Year: 1865

state Convention and the Qos<5n Com


spirsey.


In another column will bs found two IN
terestiNg articles, from prominent republican
papers, IN reference to the developments in the
political aeld during the past week, which we
commend TO the special attention Of oil who
arc watching the drift Of events In this jwpor-
tant period Of our history. The nrst il an cdr
torial review Of the Ohio Republican State
Convention, taken from the Cincinnad COM
mercial, republican, the other q review Of the
radical gathering in Faneuil Hall, taken from
the Boston Advertiser, also republican. 1t ap-
pears that these meetings were held on tho
same day, but widely differed in sentiment, in
theory and in practice. Each Is claimed
by the journals from which we have quoted as
representing the sentiment Of the people Of
the locality or State IN which IL was held.
Taking this fact as granted, the public can
readily see the current of events and dis
Germ the issues which will be formed in
the approaching political contests. One is
q view Of tho question Of reconstruction
and negro suffrage from New England
standpoint, the other from Western.


These gatherings mark an important epoch
in our political history. They inaugurate two
distinct lines of policy In party politics in this
country, which must by the very nature Of
things enter into the political contest In every
Northern State at the approaching fall cleo
tions. The Boston gathering was . selfcon-
stituted affair. Those in attendance represented
nobody but themselves They were sent there
by no constituencies, but assembled under
call, for the specific purpose Of opposing the
policy Of the President In reconstructing the
South, more especially to inaugurate q crusade
in favor Of conferring the privilege Of the
elective franchise upon the newly emancipated
slaves. On the other hand, the Ohio conven-
ton was composed Of representative men,
elected by the people, or rather that portion OF
the citizens of the State who have during the
last four years adhered to the Union war party,
and sustained the administration through its
dark and trying hours. They were regularly
elected delegates, sent there In accordance
with party usage, to represent the views of the
people, nominate candidates for their support
and to record their views in resolutions in re-
ference to the great questions Of the day.
Only those attended the former who
were persistent advocates Of certain
theory, while to the latter men were
sent from all parts Of great State, TO
compare views and officially announce the
result to the world. The latter bears the
stamp of official, while the other only develops
the revolutionary policy Of small class Of
Puritanical agitators. How well these assem-
blages carried out their. respective duties we
leave for their editorial exponents to explain
in the articles which we publish elsewhere.


The article from the Boston paper starts
out with the assertion that the principles
endorsed at the Faneuil Hall meeting "repre-
sented the great preponderance Of New
England opinion" In addition to this we are
told that the majority - the people Of that
section are already moving towards "the same
style Of pressure which has for the last four
years been so potent" In other words, having
succeeded in forcing the country to endorse
and carry out their anti-slavery theories at the
point Of the bayonet they now propose 10
bring such pressure that will in the same
manner enforce their theories Of universal
negro suffrage and social equality Of races
This, then, was the intent and the sole object
Of the gathering. It was the commencement
of this new crusade, the opening of the ball in
this new warfare. AS such 1t is characte ristic
Of New England, and is in accordance
with the bigotry which has exhibited
itself there ever since its settlement
But it appears there was radical difference oi
opinion upon the all-absorbing question Of ne
gro suffrage even among the Jacobin orators
One speaker "intimated that the right Of suf
frage should be Independent of color, but re.
stricted" Mr. Beecher assailed this theory, and
even denounced the Massachusetts basis o
voting, which is restricted by intelligence and
a certain amount of education. But we are told
that his speech approached so near the comic
style Of our negro minstrel performances that IL
was impossible to tell whether the applause
came from an approval Of his ideas or from hia
comic exhibition. However they may have diff
fered in minor details, the animus pervading
all the speeches was the same. Opposition to
the announced policy of the President was the
striking feature throughout intersperscd with
threats Of revolution and resort to arms unless
suffrage were accorded to the negro by the gov
ernment. It's whole character was insurrec-
tionary and its tone revolutionary. II shows a
determination on the part Of the New England
Jacobins to plunge the country into another
fierce and elentless war over the negro.





Turning from this gathering to the Ohio Re-
publican Convention, an official and political
representative body, which assembled at the
capital of that State on the same day, we find
altogether different result The attendance
was large, comprising many of the most intelli-
gent and influential men of the State Instead
of opposing the Presidents policy and threat
ening now revolution, they, as tho represent
- H.