The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-27
"LEST We FORGET"

cratic Action of 1884, Which Is
About to Find a Parallel.
New York Sun: The Democratic ma
tiOnal convention met at Chicago on the
18th of August, 1864. That is, it assem-
bled at a time when the armies of the
Union were everywhere flercely con-
testing with the army of the secession
Southern confederacy. The war for
the Union had been going on for about
three years and five months. and the
losses in 1t had been appalling, but the
Union army had persIstently maintain
ed its cause, in spite Of many defeats
and drawbacks,
When, however, the Democrats met
in convention at Chicago, at the end Of
August, 1854, to nominate candidates
for the presidency and vice 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 South
ern Confederacy was drawing near TO
It's last gasp; 1t had exhausted the mill
tnry resources of the secession states to
keep up the armies which nearly three
and n half years of war had depleted
terribly. and its brave fight for exist
ence was going on against odds which
were Irresistible.
In the face OF these facts, what did
the national Democratic convention do?
1t adopted a platform at Chicago on the
SOth of August, 1864. which denounced
the war as failure and demanded that
the awful slaughter OF Union troops
during Its continuance should be made
of no avail; that the living should sur
render the cause for which the dead
had died. This was the language OF
that forever Infamous declaration by an
American political party, and 1t cam
not be too often quoted as warning
to pusillanlmous politicians:
"Resolyed, 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
experiment Of war. during which, under
the pretense of military necessity of
a war power higher than the constltu-
tIon, 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 essentially impaired. JUS
tIce. humanity, liberty and the public
welfare demand that immediate efforts
be made for a cessation Of hostllities,
with view to an ultimate convention
of all the states. or other peaceable
means, to the end TINT, at the earliest
practicable moment, peace may be re-
stored on the basis Of the federal union
OF all the states"
This shameful demand that the I'm
lon 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 Confed-
eracy. General Grant had begun his
campaign in Virginia by crossing the
RapIdan on May 4, and thereafter had
followed In rapid succession the series
OF great battles which resulted, seven
months after the adoption OF this
platform, in the surrender Of General
Lee Mt Appomattox. on May 4, also
General Sherman had begun his Atlanta
campaign by advancing southwark
from Chattanooga. on June 10 the
Alabama was destroyed by the Kear-
sarge on CherbourE, During the month
Of August, in which the national DEM
ocratlc convention occurred, Farragut
had made his successful attack on the
Mobile forts-rorever memorable In ma
val annals
At this time. when the Union was
strainlng Itself to the utmost to keep
up its armies president Lincoln having
called for 5OO.OOO volunteers only about
month before the date OF the conven-
tlon), at the most critical but hopeful
period in the war for the preservation
Of the Union. the Democratic party as
sembled and denounced the war as n
failure and demanded an ignoble
peace!
on August 81. 1864. the convention
nominated General George y. McClel-
Ian for President and George II. PEN
distnn for yira nreailent The very lny