The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-27

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keeping the gods oblivious of the fact that
such characters were on board. Mr.. Belmont
doubtless feels the wisdom and pertinence of
the old Greeks caution.
Yet the utmost circumspeeton can but
partially avail. A"Mur1er will out, " and trea-
son is usually gifted with perilous volu-
bility. We defy any one to read any promi-
nent Democratic journal for three months
continuously, and not perceive that its EDITORS
real belief is that the Rebels in our late strug-
gle were and are the true Unionists, and that
those who put down the Rebellion were the real
disunion party. Thus, the World character
ICES those members of Congress who were
always opposed to secession and its conse-
quences as ''disunion," and does the same
honor to the only party in Kentucky which
never faltered in its fidelity to the nation, nor
urged any surrender to treason.
The Democrats of st. Louis have just held
meeting preliminary to State Convention,
and therein gravely resolved that the Federal
Government is mere agent of the States, and
that any attempt of said Government to inn
pair or abridge the authority of the States
should be met and defeated. This is the pre-
else doctrine whereon secession (Which Jeffer-
son Davis officially pronounced merely "the
dissolution OF tedgue') was based and iusti-
fled. 81 see no necessity for, no wisdom in
secession, said in substance Robert Il. Lee,
Alexander H. Stephens, and ever so many
others; "but, if my State decides to go out,
shall 60 with my State' So they went. And
if the Federal Government was, and is, mere
agent of the States, why not May not prin-
cipal discard or change his agent How is
secession to be resisted, save on the assump-
tion that Federal and State Governments are
alike agents, creatures, or instruments of the
American people.
The present Constitution of Missouri re-
stricts the right of suffrage to such whites as
can swear that they gave no voluntary aid to
the late Rebellion; denying the elective fran
chise to Rebels and negroes alike. This the
Democracy of Missouri consider all right, so
far as the blacks are concerned, but nullity
so far as it affects Rebels. Hence it is by
them
"ReSotred, That every aOhite man in Missouri,
OF lawful age and sound mind, has the right t.
vote, and should exercise that right at all
hazards, and subject to all the consequences
which an unlawful assumption of power might
invoke"
This is either rebellion or nonsense-proba-
bly, both. Apart from the Constitution,
white has no more right to vote than black;
and when these Democrats declare that so
! many of them as have been Rebels shall vote
| sat all hazards" in defiance of their State
Constitution, they in effect justify blacks in
doing the very same. In other words, they
! substitute force for law.
! The Democrats of kentucky held their
State Convention ON the 22d instant. There
was never a moment when Kentucky Demo
cracy was not in sympathy with the slave
holders Rebellion, though individual mem
bers of the party were not. When President
Lincoln called on the loyal States for volun-
| teer militia to aid in defending the threatened
| capital of the republic, this was the response
| of Kentucky Democracy
"FRANKFoRT April 16, 1S6l.--Hon. Simon
| Cameron, Secretary of War:-Your despatch is
received In answer 1 say, emphatically, that
! Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked
| purpose Of subduing her sister Southern States
| 'B. MAGoFFIN, Governor of Kentucky"
Months elapsed before the first Kentucky
regiment was organized-in Indiana-for the
| defense of the Union, though four days pre-
| vious to the above Democratic manifesto,
the following telegram had flown all over the
! country:-
"LoUIsvILLE, KY, April 70, lS61.-Despatches
! have come here to hold the Kentucky volun-
! teer regiment in readiness TO move at a mo-
ments notice from the War Department Gt
! Montgomery."
| And now Kentucky's Democracy assemblies
to nominate on its State ticket two Rebel
colones in our late war-Hon. William G.
| Preston, Confederate leader throughout,
having concluded to decline the Governorship,
while General John C. Breckinridges name
| was hailed with general and rapturOus cheers.
! OF course, General Preston was called out in a
| speech; and of course he declared that
| "There is not a fair-minded man within the
sound of my voice that does not feel that Ken
! lucky has been peculiarly the creature of OPP
| preston and humiliation during the last six
| years. was willing to do much to shield her
! from the storm that threatened. and am willing,
| to-day, to do as much; but then, my words were
! all for action" HI
! Gin the Confederate army, to witt. And of
course he protested against the action of Con-
| gress throughout, rejoiced that the late Demo-
cratic Legislature of Kentucky had restored to
him and his fellowfRebels the right to vote
! and hold Office, and demanded for his fellow
Rebels in the States further South ''instant
admission into the coTncils of the nation"
| Ot course, he could not recognize the name
Rebel ''in an offensive sense in kentucky"
and why should he, when her Democracy
chose lighting Rebel to the only State Office
hlled at her last election by forty thousand
majority When Rebel Colonels are thus
chosen over Union Generals, who can say
that there is anything Offensive in the term
| Rebel
General Preston closed with this neat but
needless appeal to his fellow Democrats, in
behalf of those among them who had been
Rebel soldiers in our late struggle:- t.r
you need not be ashamed of those boys who
were with me. Don't discourage your son, who
Went away with your private appreciation,
InouRn prudence may have prompted you TO
slence. Take back those Confederate boys, and
Whlle retire from the front, want Won to take
my young comradesi Into your care. beg yon not
10 lurn away your children. They have done
hothlng TO be ashamed of (Great applause.p
{ = MIR. Belmont is quite right in not suceumb-
ing to the demand for Democratic National
Convention. Democratic State Conventions
display quite as much treason as the public is