is nothing of
this kind. There is only one party repre-
sented. Renegade republicans are the act
ing spirits, and the exponents of the doc
trines and principles, which are to be the
future light not only Of this motley creed,
but of the proselyted world which is to fol-
low it. Gen. DIX, a war democrat, who
has held good fat Offices, and got them
from the republicans too, and the anti-war
democrats said it was for this that he went
with the republicans, was made temporary
chairman Of the convention, and made
speech in which the whole proceedings
were foreshadowed, and Mr. DooLIrTLE was
the President Mr. RAYMOND, of the New
York Times, ard who needs democratic
votes to return him to Congress, was at the
head Of the committee to draft az address,
and has the honor of making the argument
though it smells very WEED,ish-for this
new and wonderful party. Mr. CowAN,
Pennsylvania trusted but degenerated
Senator, has the credit of making the plat
form and thus throughout, this vast as
Garpl,lar-a CT ]