New-York tribune., 1904-08-21
THE CONSTITUTION CLUB OF 1864.


"Tbe New-York Evening POST does great In
Justice to earlier generations Of friends Of the
CONSTITUTION In its enthusiasm for the unique
snIendor of the Parker Constitution Club Ii
says:
Even under the stress and strain OF great
civil war Mr. Lincoln respected and reVereo lhe lh9
Constitution: There were no 1aetiou and
clubs organized TO oppose his reelection. siIu
there was fear in any quarter that the z uueI =
lying principles of this nation were endahseleu
by his presence in the White House
If THE Evening POST will turn TO its allha-
nae il will find that IN 1864 Constitution CluD
nearly two million strong formed TO op-
pose President LincOln's reelection on uec
laration almost identical, when allowance Is
made for changed circumstances and concrete
issues. with that put forth by the Parker Con
stitution Club. The Democratic National Con
vention which met at Chicago on August ~
1854. and nominated George B. Mcclellan tor
President adopted platform containing lhese
planks:
Resolved That this convention does explicitly
declare. the sense OF the AIheEIcaI . th
that, after four years OF failure TO restore tLte
Union by the experiment of war during Whleh.
under the pretence OF a military necessity OF d
war power higher than the Constitution, lhe
Constitution itself has been disregarded IN every
part and public liberty and private right aIlke
trodden down. and the material prosperity Oh
the country essentially impaired, justice. hu-
manity, liberty and the public welfare oeHlahu
that immediate efforts be made for q cessation
Resolved, That the direct interference Of the
military authority OF the United States IN the
recent elections held in Kentucky, MaryIanu'
Missouri and Delaware was shameful VIOLA
tion OF the Constitution.
Resolved That the aim and object OF the
Democratic party is to preserve the 1eqepdi eaead
Union and me rights of the States unimpaired;
and they hereby declare that they consider the
administrative usurpation OF extraordinary ana
dangerous powers not granted by the Constltu-
s1lbV
in States not in insurrection, the arbitrary mil
itary arrest. imprisonment, trial and sentence OF
American citizens in States where civil law
exists IN full force, the suppression or 1reedoH
of speech and of the press, the denial OF the
right Of asylum, the open and avowed disregard
of State rights, the employment or unusuaI ttsI
oaths. and the interference with and denial OF
the right of the people to bear arms, as caIcu-
lated to prevent restoration Of the Union ana
the perpetuation of a government deriving its
just powers from the consent OF the governed.
That denuncation Of President Lincoln by the
Democratic Constitution Club Of 1864 sounds
strangely like the denunciations OF Emperor
Mckinley and the "Lawless' Roosevelt by the
Democratic Constitution clubs of more recent
date. That denuncation was ratified by the
votes of 1.S11,7 ,754 persons. There were no con
stitutional clubs organized TO oppose President
LIncoln's reelection? There was no fear In any
quarter that the underlying principles of this
nation were endangered by his presence in the
White House? Dear Post" we thank thee for
those words! We might have written columns
without 30 clearly demonstrating the abiding
spirit of the Democracy from Mcclellan to Par
ker which abuses Roosevelt just as it abused
Lincoln; or so pointedly exposing in all their
righteousness the pretence and sham Of the
Constitution Club and the St Louis platform
and Judge Parker with their pharisaical pose
Of superior devotion TO law. Any Republican
President would feel humillated who did not
find Democrats denouncing him as a violator Of
the Constitution and an enemy OF liberty, just
as they denounced the first Republican Presi-
dent Abraham Lincoln.