Year: 1864

The Secessionists have swallowed their
eriefs and consented to go for Mcclellan.
They fear that the man means war, but
they think the platform means peace.
know it means armistice; whether for five
minutes, five days, or five years, they do
not know-but armistice at any rate. Ihe
following are the words of the platform
on this point: -,


"Justice, humanity and liberty. and the
public welfare, demand that immediate
efforts be made for cessation Of hostilities
with a view of an ultimate Convention Of
of the States, or other peaceable means to
end it, that at the earliest practicable mo-
ment peace may be restored on the basis
of the Federal Union of the States"


There is nothing said of conditions.
which are the soul of every armistice or OF
every peace. Everybody fayors peace /;
the Republican demands freedom as
condition; the Shareholder demands slavery
as a condition. Lincoln demands nothing
save the Union and the enforcement OF the
laws and lawful proclamations; DAVIS de-
mands disunion, and as much more as ne
can get.


The conditions of an armistice are en-
tirely different from the conditions OF a
peace. Either party is ready to agree to
an armistice when he can gain anything
by it. The military rule is, that under
ordinary circumstances the stronger party
must grant no armistice, but must drive
ahead with all haste. An armistice in
the midst of an extensive and vigorous
war is dangerous in the extreme, because
neither party can know how the other
will use the intermediate time; and un-
less General has some very peculiar rea-
sons, he will not consent to an armistlce
until he is certain of gaining by the de-
Law. When Sherman is ready to give
battle to the enemy in the heart Of Geor-
gia, or when Grant is prepared to storm
the works of Richmond, the granting oi
of an arrnistice would be equivalent to
defeat of our forces, for it gives time to
prepare for defense. An armistice Is
military, not political measure, and i
has no right to place in platform. l
Mcclellan is honest in his expressions o
zeal for preserving the Union, he will no
grant an armistice unless he sees distinct
" that the Union cause will profit by 1t
and whenever Lincoln sees that, he Will
grant an armistice too.


But the promised armistice which
pleases our Secessionist friends SO much
as to induce them to vote for the hero oi
Antietam, is not to come now, nor next
month. They cannot in any case have II
till March next and before that time the
enemy may surrender Internationally.
While we do not anticipate defeat of the
Union party, still, if Mcclellan were
elected, the President and Congress would
not change their course. This is not a
time when the Republic is to be sacrificed
as n matter of courtesy to political oppo-
nents. Lincoln and Grant, Sherman and
Farragut will relax none of their vigor
should General who is not their first
choice be elected. On the contrary, the
Union majority in Congress would insist
upon extraordinary eXertions during the
winter, so as to have the rebels in pro-
per state of mind to submit to any con-
ditions which Mcclellan might propose
for an armistice. And even after the new
Administration had gotten into power, it
would be in minority in the Senate, and
perhaps in the House, and could not do
as it pleased, especially in the matter OF
treaties. The armistice mentioned in the
platform was intended for the benefit of
the Disunion Democrats; it will never
help the rebels.-Aha.