The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 85, November, 1864: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and PoliticsVarious
History
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 85, November, 1864: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics
Various
American periodicals
disciplined masses, if their words have any meaning; and, so far as they
have been able to act, their actions correspond strictly with their
words. The Chicago Convention, which consisted of the _creme de la
creme_ of the Democracy, had not a word to say against either the Rebels
or the Rebellion, while it had not words enough, or words not strong
enough, to employ in denouncing those whose sole offence consists in
their efforts to conquer the Rebels and to put down the Rebellion. With
a perversion of history that is quite without a parallel even in the
hardy falsehood of American politics, the responsibility for the war was
placed to the account of the loyal men of the country, and not to the
account of the traitors, who brought it upon the nation by a fierce
forcing-process. The speech of Mr. Horatio Seymour, who presided over
the Belmont band, is, as it were, a bill of indictment preferred against
the American Republic; for Governor Seymour, though not famous for his
courage, has boldness sufficient to do that which a far greater man said
he would not do,--he has indicted a whole people. It follows from this
condemnation of the Federal Government for making war on the Rebels, and
this failure to condemn the Rebels for making war on the Federal
Government, that the Democrats, should they succeed in electing their
candidates, would pursue a course exactly the opposite of that which
they denounce. They would withdraw the nation from the contest, and
acknowledge the independence of the Southern Confederacy; and then they
would make such a treaty with its leading and dominant interest as
should place the United States in the condition of dependency with
reference to the South. That such would be their course is not only
fairly inferrible from the views embodied in the Chicago Platform, and
from the speeches made in the Chicago Convention, but it is what Mr.
Pendleton, the Democratic candidate for the Vice-Presidency, has said it
is our duty to do so, so far as relates to acknowledging the
Confederacy. He has deliberately said, that, if we cannot "conciliate"
the Rebels, and "persuade" them to come back into the Union, we should
allow them to depart in peace. Such is the doctrine of the gentleman who
was placed on the Democratic ticket with General McClellan for the
avowed purpose of rendering that ticket palatable to the Peace men. No
man can vote for General McClellan without by the same act voting for
Mr. Pendleton; and we know that Mr. Pendleton has declared himself ready
to let the Rebels rend the Union to tatters, and that he has opposed the
prosecution of the war. General McClellan is mortal, and, if elected,
might die long before his Presidential term should be out, like General
Taylor, or immediately after it should begin, like General Harrison.
Then Mr. Pendleton would become President, like Mr. Tyler, in 1841, who
cheated the Whigs, or like Mr. Fillmore, in 1850, who cheated everybody.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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