Year: 1865




We must take the Democratic party as
we find it, and we therefore propose fairly
to set forth its position as it is defined in its
platform of principles enunciated on the Oath
inst. The second resolution passed by that
Convention is couched in the following Ian
guage:


"Second. That if the counsel of the
Democratic party had prevailed, the Union
would have been saved in all its integrity
and honor, without the slaughter, debt and
disgrace of civil war But when the for
nation of sectional parties in The North and
in the South. and the advent of one Of these
parties into the seats of power made war, q
fact which we could not counteract, we
sustained the Federal authorities in good
faith asking nothing at their hands except
decent respect for our legal rights and
some show of common honesty in the
management of our financial affairs, but in
both these particulars we were disappointed
and betayed."


James Buchanan was President when Sc
cesslon became a fact, and when he was ap-
pealed to for action TO save the Union, he
blandly told the American people that there
was no power in Fedora authority to coerce
a State, that secession was one of the reser-
we'd rights of sovereign State, and that the
Union was mere compact which could be
discovered at will by any of the States parties
therein. ''This was the counsel of the Dem.
ocratic party" at the time, prevailing in the
Cabinet and supreme in the Senate of the
United States during the session of1S60-61,
yet it was sufficiently potent to save the
Union. 1t 11Gs the doctrine Of the Demo
cratic party l0hich encouraged the States to
Secede. 1t aOdS the doctrine Of the Demo-
cratic party aChich first proposed to deny
the potency and justice Of Constitutional
majOritieS and now, in canvass for i'm
portant State officers. the Democratic lead
ers take the field characterizing the war
forced on the American people for Consttu-
tlonal liberty, justice and order, as dis
graceful conflict, the slaughter and debt of
which are to he charged as crimes against
those who fought to maintain just Govern
ment struggling to maintain its life.-The
resolution which We quote means this and
nothing more. Elect the candidates who
stand on the platoon of which that reso-
luton is a plank, and every Southern
traitor can claim with justice that ma iority
Of the people of Pennsylvania justify his trea-
son. If any man can put more favorable
construction on this resolution he is more
skilled in sophistry than is the drawer there
Of expert in falsehood


Nor does the resolution pause in its false
charges concerning the action of the Govern
ment in the conduct of the war, so far as its
Justice and honor are involved. 1t delber-
ately asserts that the war was a betrayal of
the Democratic party, after the Convention
which endorses such stuff has nominated two
men for Office whose only merit consists ola
participation in that unjust war What can
sensible people think of such changes and
positions! Truly, the Democratic party of
to-day is in a sad plight. 1t denounces
great struggle Cor civil liberty as disgrdceful,
and then nominate man for Office who par
ticipated in that disgrace, and now expects
private soldiers, whom it characterize as
slaughterers and butchers of the Southern
people, TO support such nominations and thus
become parties to their own condemnation
before mankind. Is it likely that any fair
minded citizen or high spirited soldier can be
seduced into the support of such platform.
Telegraph.