The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-07-30
IFrom Harpor's Weekly.
The Great Tssua

4 From Harpor's Weekly.
The Great Issue.
The Democratic Convention Of 1856
declared the war a failure. The Iowa
people scorned the words and fough
on to an unconditional victory. 'Thu
Democratic Convention Of 1868 de
I clares that the war debt shall be re
'pudiated. And their words will bc
equally spurned by the same honora
bic people. In 1864, upon a platform
of surrender to rebellion, the Demo.
Gratis nominated the conspicuous mill
tary failure Of the war. In 1868
upon a platform Of repddiation, they
nominate pNre Copperhead. In
1864 the men who thought it posi-
j bic to prevent a victory directed the
Convention. In 1868 the same men
who think there is at least a chance
of disgracing the victors, controlled it,
There is no doubt as TO the issues OF
the campaign. Shall the ex-rebels
and their political allies dishonor the
national name by repudiating the
the debt and betraying the loyal oiti.
zens of the Southern States2 Shall
all the work Of reconstruction be un.
done, and the country plunged anew
into the excitement Of recognizing
the Union? Shall the policy Of sub
jecting the loyal population to the
late rebels be substituted for the pol
icy Of reconstruction upon equal
rights, which is now in process OF ac-
complishment?
These are the questions fairly put
to the good sense and patriotism Of
the American people, by the two
platforms and the candidates. Nor
does it matter that it may be denied
that the Democratic platform explic-
itly opens the question of reconstrue-
ton. Its declaration is, that "the
reconstruction acts ESQ ealled) of Con-
gress are usurpatiOns, and unconsti-
.tuLiOnal, revolutionary, and void
Any man or officer who refuses to
acknowledge them is justified by the
Democratic platform. Coming into
power, the party must treat those
acts as void or belle its declarations.
If it acts as it processes to believe, it
will set the acts aside. Ifit chooses
to belle its words, it will let them
stand. But in what manner is it
likely to respect or enforce acts which
it denOunces as void ? If the recon
structiOn acts are to be Overthrown,
let the Democratic party come into
power. If they are to remain, which
will most honorably maintain them
the party which believes in the prin-
ciple they embody, or that which de-
rides the principle and declares them
usurpatiOns, revolutionary and void?
The attentive and reflective reader
will also remark that, according to
the Democratic platform, the present
situation of the country, if not alto
gether what might be wished, is Who'll
ly due to the Republican party. That
men like Wade Hampton, and N. B.
Forrest, and General Hoke, and a
hundred other rebel officers, who
sat in the Convention, have directly
or indirectly done any thing to dis
turb the national tranquility or in
crease the public debt, is not Otremotoly
suggested. But words were feeble
in the mouths of the Committee on
Resolutions 10 describe the enormous
offences of a party which had led the
country in its noble and triumphant
resistance to the rebellion, whether
in the field or in COpperhead cOun-
ellis; which has removed the unspeak-
able stain from the national character,
and which, without a stroke Of ven
geance, has restored the Union upon
the enduring principles Of liberty and
Justice. 1t has not made Wade
Hampton and his companions the
of the fate of their loyal
and the Democratic party,
which, four years ago, clamOred for
surrender to Wade Hampton, and
Forrest, and Hoke, now denounees the
party that prevented the surrender,
and that honors all loyal men in the
land.
The issue of reconstruction raised
by the Democratic Convention is pre-
eiseIy that for which Andrew John
son has been contending, namely, that
when the rebellion in arms was over
thrown, the only national right what
ever within the recovered States was
the right of prosecuting for treason,
and that every State might reorgan
ize itself as it chose. The Republican
ground of reconstruction is, that as
there was no authority left in any
State after the surrender
but that of the United States, no step
toward civil government could be-
taken but by their authority, and
that they were bound in recognizing
the States to take such measures as
emancipation and the general welfare
of the country required. Upon this
principle the Government proceeded.
1t moved slowly, for only gradually
could the real disposition Of the
States, upon which so much
deponded, be ascertained. 1t did not
act upon any abstract theory, for it
was peculiarly a subject of practical
craftsmanship. 1t has now restored
all but three of the States that made
war upon the Union The complete
pacifcation of those States, their adap-
tation to the radical changes wrought
bv the war, and their renewed indus
try and prosperity, are results that
can be slowly attained, but are not
attainable at all until after their pO-
litfcal reorganization. Its this which
the Democratic platform Of 1868 de-
nounces as void. 1t is this which the
American people will sustain, precisely
as they sustained the war, against the
Democratic platform Of 1864 that it
was a failure.