The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-08-07
4 TEXT ExPOUNDED.

The following Is what The democratic
party in their platform, frst Of all, demand'
"First. Immediate restoration Of all the
States to their rights In the Union under tne
Constitution, and Of civil government 10 inc
American people"
II sounds well: but before approving u,
there arc reasons for wishing to know eS.
actly what !, meant by each Of i.s general
terms. What, in the Democratic view IS
.reconstruc,ion ?" What 10 the "rshts OF
stu,es?' What do they understand by "c'V'l
government"
For. while tho democratic party IN New
York were making this platform and de-
nan,ling "immedia,e restoration" the dem
ocra,ic parry 10 Congress were working
unanimously to deiea, the bill for restoring
the rebel states. Il is clear, therefore, that
they do not mean by restoration the same
thing that the people mean by It.
The difficulty seems to be satisfactorily
met by the comments Of the Democratic
leaders. The kind Of restoration they de-
mand is thus described by Frank T. B'a'r'
their candidate for Vice President, in the
letter which lie wrote for The Convention
eve must have President who will execute
the will Of the people by trampling into dust
the usurpations Of Congress, known % the re-
construction &C ts."
But how to get President who will dis
perse and overthrow Congress, is previ
Gus question. This Is answered by Mr.
Wade Hampton, who declared at the rati.
ficalion meeting in New York, very recent
", tina, his party must seize the polls In
the South, and have the whole vote cast
uIone. lie declared '' .' 'n
"I want you all to register an oath that
when they do vote their vcte shall be counted,
and II there Is majority Of white votes, that
you viii place 8 S,ymour and Blair 10 the White
House in spite of the bsyonets that sLsll be
brought against them"
OF coarse he meanes that the mob thus
TO be raised. shall decide who has "major-
iiy OF white votes 7" ..'.'
But this language was evidently carefully
adapted to the latitude and to tho some
what sensitive ears Of Governor Seyinoir's
"irisnds." Mob law has It's charms for
them but they do not like secession. But
when the delegates get to Richmond they
tell the people more plainly what they
mean.' ......u.,i.4 4
.. ."t. 10. ~. :. 90 .
Thus Elk Confederate Governor Vance,
Of North Carolina. thero said Tho could
talk more farniliarly Of the wrongs Of the
South here than ut tho North" Accord.
ingly, he declared hlmself still Ga REBEL
and argued at lengrh that ",ohat ths Conled.
raev fought for ,co,dd Be soon by he election
Of Seymour and BIa,r."
Indeed, in tho Richmond atmosphere
there Isl disposition to simplify the casvass
to this one issue-Seymour and the rebel.
lion against Grant and the Union. Thus
Ex Governor Wise, In his eloquent way
reasoned that since the candidates were ac
ccptable to the rebels, the platform was Of
no account ut all.
"He did not care for the platform. Il told
lie In Its Hrst resolution. II said seession trds,
dead; hdt pas not so; secession wB more
alire han srer. lie supported the nominees.
aud especially Blair. because he had declared
that he would assume military power"
Now Mr.. Buckalew, senator from Penn
sylvania, rashly dcnounces Mr.. Blair and
his letter, and protests that the democrutc
party does not, aud cannot mean to sus.
tain him, and TO make war against the
southern state governments and against
Congress. Mr.. l'ucalew Is wrong. He
stands entirely alone, and must either re.
tract all this, and adopt Blair aud anarchy,
or leave his party.
Tha, party deliberately oppos' the whole
process Of legal reconstruction. They do.
Inand "ilnmediate restoration" instead.
MIR. Blair alone points out means Of &C.
complishing this, aud SO makes the plat.
form practical. Ho did il in u letter which
presented this as his claim to nomination,
and the party nominated hIn at once. His
interpretation Of its doctrines is sustained,
clearly and emphalically, in New York, in
tho presence Of the Convention ITSELF and
by democratic speakers throughout the
country.
Nor is the democratic platform itself
without very plain declaration on this
point or, ut least, one that seems meant
to b. plain, the style oftho whole document
being 80 loose, ungrammatical and cxiruva
CANT that there arc few sentences in Il
which arc really ineligible throughout
Il declares:
-"ws regard tho reconstruction acts (so.call-
ed) Of Congress, - such, - usurpation and
Unconstitutional, revolutionary and void"
Now, tho phrase "acis, 90 called, Of Con.
gress, as such," may mean much or little.
Perhaps the writer wanted to hint that the
body now acting "as such" Is not really a
Congress, since those bright lights Of dc.
mocracy-J. Davis Toombs and Rheu-
have lett II. But however this may be,
there is no doubt that the sentence is d..
rect approval Of Mr.. Blair's letter. =, ..,..
Irthe acts by which Congress has recon
struc,ed the sIuthem States arc ''uncons,i.
tutonal, revolutionary and void," Il Is
surely not the duty OF tho President to
obey aud enforce them. What can he do
but "disperse" tho state governments, and
'tr ample undor foot" Congross ITSELF ss
Mr.. Blair declares Il his purpose to do ?
If,hcrc DO any men Of peace among the
democrats, like Mr.. Buckalew- -sny ,non Of
thought or Of patriotism who are not ready
to 6glt for the ooniedency under changed
nsme-,he party will doutles quietly let
them leave Il, rather than abate ono jot Of
its revolutionary doctrine.