The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1899-07-26
Lest We Forget.

The war for the Union had been going
on for about three years and five months
and the losses in it had been appalling
hut the Union army had persistently
maintained it's cause, in spite OF many
defeats and drawbacks.
When however, the democrats met IN
convention at Chicago, at the end OF
August, 1864, to nominate candidates
for the presidency and presidency
for the election of that year and to frame
a platform of party policy, the tide was
beginning manifestly to turn in favor OF
the Union forces. The southern Con
federacy was drawing near its last gasp
il had exhausted the military resources
of the secession states to keep up the
armies which nearly three and one-half
years of war had depleted terribly, and
its brave fight for existence was going on
against odds which was irresistible.
In the face of these facts, what did the
national democratic convention dor 1t
adopted platform at Chicago on the
3Oth of August, 1864, which denounced
the war as failure and demanded that
the awful slaughter of Union troops dur
ing its continuance should be made OF no
avail; that the living should surrender
the cause for which the dead had died.
This was the language of that forever in
famous declaration by an American polit-
ical party and it cannot be too often
quoted as a warning to pusillanimous
politicians:
"Resolved, that this convention does
explicitly declare as the sense of the
American people that, after four years OF
failure to restore the Union by the eX-
pertinent of war, during which, under the
pretense of military necessity of a war
power higher than the constitution, the
constitution itself has been disregarded
in every part, and public liberty and
private right alike trodden down, and the
material prosperity of the country es-
sentially impaired, justice, humanity, lib
erty, and the public welfare demand that
ton of hostilities, with a view to an ulti-
mate convention of all the states, or other
peaceable means, to the end that, at the
earliest practicable moment, peace may be
restored on the basis of the federal Union
of all the states"
This shameful demand that the Union
armies should retire before their armed
enemies was made, moreover, IN year
which had been distinguished by bloody
battles and had been notable for Union
victories ominous in their significance for
the secession Confederacy. General
Grant had begun his campaign in Vir-
ginia by crossing the Rapidan on May 4,
and thereafter had followed in rapid sue
cession the series of great battles which
resulted, seven months after the adoption
of this platform, in the surrender of
General Lee at Appomattox. On May 4,
also, General Sherman had begun his
Atlanta campaign by advancing south
ward from Chattanooga. On June 19
the Alabama was destroyed by the Rear
sarge off Cherbourg. During the month
of August, in which the national demo
cratic convention occurred, Farragut had
made his successful attack on the Mobile
forts-forever memorable in naval an
nails.
At this time, when the Union was
straining itself to the utmost to keep up
its armies president Lincoln having call
ed for 100000 volunteers only about
month before the date of the conven-
tom, at the most critical but hopeful
period in the war for the preservation of
the Union, the democratic party assem-
bled and denounced the war as a failure
and demanded an ignoble peace
On August 81 1864, the convention
nominated General George B. Mcclellan
for president and George II. Pendleton
for vice-president. The very day after
General Hood evacuated Atlanta. On
the 10Th the battle of Winchester and on
the 22d the battle of Fishers Hill in the
Shenandoah, were fought, and on Octo-
Der 10 the battle of Cedar Creek. On
the 9th Lieutenant Gushing blew up
the Confederate ram Albemarle at
Plymouth, n. Ca heroic feat which
will be forever famous. On the 10th of
December General Thomas defeated
General Hood at Nashville. On Decem-
Der q General Sherman occupied Sa
vannah, and his long march to the sea"
was over triumphantly. On the 18th of
January, 1865, Fort Fisher in North
Carolina, was captured. On March 81
the battle of Five Forks was fought in
Virginia, and on April 8 General Lee
surrendered to General Grant at APP
pomattox, and the war for the Union was
over.
The democratic convention at Chicago,
therefore, had solemnly pronounced the
war failure and demanded the cessa-
ton of hostilties on the very eve of the
complete triumph of the Union when
the brilliant succession of victories