Reconstruction, Political and Economic, 1865-1877 Volume 22

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ...movement is valuable. Blaine, Twenty Years of Cong., II., 520, 531. with the Liberal chiefs,1 and were too deeply committed to withdraw. By this time there was, indeed, no hope of success against Grant except through Greeley; and accordingly the Democratic convention, which met at Baltimore, July q, simply adopted the platform and the candidates of the Liberals., The acceptance of the platform was a step of great significance. Four years earlier the Democratic national convention, under southern inspiration, committed the party to repudiation of congressional reconstruction and the war amendments as revolutionary and void;2 now it solemnly resolved to jnaintain emancipation and enfranchisement, and " to oppose any reopening of the questions settled by theThirteenth. Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments." This was simply to acknowledge defeat on the issues of the war andreconstruction, to relegate those issues to the dead past, and to take a stand on the necessity oi such relegation. The expedi-ency of this "new departure" in party policy had been widely discussed during the growth of the Liberal movement. Vallandigham, of Ohio, had strongly advocated a change of base by the Democracy,1 and the support given to the project by the old Copperhead faction, which he represented, had been a source of much encouragement to the anti-Grant Republicans. 1 McClure, Our Presidents, 230; Blaine, Twenty Years of Cong., II.. 524. 'See above, p. 132. Am. Annual Cyclop., 1871, pp. 609, 750. On June 5, a month before the Democratic convention did its work, the regular Republicans met atJPhiladelphiq an rarripd thrnngh the long predetermined programme nf naming General Grant for a second term. The serious anxiety which the Liberal defection caused to the...