The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-26

moters OF the Convention have not hinted at
party tests; the alliance established at Wasning.
ton reDdt1s such tests impossible; and In all
that the Times has uttered, 1t has advocated the
bringing together of Union men oil all parties.
The only journal we FnoN Of that has attempted
to invest the Convention WITH party character
il the World, which opposed the call until the
Democratic Senators aud Representatives iu-
dorsed il, and then insisted upon having
Democratic gathering, with Union Republicans
IN the back seats.
1t would be Deilher seemy nor polite in this
or any other journal TO arrocate an authority in
regard 10 tests oi quallhc9iion which only the
organizers OF the Convention will have authority
TO enforce. SO we said in the article to which
our "Copperheadn nolghboTs take exception.
Equally obv'o is it, however, that test OF
some kind must be established to hold in check
those who pretend to 10 qualification beyond
th9t of having been "duiy elected to represent
any BODY And unless the spirit and purpose
OF The call are to be Cuntravened, and the move
went is 10 be plosttuted to the uses OF the
"Copperheads,n claiming 10 be nOI0 supporters
OF the Union, the test in its application to the
North must suffice to exclude all who during
the war were enemies to the Union. There is
not "COpperhead" in the land who does not at
this moment shout for ''maintaining uubroken
the Union of the States" which he endeavored
10 destroy. To designate these men Union men,
because after the Union han been re established
they declared themselves its supporters would
be an outrage upon language. Their proper
place is with the disunion radicals; the true
Union men of the North.-the War Democrats
and Republicans who rallied round the flag and
carried 1t to victory being strong enough,
united, to dispense with both.
The World consoles itself with the thought
that where Southerners can enter, Copper
heads cannot be shut OUT
Those who thought peace should be tried as
means OF restoring TIE Union are not IOr that rea-
son unfit to SIT ca the benchts with these who
fought against the Union 1l HahtinR was hopeless,
of the Union be made the sole test OF admiss on o
the Convention, 1t IS made the sole test by those
who call it,"
The conclusion is not warranted, because the
two cases are essentially different. The South
ern people, as whole, we're "Rebels," a large
| proportion Of them, we believe, merely as a
| result of residence in the South. The Cooper.
| heads, on the other hand were opposed to the
policy and authority OF their own States, as well
as to the policy and authority OF the general
| Government. While, then, multtudes OF South
erners were "Rebels" contrary to their will, the
'Copperheads" to "a man aided the Rebellion
| from a causeless love ofit. Hence, the position
| OF the two classes should be judged by distinct
rules. Southern people avowing themselves
| Unlonists now ought not to be excluded, pro
vided they did not voluntarily. bear arms
against the Union, or provided their cases are
| shown TO be exceptional by possession of the
4 Executive pardon. But II Is not easy to see by
Il what IrOCess OF hairsplittng any saving clause
can be invented in iustincatlon of "copper"
heads" The Ccnventoni which shall admit
them will not be a genuine Union Convention
On the HYPOTHESIS OF The World or the NelCs
1 Mr.. Greeley might Join arms with MIR. Fernando
| Wood, his coadiutor of last December for bott
| Thought peace should he tried as a means o.
restoring the Union and both profess "desirt
| Tor the restoration of The Union" If this test
| and his alone, be sustained, the rioht to ad
mission OF Mr.. Vallandigham, or Mr., Greeley, Of
| Mr.. Wood, is indisputable.
| But the test Indicated by the call embraces
| qualification which the 'Copperhead" pres
discreetly ignores. The delegates are require,
TO sustain the Administrator and its policy, int,
| neither OF which has the faint OF "Copperhead
| Ism" entered.