Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-06-03

Take, for instance, the pledge IN
favor Of universal suffrage. 1t stands
in the platform as a mere logical con.
sequence of anGecedent events. 1t
may illustrate my meaning. to unfold
the successive steps of the great ar
gument by which it is established.
The Government had a right to exist !;
consequently it had a right to sup
press the rebellion which menaced its
existence. But in the progress Of the
war 1t became evident that it was ab-
solutely necessary, a. means of Grip
pllng the South, to emancipate their
slaves. This being done, when the
war ended four millions of human be-
lngs, who in legal contem plation were
chattles when the war commenced,
had become and were freemen. 1t is
one of the first principles of our sys-
| tem-Indeed, it is the very foundation
of our whole structure of American
| ism-that every freeman, bound by
the laws, should have voice in max.
ing the laws. The black men of the
South are freemen they are bound
bv the laws therefore, they are en-
titled to a voice in making the laws ::
| that is suffrage. And no man who ad-
mits the first oposition-that the
| Government had right to ecsst-can de-
ny the onclusion-uaiversal suffrage
Every man who pledged himself to
the prosecution of the war, if he be
an honest man, will feel bound to rec
ognize and approve all the necessary
and logical Consequences of the war
So we may vindicate every plank of
that platform which embodies prin-
cipal of future administration. Con
sequentlv we find all Democrats who
entered upon the prosecution of the
war from convlctions-not for con-
tracts-battling to-day for the prn-
cIples enunciated in that platform
Grant, himself, and Stanton, Holt
Butler, Logan, Sickles, and a " milky
way" of lesser lights, all lllustra te
this truth. The war has given us
Grant for a candidate; and universal
outrage, an honest discharge of our
national obligations, the reconstruc-
tiOn of the demoralized States of the
South upon the Congressional basis.
for our platform. And every man
who sustained Grant as a captain in
the camp, will support him now as
leader in the campaign of politics,
which will trammel up the conse-
quences" of the war, rebuild the
Southern governments, destroyed by
the madcaps of treason, and restore
our Government to It's first principles
I I
So much for our candidates and our
platform. But in this meeting, called
to consider the proceedings of the
Chicago Convention, there is one res
olution relating to a passed, or pass
ing event, which deserves notice. |
mean the resolution endorsing the
votes of the great body of our Re
publican Senators upon the impeach-
ment OF A Andrew Johnson This res
olution, though embodying no princi-
pie for future conduct. was eminentlv
proper under the present circumstan.
ces, and contains a Just estimate of
the great criminal.
The DEMOCRATS saw that the trial Of
Johnson has been a political, not a
judicial trial; that partizan consider
ations Impeached the President, and
party necessities were relied on to
convict him and, as though to prove
their assertion true, the Democratic
Senators, in solid body, voted for his
acquittaI. Every impeachment trial
of a President for political offenses
must be political trial in the highest
accepta ation of the term political,
1t, for instance, Generai Jackson
had been impeachsd for the removal
of the deposits from the United States
Bank, it is probable that every Wing
would have voted for conviction and
every Democrat for acquittal and
both might have been perfectly honest
in their voting. If man Is honest
in politics if his theories of the
Constitution are the convictions Of
the mind based upon thorough and
conscientious investigation, he will
entertain the same opinion whether
acting as Senator or as Judge.
The people have carefully studied
the character of Andrew Johnson +;
they have read the charges and the
evidence against him they believe
him guilty they therefore hoped for
his conviction.
No man can accept Office from any
party or association of men, and hold
the office and exercise its functions to
thwart the purposes and defeat the
wishes of those who elected him, un-
less he is destitute, not only Of polit-
icsl integrity, but Of every principle
of honor and manhood. This Andrew
Johnson has done; and d,conceding that
such treason is not that kind of mis-
behavior-t {. misdemeanor-which
would authorize an i'm parchment, yet
1t made the people believe that the
President was dishonest man. and
that he would commit any crime, if
the temptation were great enough.
Upon the surrender of Lee and John
son, the President set about recon
structing State governments in the
South, to be admitted by Congress
into the Union. Thus far the Pres
ident's conduct was approved by all
his Cabinet. and acquiesced IN by all
the Republicans of the country; up
on the ground that the subsequent
admission of the Senators and Rep