Year: 1868

Haukee, Nav 25th.


We have met this evening to signi-
fy our approval of the platform, and
pledge our jealous support to the can
dldates recently adopted and selected
by our Convention at Chicago. We
do this from no caprice or sudden i'm
pulse from no mere partIality for
men, but impelled by reason ana the
dictates of intelligent patriotism and
craftsmanship.


The providence of God is over all
no man sees the end from the begin
ming of our great adventure nations
rise, flourish and fall; individuals
come upon the stage, play their brief
parts and disappear; still the stream
OF humanity, ever replenished, moves
on and the great schemes of pre-
siding Providence are constantly being
developed and accomplished. There
is Divinity that shapes our ends :"
and even the wrath of man is made to
praise God, and to serve His purposes.


The waters of Niagara River are
not impelled to the ocean by more
IntfexIble law than the conduct Of an
intelligent and honest man is determ-
lned by what has preceded, and by
that which surrounds, him. An earth
quake may indeed change the chan
nels of the largest rivers; but the new
channels once begun, the river seeks
Its outlet TO the sea in obedience to
the same law which guided its origin
al course. 80 great events and crises
may change the current of mems
thoughts; but the new path, once
chosen, thought and corresp sponding
action will progress with logical Sc
quence.


The revolution of the South against
the most indulgent Government on
earth, was one Of those upheaving
events which changed mems thoughts,
broke up old associations, threw the
mind back on first principles, and
compelled men TO reason for them
selves in new condition of things
Previous political organizations had
been based upon different schemes of
administratio But the war raised
an issue back of that, and touched
the right of the Government to exist
1t was impossible to predict, when
the war commenced, what course any
man would pursue, merely from a
knowledge of his former political as
sociations. To know that man had
advocated a high tariff or free trade,
paper or a metallic currency, had
favored or opposed internal improve
81 H.
upon the new, the all-absorbing issues
created by the war. 1t is true that
old party ties and watck-words did not
entirely lose their influence. and many
whose patriotism was cool were intiu
enced, against their better judgment
by party discipline of the great and
therefore triump phant Democratic par
ty, to cling to their party when the
choice had come to be between party
and country. But, however ieng any
man may hesitate in his choice, or
however severe may have been the
struggle between his conscience as a
citizen and his fealtv as politician.
the choice once made, the new path
lay straight before him and if he de-
termined to support the war from hon
est conviction of duty, and not for a
commission or a contract, then he Is
supporting Grant and Colfax to-day,
IN obedience to the law OF consistency
and from absolute logical necessity.
Grant and Colfax are entitled to our
support, not only from personal con-
siderations, but because they repre-
sent certain principles and are pledged
to a certain line Of conduct and ad-
ministration, represented in the plat
form adopted by the Chicago Conven-
ton. And there is not a plank in
that platform that has not become