The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-09
THE GERAIAM, PRESS
Whnt Is lhe POInt a1 Issue at lhe I'd

The Democratic leaders vex Them
Selves in vain, to talk it into the people
that the gIeenback question forms the
Tissue to be settled by the next election.
Opinions on this question, are quite as
various and conflicting in the Demo-.
cratic as in the Republican party. Sey-
mour, s., s.. Cox, and the Eastern DEM
ocrats, generally, are for goid anu 81.
yer, while Yallandigham, anu the great
favor of flooding the country with de-
preciated greenbacks. We also meet in
the Democratic party the same differ
ence of opinion which exist in the Re-
i publfean party, between the views OF
Butler and Morton, on the one hand,
and those of Garfield and Morrill, on
the other.
| The Eastern Democrats have the can
| didate, while the Western Democrats
claim the platform. But at last 1t has
turned out that in this respect the DEM
locratic platform is susceptible OF two
/ constructions. The Western papers In
lterpret II to mean greenbacks, while the
New York World and the leading or
| gans in the East say that 1t means gold.
! The demonstration of the WoTLd is
about as follows: Tho Democratic
platform favors one kind of money for
all bondholder as we'll as people. Since
| the ten-forties are expressly payable in
gold, so must the other bonds and the
people be paid in gold.
A similar difference of Interpretation
exists in respect TO the corresponding
paragraph of the Republican platform.
This. paragraph declares in favor of
paying the bonds in conformity to the
letter and spirit of the contract. Butler,
Morton, and even Sherman, assert that
| in accordance with both the letter and
the spirit of the contract, the sos are
payable in greenbacks. Gov. Cox,
Garfield and others, on the contrary,
hold the promise of the Government to
pay dollar means TO pay an actual
| dollar, and not another promise to pay.
In this we agree with them. The green
back question is, therefore, still cues
ltion OF the future, and Will evidently
not come forward to be decided uponi
and take the place of present issues,
| until after the settlement OF the Work
of reconstruction.
Just as little does the National Bank
question enter into the issues of the
next Presidential election. Neither the
Democratic nor the Republican plat
| form have touched upon this subject,
and IL cannot be considered "A party
IQueation. As to whether the National
/ Banks are to be disposed of by abolish
ing. then changing them to free banks,
or continued as they are, may comeup
| in The politics of the future; however,
we are OF the opinion that first in order
of tune will be the far weightier matter
I u
that in this tho National Bank affairs,
as such, will lose their Importance.
Nor has the buying ups bonds yet
become party question. 1t may in
future. Views on This, even in the Re-
publican party, especially in the West,
arc so various as to prevent this becom-
ing an issue.
| What, then Is the issue? It is one out
weighing all that ever preceded 1t,
namely: Whether we are at last to have
peace, or another war. The rebels OF
the South, and the extremists of the
North, controlled the New YORK Con-
Yention. Vhllandigham and Wade
Hampton were its leading spirits. The
former dictated the President, the lat
ter the platform. The rebel Generals
chose the candidate for Vice Presi-
dent. rE.. Ga
The burning question of the contest
is embodied in the few words inserted
These words assert that "the Recon.
struction laws arc unconstitutional
revolutionary, null and void" This
declaration is II threat OF another civil
war, new vast commoffon.
In what manner does the Democratic
party contemplate carrying out this
declaration? The Southern States, near
ly NIL OF them, are now reorganized and
TepTese in Congress. The long con-
dillon of uncertainty is past, and the
| foundation for n restoration to the
normal condition has been laid. Shall
all this be undone, and the country
plunged again into anarchy and civil
WARP The reconstruction laws, IL is
true, may not be in every respect an
example of perfection. But the South
Is responsible for their existence in
their present form, in that she insult
ingly rejected all propositions for ad-
ljustmenL. Under these laws new forms
OF States have been organized and reg
ular Governments have been establish
ed. Shall these Governments be over
| turned and these Constitutions be multi
| fied2 Canany one conceive how this
can be done without throwing the coun-
/ try and it's trade into u whirlpool of
confusIon2 Let us have pence. says
FGeneral Grant. "1et us have peace"
echoes the patriotic, peRCe-lOving, bust
ness and laboring majority of the peo-
pie.
The manner OF reconstruction may
have been such as TO leave much TO be
into the account the great difficulties
attending the giant task; its newness,
| the hostility and baseness of the Presi-
dent, the violence of Southern rowdy-
ism, the hatred of race, and numerous
other disturbing elements with which
Congress had 10 contend. Now, when at
last solution of the question in spite
gifts difficulties has been arrived at,
the so far completed work should NOT
be undone.
All that the South needs is peace, or
der and security. Grants election will
DO guarantee OF peace. The Demo-
cratic party does not want peace, how
ever. It desires to undo what the re-
construction laws have done, regard
them rs null and void, and call upon
the country anew that storm through
which It has but just passed. What
business man, what laborer who re-
| CARDS his own interests, will contribute
| his influence to such contamination?
The evil spirit that rules in tho DEM
ocratic party admits of no ameliora-
ton. Instead of putting aside the old
mischief-makers. such as Nallandig-
ham, Forrest, Wade Hampton, Sey-
mour. and others, it has placed them
anew on its escutcheon as its leaders.
Instead ofiiRhting the pipo ofpsace, 1t
has lighted tho torch of war, Instead
ofbUrying the tomahRwk, 1t proposes a
renewal OF strife. Instead OF striking
out ON new path, 1t is again EropO-
eating those fallacies that have so often
brought n curse upon the people. No
wonder. then, that hundreds and thou
sands of we'll meaning honorable DEM
ocrats will, in CHS contest, turn away
from their party, because 1t refuses
peace to the South aud rest to the ma
tion.
4 tFrom the N. Y. Sun.l
.l-