Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-07-19
The Chicago Times on Greeley and
the Baltimore Convention.


the Baltimore Convention.
The correspondent of the Chicago Times
writing frou Baltimore in regard to the
Democratic convention and its action,
atyles the movement the Inauguration of
contest without principles, and says:
"Such combining of opposite and an
sagonistic purposes; such mixture of
false argument and inconsistent conclu-
sions; such a meeting together of honest
and sincere desires for reform with the
worst purposes of political corruption that
ever disgraced any country on earth
such travelling backward in order to get
forward such surrender to corruption in
order to overcome the corrupt; such sub
ordination of worthy purposes to the most
unworthy means such battling for virtue
With the weapons of vice; such a chap
ter of inconerent notions. cross purposes,
conflicting opinions, irreconcilable oppo-
sites. intentions and desires eternally in
conflict yet here CO acting, civilization has
hardly ever before witnessed"
The most notable features in this mat
ter, the correspondent says, is, that "these
men are not in harmony with themselves.
They came here with their minds made up
to vote for Greeley, and gather in little
knots and mutually endeavor to argue
themselves into the opinion that what
they are doing is not a very stupid thing"
We make further liberal extracts from
the same able and exhaustive correspond
ence, for it is view taken from q stand
point of the true and consistent democrat
the view taken by every democrat who is
not willing to sacrifice every particle Of
principle the party has ever contended for
for the sole purpose of putting his party
in power, or, rather of helping to place in
power one of the oldest, bitterest, most
intolerant and fanatical opponents the par
v-ty ever had, merely because those who
control the party machinery say so:
"There is positively no genuine enthu-
siasm among these men who are going
for Greeley and who comprise an i'm
mense majority of all the strangers who
arc gathered here. All OF them seem to
be swallowing that bitter pill the public
have heard 10 much about, and this Gree
leyism, like Macbeth's Amen, sticks in
the throat The fact exhibits one of
those singular meetings Of opposite and
conflicting feelings, antagonistic ideas and
,sIreconcilable purposes, above spoken Of
think that the philosophy of this
strange result is very we'll, and correctly
presented, in pamphlet which has been
placed in the hands of every delegate Git
is addressed To the Delegates of the Ma
tional Democracy in Convention Assem-
bled at Baltimore,) and which sets forth
with much argumentative elaboration,
Some reasons why Mr. Greeley should re-
ceive the nomination of the party"
II cite, almost entire, the fourth reason
assigned for the nomination of Mr.. Gree
ley as the presidential candidate of the
democratic party:
PouRrH. IT WILL STRENGTHEN THE DEMOCRATIC
PARrY-However deplorable the fact 1t is an axiom
tr politics, that the existence of parties depends
msinly upon the spoils of The world is not
virtuous enough to produce patriotic men in such
numbers as to admit of governing party of that
class In any country The result is that parties
based other considerations With the leaders, the
honor and dignity Of position are for the most part
sufficient incentive to control action but with the
lieutenants in the service, Uho drill and drnb the
rank aud is "she loaves and fishes the tests of
party claims aud the price of their activity If they
can see no materials of this character in the pros
poets Of party. the the principles Of that party may
b asserted in udtn--they witl haze none of it,
Hence il Is that in our country no party can long
survive without some measure of success at the polls
without some means of regarding ITS subordinate
agencies aud each defeat is disastrous with losses.
Our party has failed for many Years to convince the
of it's ability to carry the country, and obtain
the dispensdtions Of po,cer and it has consequently
remained in the minority. Its ability to achieve
ever and that fact renders it idle to attempt it, We
require assistance to gain the vantage ground once
more and tchea there inrenched, shall be in po-
sition to refuse allies, to be ally, ang terms
achdterer. But that is not the case now, and
invited to boone the ally of party which adopts
our principles, and brings sufficient force to turn
she scales in our favor, without any danger of alb
sorption; and such union, for the purpose of re-
establishing the government in accordance with our
principles, and with the advantages to be gained by
partial restoration to power, is an opportunity not
10 be lost lightly esteemed. 1t is the obligation
ofduty to accept it, sSast jar proportion Of The
yntrs Independent effort to recoUer absolute po,eer. By
this course we shall enlist recruits and fill our
ranks aud our organization will be strengthened,
aud not impaired. consolidated, and not disbanded
It would be difficult to find words suffi-
GENTLY forcible to characterize what every
intelligent man will recognize as the thor
ough infamy of this argument. 1t assumes
as a hypothesis that the democratic party
does not exist for she achievement of prin-
ciples, or honorable purposes of any kind,
but solely to gain the 'spoils of success
1t rejects the fundamental ground on
which the woEld has ever believed, and
does now believe, that free government is
only possible; the ground, namely, that
the general average Of men are moved by
virtuous and honorable desires and as
sumes the opposite to be true, namely,
that the general average of men are moved |
by vicious and dishonora5ie and infamous
desires. II is an argument from the stand
point of total depravity for the nomina-
zion of Mr.. Greeley as the most fitting |
standard bearer of party which is Gas |
Mr.. Greeley has frequently asserted) to-
tally depraved; which is not virtuous
enough to be held together by purposes
of patriotism whose existence depends
on the, .spoils of success whose leaders
seek only the 'honor and dignity of posi- T
ton !, whose lieutenants that drill and
drub the rank and file,' demand the loaves
and fishes as the price of their activity !
and whose principles. unaceompaF'ed ~
the temptation Of bribery, theft, robbery,
smbezzlement. and similar democratic
yirtues,' will be asserted in vain And