The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-07-24
Tho Enquirer and the Philadelphia
Conyent ion-Again.

- - -
The Enquirer and the Philadelphia
Convention-Again.
We are in very good humor. We
have the pleasure of announcing by au-
,hori,y tina, the Enquirer is "not hostile to
the Philadelphia Convention" but that,
on the contrary, it approves Of its I" OBJ
iec," and "desires our people to be repre-
"sented THERE in the best manner posi-
"ble to u.s." That is what our neighbors
say in their paper of yesterday. On the
Cd Of June they said:
ave are but the more confirmed in the
opinion, which We have already indicated
that the South will do best in cooperation
and support, rather than in participation,
and Identification with the Convention"
We infer that our venerable contemporary
has "taken counsel Of the lessons Of ouI
"history and of the experience Of those
"who have lived longer and seen more .
than it has-if any such persons there be
If there is anything for which ire have a
profound respect, it is the whte-haired
man of wisdom. Yet we know that age is
sometimes captious, querulous, fault-tind-
ing, and suspicious of that world in which
Il has "seen" so much evil, while youth
is gay, lively, unsuspicious, thoughtless
perhaps, but always generous, and is some
times guilty of chasing butterflies. We,
however, have arrived at that age when it
pleases us TO be called young, having for
some time had narrowing fear that our
friends might think us old.
Seriously, We regret that our neighbor
should have found anything in our columns
to put him into bad humor. We endea-
yored to initiate his courtesy, but we must
have failed, else he would not give us good
advice with such long face. We could
easily retort by charging him with pre-
sumption, or arrogance, or ignorance, or
senility, in insinuatng that the prominent
statesmen, North and South, who favor the
Convention do not understand the mean-
ing ofthe call under which it is to be held
that they have not studied the terms
laid down-that they are willing to endorse
test oath representation, Sc, SC. But we
will not. 1t is proverbial that he who
loses his temper loses bis cause. We ,riH
say, however, that We thought ,ce were
looking beneath the surface when We as
sumed the call to be mere bill of indict-
ment against the Radicals, and that the
Enquirer, in its simplicity, was looking only
at the surface when it could not be brought
to regard it as anything but summons
specifying the identical parties who were to
be called into the Convention.
The Enquirer declares that the quota
ton which we made from the National H.
telliqencer conveyed an erroneous idea OF
"the call, and one that was contradicted
"by the call ITSELF" The hteltgencer can
speak for itself. We would merely re-
mind the Enquirer that Mr.. CoYLE, the
editor of the Intelligencer, is the Secretary
Of the National Union Central Committee
at Washington, which is supposed to be the
body that has more authority than any
other to declare the objects of the Phila-
delphia Convention. For ourselves, we
are for sending delegates to the Con-
vention in spite of the Objectionable Ian
puage Of the call. We do not care a
straw for TOMS, DICKS, or HARRY's out
eivings. When the Convention shall as
semble, it will decide all these questions
for itself; and if it shall indicate any pur.
pose to ignore our rights, our delegates
will come home. We would send no dele
gates to Philadelphia who cannot be
trusted and if We send such, the EnQui-
re's fears are groundless. We will have
done our duty; and We shall have no cause
to regret our action, even if our delegates
return home without having taken part in
the Convention. We cannot, without in
dulging in improper language, express our
idea of the un,niseneSs of those who at
tach so much importance to the language
of a call which is Of itself binding upon no
man, and who overlook so entirely the fact
that by the men whom We propose to send
TO Philadelphia our honor and our inte-
rests will be as jealousy and as carefully
guarded as we can guard them here at
home. The mere transfer Of man from
Virginia to Philadelphia certainly will not
deprive him of his character for honor and
trustworthiness. We have studied the
language of the call as carefully as the
ENQUIRER has, and We think We know just
Is we'll what it means. Yet we confess
that We are Indifferent as to its meaning,
for the reasons We have given. HENRY
WARD BEEcHER says he does not believe
in homeopathy, allopathy, hydropathy, or
any other patty, but in DR.. JOHN SMITH.
So with US. We had enough of platforms
and confessions of political faith upon pa
per before the war. We propose hereafter
to trust to men that We believe to be honest,
upright, sincere, and capable Of watching
and protecting our interests