Year: 1868

NJ - At1hHVA hAAs


Among the prominent points in the
platform put forth by the Democratic
State Convention, which is understood
to be the basis of the movement fol


Mr.. Pendleton's nomination, is The de-


NAL that 'the integrity of the Union


was ever broken, or that any of its


members were ever out


IL we understand this, it is a denial
of the right of any State to secede from
the Union, either by Legislative action
or by open war. 1t is a recognition oi
the doctrine that every attempt in that
direction is rebellion and treason against
the paramount authority Of The Federal
government. The inevitable sequence
of this is, that 1t is The duty of the gen
eral government, iu cases Of attempt at
secession, to vindicate its authority and
the integrity Of the Union by the use
of such means as may be necessary to
subdue such a rebellion and treason
for it is absurd to say, as President
Buchanan did in his last annual mes
sage, that the Southern people had no
right to secede, nor the government any
right to prevent them. If we have a
government, its first duty is to defend
its own life, since without that it could
have neither value nor existence. II
was on this ground that the Govern
ment, sustained by the loyal men of the
nation, raised and organized armies and
prosecuted military campaigns against
the rebels, with the sole view of subdu-
ing and compelling them to recognize
the paramount authority and the indis-
solubility of the Union. Yet there is
no part Of the history of that long con-
test more notorious than the opposition
made by the Democratic party, North
and South, 10 every proposition for put
ting down the rebellion or preventing
secession by the use of force. In all
the discussions in Congress, during the
session Of 1S60-61, but two voices were
heard from the Democratic members,
with the sole exception of that of An
drew Johnson.) One of these, from the
South, was, "Your Union is already
dissolved" and the other, from the
North, "You can't coerce State, :"
Thus were the representatives of the
Democracy, from the start, agreed on
the right of secession. And the posi-
ton thus early taken was never aban-
doned during the struggle. In no way,
from the time of the so-called secession
of South Carolina in December,
1860, to the surrender of the rebel
armies in April, 1866, did this party
ever ntter a word in denial of the right
Of secession or of approval of the EN-
ployment of any means for repressing
it. Every expression, from first to last,
was-in sympathy with and encourage
ment for the rebels, Even in August,
'64, when the almost uniform successes
Of our arms for over a year-including
the battle Of Gettysburg and the grand
at Vicksburg and elsewhere in
the Southwest-when the final result
was clearly in our hands,-this same
party, in National Convention as
selnbled, deliberately pronounced the
war for the Union "a failure" and de-
manded that the armies should be un-
,onditionally withdrawn aud peace
made on such terMs as should be ac- |
'eptdb}e to tie rebels. Not word was |
hen said about the indissolubility or
the integrity of the Union," OF in de-
lial "that any of-its members Rsrs ever
'qt" A long series ofcomplaints were /
made against the Government for the
measures it had taken TO preserve .'the
integrity of the Union" and keep the
Southern States from going "out;;" but
lot a syllable in disapproyal of the re,
,ellion which had made sSch measures
ecessary TO the nations life2 Nor did
he Convention intimate, in the slight