Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-08-24
THE PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION
OF AUG. IA.
The Richmond .sInqurer,s'' Opini On

The Richmond ssInquIrer's'' Opinion
We publish to-day fuller report Of the
proceedings of Wednesday, of which yes
terday' telegrams gave only an imperfect
synopsis The speech of Mr. Doolittle on
taking the chair as permanent President, is
the principal feature OF that day 1t de-
clared a cordial concurrence In the previous
speech of Gen Dix, and expressed other
wise the most praiseworthy sentiments 1t
dWelt with an especial junction on the
scene in which South Carolina and Mas
sacLusetts were played off against each 9TH
eT and made to belittle our great national
tragedy by a sort of sehool-boy perform
ance. Mr. Doolittle skilfully balances the
sins of one State against the sins Of the
other, and pronounces them meet for each
other 5 embrace and henceforth they are
to move arm in arm along the walks of
history. The ceremony would have been
more to the point ii the proxies had been
representative men of the two States
Hampton and the Beast, instead of Orr and
Couch.
The interest of yesterdays proceedings
centres In the platform of resolutions. OF
these the telegram gives US only a
synopsis, and it tells us they were 'unani-
mously and enthusiastically adopted " 1t
would be premature to 60 into very nice
comments on what may prove to be an mex
act representation; but we owe it to candor
to express our great surprise that proceed
ings which had up to that time shown an
enlarged catholicity of sentiment, should
fsuddediy have taken so gross a turn, and
we are constrained also to declare our aston
ishment and modification, to use at present
no stronger term, that Southern delegates
should be found voting their unanimous
cousent-if indeed, they dds Certain it
Is, that some of the declarations made in
those resolutions are what no generous man
ought to have asked Southern citizen
to vote for. and what no Southern citizen
| could vote for without grossly compromising
thedignity of his State and outraging the
sentiments Of his people. 1t is one thing
to submit-to abide a result-to covenant
to do so with full purpose to keep the eu-
gagement honestly. 1t is another to justify
and applaud the means which brought it
about. Howcould the Convention North
or South, vote that the war has maintain
| ed the authority of the constitution, when
| the Convention was called together for the
express purpose of endeaYoring to restore
! the Constitution, now trampled under foot
! How could Southern men thus sanction the
| coHStitUti0Bdlty of the coercion of a State
| Holr could olg' delegates unanimously and
1 enthusiastically" r0te to repudlQte the Con
| tederate debt ? And, especially how could
| they thus Join in "recogHi.jag the services
/ Of the Federal armies, and the obligation of
1 the robbed and penniless widows and or
! phans OF our own dear martyred, murdered
/ heroes. 10 pay some ''deJt' as justly due 6y
| them to those lobo made then, so ? Our peo-
pie submit to the violence that has beggared
| them, and to the military force that has put
/ the noblest and best of our sons beneath the
/ sod but hey icW Rerer so dish0a0r the
! gFdrcy Of otg heroes, as enthusiastically
! 10 apptgud sl,ch atteydnces as lCe haze refer
/ red to- The North might well adopt such
| declarations, and we should not quarrel
| with them for it b1t enough, thousand
tiecs enough, that the South should be
| silent amid the deauuciations of her cause
and the ccElidttoas 0cer her detcat
| We shall cooperate with those who form
ed the Philadelphia Convention despite of
and lCjttout reference to the dogBds a5sd
declarations unnecessarily introduced into its
| platform. We take these at their separate
values and no more. We heartily approve
Of the greet and patriotic objects and aims
Of the Convention, and they will receive an
| undivided support at the South If the
surplus matter Is deemed neceS Ssary to meet
the northern tastes and wishes, let Hcm
appropriate II and use 1t there for ourselves
and our people, we stand upon the broad
platform of our rights under the Constitu-
ton, and our honest promise and covenant
to abide the results OF the war. and to CON-
ply with the duties TO which we have thus
pledged oug faith 1t would be a hollow
saockery for us to take part in rejoicings,
enthusiastic on otherwise. We resign them
to the victors- leave us alone with our dead
inquirer l7th.