Year: 1864

/
party whose act and part it has so eminent
| ly been to extinguish almost every spark Of
Union sentiment in the Southern breast,
and to implant there In its stead q desperate
and defiant determination never to be rec
Onciled, never TO submit or yield, never
again to come under rulers, whom, reason
ably or unreasonably, they have learned to
hate. No considerations of patriotism call
upon us to renew the official term of an
| Administration whose peculiar policy, by
inspiring this spirit of desperation and ha-
tired, has rendered the victories of our ar
mics hundred fold harder to achieve, and
has robbed them of SO many of their legit-
innate results after they have been achieved.
For never, my friends, do victories cost so
much, and come to so little, as when they
are wrung from foe who has been goaded
and maddened to despair. This sort of goad-
/ ing and maddening process may answer
well enough for increasing the sport at a
bull fight but it has certainly involved us
in at least one Bull Run. (''Good," laugh
ter and cheers.) And fear the day is still
distant when it will secure us that sort of
victory which we can reasonably hope to
see followed by Union and peace.


Nothing could be further from my pur-
pose, in these remarks, than to cast the
slightest imputation upon the patriotism of
President Lincoln, or any body else. No
one can doubt that he wishes to write his
name on the roll of history as the restorer
of the American Union. 1t is a title which
might satisfy the most exalted ambition
He may well be excused for his eagerness
to remain in office until he has accomplish
ed the work. He may almost be pardoned
for welding the enormous patronage and
power which belongs to the Executive in
war like this for securing his own nomina-
| tion and hie Owu alpctiOn If hp rpqllV he
lieves he can accomplish it. And those who
are of opinion that he is just about to sue
ceed-whether within sixty days or ninety
days-before Christmas or after-are right
| to give him their support. We would all
support him If we were of their opinion,
for we want to have the country saved, no
matter who is to have the glory. But Pres
ident Lincoln is evidently looking forward
to another title in the history of the future.
He desires to be enrolled as the great lib
orator OF the African race-a glorious title,
also, if it could be legitimately obtained.
But / greatly fear that in aiming at the
second he has lost the first. No man,
think, can help perceiving that he is so en-
barrassed and entangled by his proclama-
tions, and commitments, and pledges in re-
gard to slavery, as to be almost incapacitat-
ed for bringing this terrible struggle to an
early and successful termination. (Ap-
plause) He has contrived to weave Cor
dian knot, which he himself is unable to
unite, and which the truest and sharpest
swords seem thus far powerless to cut asun-
der. No one can have forgotten, certainly,
that recent and extraordinary manifesto,
ITO whom it may concern" in which, in
reply to the first suggestions of peace, he
felt obliged to insert condition which dis
comfiited his best friends, and rendered all
such efforts homeless.


Fellow citizens, we need change OF
counsels. ('That's true" Applause.)--
We need a change of counselors.- We need
| a return to the policy on which the loyal
States first rallied so unanimously to the
suppression of the rebellion. We must 20
back to the principles embodied in the res
olution adopted by the Congress of the
United States, not far from the fourth day
of July, 1861, and worthy to have been
adopted on that hallowed anniversary it.
self, adopted in the Senate, on motion of
Andrew johnson, and adopted in the House
of Representatives on motion of the Ia
mented Crittenden. The terrible repulse
at Bull Run had then just taught wisdom.
Would to Heaven that we had not so soon
forgotten that lesson! If we had never de-
parted from that resolution--if lease had
never recanted vows made in pain,"-I
firmly believe that union and peace would
have been our blessed portion at this mo-
ment. You all remember that resolution.
1t embodied the simple policy of vigorous
prosecution of the war for no purpose OF
subjugation or aggression, in no spirit OF
revenge or hatred, with no disposition to
destroy or impair the constitutional rights
of any State or any section, but for the sole
end of vindicating the Constitution and re-
establishing the Union. (Cheers.) That
was the policy which would have divided
the South, and which ought to have salts
fled and united the North. Let me rather
say it was, and is still, the policy which
steadily pursued, under the lead of men
against whom the whole southern heart, and
mind, and soul have not become hopelessly
embittered and poisoned; under the lead
of men, too, who are not ashamed to
avow that readiness for reconciliation,
which is the highest ornament of the Chris
tian character and without which we can
not rely on the blessing of God; this, say,
is the policy which thus pursued will again,
If anything earthly ever will, unite both
North and South in the bonds of constitu-
tional fellowship, and exhibit our country
and its flag once more in the face of all the
world, with ''star for every State, and q
State for every star" What glorious day
that will be, my countrymen, for us and all
mankind. If to yearn for it, and pant for
| 1t, and pray for 1t, be subject of reproach
as exhibiting too great Willingness for
peace, l am the guiltiest man alive. (Cheers.)
| And how can we hasten that day more eff
fectively than by supporting the candidate
who is the very impersonation OF the policy
have described? Our noble candidate has
enforced and illustrated it thousand fold
better than any one else can do, In his men,
orable dispatch from Harrison's Landing,
in his brilliant grafton at West Point, and
still more recently in his admirable letter
accepting the nomination we are assembled
to ratify. CThree cheers for General Nc
Clellan.) These are the true platforms for
the hour; and not for the hour only, but for
all time. (''rhat's SOY Weneed no other,
and some of us, certainly, can recognize no
other. Voice, They're good enough.")
l rejoice to see so many of their noble SEN
timents and golden sentences emblazoned
on the countless banners and illuminations
around me. Let us cherish them In our
memories and write them on all our hearts.
(Cheers.)


Yes, my friends, If anybody Is disposed
to cavil with you about your platform, tell
him that Gen. Mcclellan has made his own
platform, and that it is broad enough and
the land to stand upon. Tell him that you
should as soon think of holding General
Mcclellan responsible for not taking Rich
mond, when he was so rashly interfered
with, and so cruelty stripped of his troops
on the right hand and on the left, as you
should think Of holding him responsible for
any equivocal or unequivocal words of Chi
cago conventions or any other conventions,