Year: 1864

The Chicago Convention offers platform ON
which no well-wisher of his country can find
room for the sOles of his feet. Unpatriotic, in
fiammatory, calamitOus to the country, this doc
ument will be gratifying to Jefferson Davis and
grevious to loyal men. Not word against the
Rebellion, but only against the Government
butting itdowni Not hint that the war is
waged for just cause, but by implication for an
unjust one! Not cheering word 10 the soldiers
TO go forth and conquer, but only of pity for
their hardshps in the service of a tyranous usur-
patiOnl


The long familiar utterance OF patriotic war
Democrats that the rebellion must be conquer
ed, is here hidden to silence-a gagging hand
laid across its lips. Peace against Richmond:
War against WashingtOni-this is the new bat
tie cry: the war pusllanimously declared a
failure, an open surrender made to the enemy,
and all this at time when the enemy could
least expect such weakness i'll triple strong an
tagonistl Hostiliiies suspended, a convention
of the thirty -four States is to be called-all ON
equal terms, the innocent and the guilty-tO
make an adjustment wherein South Carolina
shall say what punishment shall be visited up
on Massachusetts,, aud wherein Mississippi
shall offer rope for the hanging of Abraham
Lincolnl


Was there ever a more mOnstTOus scheme for
confounding right with wrong?


There is not guerrilla tatterdemalion in the
South, mangling our wounded and rifling our
dead, who can find in this platform any rebukc
| of his scrImes-but only in this mingled Chiea-
go aud Richmond elimination of the National
Government new Indictment to his bloody
derdsl


Where stand the true Democrats who have
urged men and money for the war? What will
they say to this insult thrown into their teeth
| If every great-sOuled man in the party, who has
not already abandoned it, shall not now pick
up his hat and leaye-as Gen. Cass retired from
the presence of Chief Justice fancy after hear
ing the Dred Scott decision-then the party is
a sorrOwful proOfOf the declining spirit of the
good?


When was there ever, in the history of polit-
ical conventions, greater seli-stultihcatiOI
than in the Chicago denunciatiOn Ofarbitrary
arrests and yet the simultaneous nomination o.
man who arbitrarily arrested whole STATE
Legislature.


Why does this platform ask for stoppage o.
the war2 To restore the Federal Union as it says
But the very same day Is newspaper which brings
this text from Chicago brings its commentary
| from Richmond-is the hand writing of Mr.
Benjamin, Secretary of State, to Mr.. Mason
Commissioner to Europe, saying that Jefferson
Davis cannot listen to any proposition from tho
| North except upon the basis of an independent
COnfederacy." What then becomes of this
Chicago overture? Pitiful spectaclel A grea
party travelling to an extreme northern city Il
get down on its knees afar off to Jefferson Davis
who only stretches out long arm across noun
tains and prairies to smite it on the cheeks il
scornl


Fellow country men, the crisis is imminent
but the way is plain. All wise and sound men
both Democrats and Republicans, know tba
there is but one method ofrestoring the Union
and that is, by conquering back the rebelliouI
parts. This We are doing day by day-anC
doing well. What can he better done thar
Grant and Sherman and Farragut are doing


What is more full of hope and promise than thI
general military situation to-day? Nothing
but good auguries everywherel For as thu
lightning that lightens in the east tightening als'
unto the west, so is the fiery storm that is gath
ering to break upon Richmond, Atlanta ant
Mobile. Otroubled hearts, praying for the sal


vation of the country-couragea and good cheers


A crown of victory is now falling through tn
air which will in due time light up our banner