34 will be a glorious success, and the other pronoun cing it a failure for tlic end had in view; the one basing the war-policy upon the riglitful authority of this Government to suppress a rebellion and enforce obedience to its laws, and the other strangely passing this moral and political question in total silence ; the one referring to the institution of slavery as the cause and largely the strength of the rebellion and proposing that at an early period the Constitution should be so alnended as to remove this gigantic evil from the land, while the other makes no reference whatever to this subject. These are the leading contrasts between the two platforms, on which the American people are invited to express their judgment at the coming election. They are entirely clear ; any one who understands the English language, can see them; and hence they need no expositor. I need not say to you, that, between these platforms with their respective candidates, you are to make your choice. One or the other will receive the approval of the popular will, and hence regulate the future policy of tliis Government. 80 it ought to be, since both are fairly and squarely before the American people. There should be no factious minority resisting the will of the majority. Let me add, that for all the purposes of my own judgment as a citizen and a voter, I regard each political organization with its platform and candidates as substantially one thing. You must vote either for or against the whole together. You cannot separate them if you would. You cannot vote for the candidate, and reject the jilatform, or for the platform and reject the candidate. The truth is, the candidate stands upoii the platform, if he stands upon anything. If he accepts the nomination, he must accept the platform of jprinci/ples upon which it is presented to him, and if elected, he must carry out those principles, or be a traitor to the party nominating him. He is the platform in a personal embodiment, and the platform is the candidate in the theory iq)on which he comes into power. There is no escape from this conclusion; and there should be no effort to mystify it. To practice a dodge-game here is evasion and trickery. True, the candidate may decline the nomination, —this is his
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