Chicago Convention
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SEPTEMBER 3, 1864.] HARPER'S WEEKLY. 573 VIEW OF THE TENT IN WHICH THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION IS TO BE HELD, AT CHICAGO, AUGUST 29, 1864.THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.WE give on this page portraits of C. L. VALLANDIGHAM and FERNANDO WOOD, the leaders of the Peace Party ; also a view of the WIGWAM in which the Democratic Convention is to be held on Monday the 29th. These two gentlemen recently held a Peace Convention at Syracuse, New York, the object of which was to coerce the Chicago Convention by a vast popular demonstration in favor of peace. The meeting was of no significance. They each made speeches, earnestly begging the people by their fear of severe wounds and of heavy taxes not to resist the rebellion any longer with arms, but to settle our difficulties by compromise. As our " difficulties" are nothing but the armed resistance of certain citizens to the laws, with the declared intention of destroying the Government, it is not easy to understand what kind of compromise with them is possible, except submission to the degradation of the Government. The plan of Messrs. VALLANDIGHAM and WOOD undoubtedly contemplates a temporary separation, with the hope of an ultimate reunion upon terms that will permanently secure the Southern ascendency. Of course there is as yet no open declaration of such a scheme, but no man familiar with our politics and with the course of these two leaders will doubt it. Their silence, and the studied manner in which they always speak of the Union as endangered by the loyal men of the North, instead of the rebels at the South, and the constant declaration that the authority of the Government can not be maintained by force, are sufficiently significant of their views. Mr. VALLANDIGHAM was first notorious as the squire of Mr. MASON, of Virginia, at the time of the JOHN BROWN enterprise, when he endeavored to extort from the old man something that would implicate in a conspiracy the leaders of the political party to which Mr. VALLANDIGHAM was opposed. This unhandsome trick, in which certain gentlemen in New York took part, signally failed ; and a suit at law being brought against the New York gentlemen by Mr. GERRIT SMITH, the effort was exposed to merited contempt. Since then Mr. VALLANDIGHAM has been a steady friend of the rebels. Of Mr. FERNANDO WOOD, who as first notorious for a suit brought against him for swindling by his partner, Mr. MARVIN, and who as Mayor of the city of New York regretted to ROBERT TOOMBS that he could not connive at the sending of arms destined for the slaughter of loyal citizens, the New York Herald of August 22, 1864, says : " His appropriate sphere is that of a ward politician, and he displays himself to singularly bad advantage whenever he vainly attempts to appear like any thing else." CLEMENT L. VALLANDIGHAM.--[PHOTOGRAPHED BY BRADY.] HON. FERNANDO WOOD.--[PHOTOGRAPHED BY BRADY.] |
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