Year: 1866

never being 1OunQ Wltn tne weaker
forces, that they maintained seperate
eXistance.


Why there Should be COnven-


tiOn of LOyalists in Philadelphia


on the 14th Of August. ,a
From the Shelbyville American Union.l


In referring to the Convention of


Union men. soon to assemble in Phil
adelphia, we cannot better express otr
own views, than by quoting the follow
ing from the columns Of the Washing
ton Republican: "We have been ask
ed by what right and for what reason q
National Union Convention has been
called. We answer: :by the right which
lies at the foundation of individual and
governmental action, and which is no
less applicable now to political safety
the right Of SELF preservation. The
same right which the nation has to re
sort to eXtremities--that delberative
bodies have to call extraordinary ses


sions in order to accomplish some
great public good or avert some i'm
pending perils-now impels and sane
tons the Union men of America to
come together in Il national attitude to
save the Union Party, if possible, from
rushing headlong to destruction; at
any rate to prevent the reckless and
unscrupulous leaders Of that party
from hurting the country into new dan
gers, and fastening upon it anew in
stalment of trials and disasters. The
Union party is being perverted from the
noble purposes of It's origin and the
sublime intentions to which its life has
been devoted. The loyal people mean
to stop this pcrversion. The Union
party was created to limit the advance
of human slavery and to destroy the
political supremacy ofthe slaveholding
interest; it was solemnly pledged to
the support of the Constitution and the
maintainance of the Union unimpaired;
for six years past it h. S been sustained
by the American people because it was
battling to uphold the authority OF
Government, to stand by the chosen
officers of the nation, to put down
goddess rebellion against the laws OF
the land, and to prevent disruption OF
the Federal Union. Ali it sought to do
has been accomplished, aud more. Sia-
very has not only been limited; it has
been annihilatcd The political power
of shareholders, as such, has been utter


" destroyed. The sslaveholders' re-
bellon has been suppressed ON every


inch of American soil but the Union of
States, for which the sacred blood and
costly treasures of the country have
been lavishly sacrificed, is still unrc
stored and unadjustcd. The bloody
attempt of treason to seperate the
Union failed; but, by the acts Of the
very men who were put in power to
save the country from disruption, the
Union is now kept divided and dlsuni-
ted We maintain that this course is


in direct violation of every doctrine
taught and every principle advanced by
the Union party; and it is to protest
against this abandonment of the cher
ished conviction Of the Union party
to demonstrate against the misuse Of
power delegated by the loyal people
to their representatives, to rebukc the
base attempt to foist strange issues and
unheard of conditions upon the party
without authority, that the convention
is called and will be held. ..


Denying the right of Congress to
bind to its mwise and unsanctloned
legislation the members Of the Union
party, because that legislation is con
trary to the understanding and verdict
of the people as rendered in the last
national canvass, those who still ad-
here to the Baltimore platform of 1864
are to meet and condemn the selling out
and surrender of that platform Be-
lieving that radicalism is destroying the
foundations of American government;
that it is now doing the fatal work of
secession and treason; that it is opera
ting like blight upon genuine peace
and the promises ofprosperity, the peo-
pie are determined to stem this mad
torrent and to say to the banetul inhu-
ences fradicalism, hitherto hast thou
come, but no further"


"Thc reason for calling the conven-
ton is to give an opportunity to every
Union man to decide whether he is for
the Constitution, or for Congressional
usurpation whether he is for govern
ing this land according to its laws, or
as nation of conquerors whether he
is for one whole and united nation, or
for one-thrd of it's States to be shorn of
all their rights, and one-third ofits peo-
pie degraded into vassals and subjects
whether he Is for the rule of section
and reign ofpolitical terror, or for
the return ofharmony and fraternity ;
whether he is for flag lustrous with
glory, or for one with eleven stars OBJ
liberated or obscured. And when these
questions are replied to at the polls in
November next, we expect to find the
masses of the Union men who voted in
! 1864 for Abraham Lincoln and Andrew
Johnson supporting President johnson
and the Constitution, instead Of Con-
gress and usurpation. The voice OF
patriotism and nationality which will
20 up from Independence Square on
the 18th of August, will sound the
knell of sectionalism and radicalism
Il


throughout the land