The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-08-14
MY POLICY.

MY POLICY.
An old adage explains the circumstances
under which two unscrupulous parties to an
animated controversy can be expected to
tell the truth Of each other ; and the dis
cussion between the New York Times and
New York News in regard to the tests of
membership to the Convention which COM
mences its session IN Philadelphia to-day,
seem to have reached this interesting and
instructive stage. The Times says
| What the Duly Ne,cs understands by Con-
servatiyism, Is now manifest The Conservative
party, as interpreted by our contemporary, sig
nifies an alliance of the Northern "CopperhsadS'
NTH tie Southern ied,krS Of the rebellion. is a
party made up of VALLANDIGHAM and JACOB
! THOMPSON, FERNANDO " GOD and HOWELL COBB,
and all who, like them, participated heart and
! hand in the rebellion" on one hand, or eXerted
themselves to cripple and thwart the National
Government on the other. Observe, the plea
is not for the moderate men of the South
those who almost necessarily took part in the
rebellion, buteither did not fight for it, or fought
under compulsion but for the rebel leaders
the men who openly promoted rebellion and
were its active spirits throughout the conflict.
These are they for whom the Daily Neacs de-
mands admission, and on whom it relics, in con-
Junction with the "Copperheads,'' to control
the deliberations, and lay the foundations of a
National party. To those who have watched
the tactics and the reasoning of the Ne,cS and
! the World, the avowal will hardly be- surprs-
! ing. Ii the "Copperhcads'' are to be recog-
nized at Philadelphia as loyal Unionists, it fol-
lows logical result that the members Of j Eff
FERsoN DAVIS Cabinet, and the commanders of hi0
armies, and tie managers Of his plots, and The keep
ers of his prisons, are also entitled to be placed n
Tie same category because they happen non to call
themselves Union men.
This is certainly true, but the Tinecs,un
like nearly every other journal with Re
publican antecedents, refuses to abandon
participation in an assemblage whose ten
denotes it accurately describes on the pre-
tence that it can control or change its COM
position, and that the mountain will come
to Mahomet instead of Mahomet going to
the mountain.
The Ne'os, on the other hand, defines
the position of the Times as follows:
The Times still insists tina no Southern dele
gate shall be admitted to the convention except
"those who may not have borne arms against
the National Government" or, who having
done thiS, shall have been pardoned by the
President ; aud that no n Northern delegate shall
be admitted unless he shall satisfy the conven-
ton that he supported Mr.. Lincoln's admins
tration. The object which the Times seeks to
accomplish by attempting to make these tests
is plain enough-tte d'carfag Of the Increment to
sach contemplate proportions that 1t shall bcu'aocr
the control of the Scward and Raymond section O
the radical party, to the end that this faction (for
it hardly deserves any better name) may get
together, from the war Democrats and South
ern renegades, sufficient following TO enable
its leaders to make respectable fight for the
control of the next National Convention Of the
radical party, the chairman of whose executive
committee is Mr. Henry J. Raymond.
II is obvious enough that if these gentlemen
shall succeed in enforcing the application Of
these strange tests, that tie convention 0;U not
represent any respectable constituency, u, any
Southern Stale, nor any considerable constituency
ia any Northern State; and that the movement
which the convention was intended to inaugur-
ate will not result, nor do we suppose that Mr..
Raymond desires that it shall, in the accom-
plishment of the professed object of the call
the restoration to the Southern States of their
rights under the Federal Constitution, among
which rights is that of beng represented in
Congress by Senators aud Representatives who
possess the qualifications prescribed by the
Constitution OF the United States.
From this controversy it is evident that
an insincere attempt to delude members of
the Union party is made by the Iimosj
or that, were its tests applied, the Democ-
racy would be subjected to the insult of
having their representative men excluded
from body endorsed by their representa-
tives in Congress. If the position of the
News is fully sustained, the language OF
the Times accurately defines the compost
ton of the convention; hut the latter jour
nal occupies the contemplate position of
seeking the cooperation and aid Of men
whose companionship it is ashamed and
afraid to acknowledge; and, as the New
York Tribune we'll remarks: "The fatal
obstacle that bars the way to power before
the formidable coalition of ex-Rebels, Cop
perheads, and Johnson Unionists, is the
palpable and natural indisposition of the
two former classes to keep out of public
sight and simpl y vote the latter into office
At this stage of the play, the NeaOs trots
out, counseling its fellow rebels as follows
We say, therefore, that the first thing for the
; South to do is to secure foothold in Congress-
They must get into the arena before they can er-
pect TO strike effectively for their cause Let them
march in, with flying colors, by virtue of their
rights, if possible If not, let them cra,oI in,
climb in, push it, byy Themselves ia or steal in, gel
in ocbat cdy they can so that the next session of
Congress finds them there.
What the Macs means by striking efec