Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-07-27

found an insuperable difficulty: they can
not persuade themselyesand they can not
persuade the country. A platform, as
these gentlemen all very well know, is
usually considered to be a tub to the
whale. Its object Is to amuse, and posi-
bly, to deceive. 1t must say neither too
much nor too little. 1t must not disap-
point the advance nor dismay the rear
And, whatever the platform says, it de-
rives all its significance from those who
stand behind it. It's like the word of a
man. If his character confirms what he
says, it is enough. But it is also enough
if it does not The Democratic surrender
platform at Chicago in 1864 was an exact
expression of the party sentiment. The
country knew that the party wished to
surrender. The party character sustained
the platform. But the same character
does not sustain, in the same sense, the
new departure platform. The utmost
that il conveys is shrug and a grimace
that I'VE can't help ourselves, and so we
acquiesce." What reason wis there, if
Mr.. Vallandigliam had lived and had
been nominated for. Governor of Ohio
upon his own platform, for any man who
voted against him during the war to vote
for him now: His position was not one
of conviction, but of compulsion. And
what was true of him is true of the at
tempted new attitude of his party The
question always remains, why trust the
men who were distrusted yesterday be-
csase they declare to-day that they will
contend no longerg The change itself
shows them TO De less trustworthy.
The Democratic party, vainly trying to
rally itself npon a new line, hopes to con-
test the election oflS12 upon the ques-
ton OF centraliza;ion. But let any sensi-
BILE man ask hipself this very practical
question, ''ls il safer to trust the Repub-
iicah party, even with this centralizing
tendency, or the Democratic party, with
its State sovereignty dogmas :" And be-
yond and above all this, t.ic question
which honest people all over the land will
ask themselves is, whether il is wise to
ablndon party whose traditional policy
Is illHrty, union, and fair play. which rep
resents the political movement of the in
telligence and the moral character and
purpose of the country. which has the
American conscience behind its pufas
sions. and to favor a party whose rradi-
tional policy is slavery and inequality.
and which represents the ignorance. the
prejudice, and the hostility to the Union
that still exists in the country: An elec-
iion is not contest of fnc profession
! Il l. rh0iSc between what arc believed
to be convictions; and they are sought
and found not in the rhetoric of the Con.
ven;ion, but in the career of the party.
No sensible Republican asks vote fol
his party on the ground that il has been
uniformly wise, that all its measures have
been nexceldionable, or that al its con
spic,ious members have inspired icspec
or confidence But he does asa it upor
the ground fliat that party contains tn,
great mass of loyal citizens who honestl,
believe in equal rights and would honora
bly, maintain them, with the great multi
tude of intelligent and industrious peopl,
whose good sense assures them that thos,
who tried to destroy the government ter
years ago, are not those who shor,i cen
t-ol il now And this is multitude anl
conviction which are not likely 10 L,
disturbed by the loldcst vocifcration o.
new policies and principles and depar.
lures apon the part of their opponents.