Year: 1861

1t was coolly argued that call by thirty or
forty respectable citizens for a Union State
Convention of all parties, was party trick.
because those citizens composed the State
Central Committee Of the Democratic party.
The same men who so argued were very in
dignant when Union Club movement, start
ed by Republicans, was called party affair.
The Fourth of July Convention call was
good one 1t should have been responded to
by every man desrous of burying past party
differences while dangers surround the
country. It's invitation did not extend to
any other class of citizens But the Republi-
cans issued strict party call. They SAID TO
the people: Republicanism is the door and
the way to the restoration of order and good
government throughout the land. They
have nominated a ticket composed Of anti
slavery men as well as Union men. They
give no indication in their platform of any
intention or desire to waive one single iota
of their Chicago platform. They are as
much an anti-slayery party now, as they
were last summer, and they will not deny it,
Having thus followed the dictates of party
prejudice, and laid their plans for securing
the public plunder of the State, in addition
to the Federal epoils which they are already
greedily consuming, they now take time for
breath, and say to anti Republican Union
men: Why do you not join our party ?
What can there possibly be to divide us
We are all Union men. We have concluded
that popular sovereignty is right--so long as
slavery is excluded by it from the Territories
Your lcader-DoUGLAs-is dead. We want
to be elected to the Offices Come, and Join
u.s." We need give but this short answer to
all such demagogueism: The Republican
party is an anti.slavery party and its love for
the Union is too much hampered with hatred
of the slavery interest.


The Union men who are not Republicans,
entertain various opinions, as individuals,
upon the slavery question, and do not seek to
use political power for advancing or retard


ing the slavery interest, outside of the State
or Territory in which they reside They will
labor and fight for the preservation of this
great nation, and when the present evil days
are gone by, and order and good government
are restored, they will countenance no North
ernizing nor Southernzing of the Federal
Government. They will support National
men and National measures, and will them
selves oppose and teach their sons after them
to oppose any political party which is founded
and sustained for the avowed purpose of
building up or pulling down any local inter
est by Federal legislation. This we conceive
to be the difference between the Republicans
and their opponents who are Union men.
We can thus differ, and yet be unit in sus-
tanning Federal authority throughout the
land We can be American citizens without
joining the Republican party. Ifthe Repub-
lcans desire but one Government party, let
them abandon their organization and join the
Union hosts. They will find no test imposed
except that Of loyalty to the Nation under
all Administrations" They can take that
simple test, better than others can swallow
the Chicago platform; and besides the alag
of our Union" is more inspiring in the sight
of patriotic men, in times like these, than are
all the partisan banners ever devised by the
cunning of party leaders.