No. 63. Gerrit Smith on McClellan's Nomination and Acceptance.

Original publisher's beige paper pamphlet. Formerly bound. 5 1/2" x 8 1/2." Fifteen pages, complete. Pages are very clean and intact except for a small dampstain at bottom edges, age toning, and chipping and splitting on spine. A Very Good copy. This is No. 63 in a series of tracts by the Loyal Publication Society, a pro-Union, New York-based organization that was founded in early 1863 after the Union Army had suffered a series of losses in the American Civil War. The Society's purpose was to distribute pro-Union articles in order to boost morale among Union soldiers and the general public. This pamphlet contains the printed text of an essay that was written by Gerrit (also, Gerritt) Smith (1797-1874), an American politician, abolitionist, entrepreneur, and intellectual. Smith served as a United States Representative from New York from 1853-1854 and was also nominated as a presidential candidate in the elections of 1848, 1856, and 1860. In his essay, Smith quickly notes the dire nature of the upcoming election and how deeply divided the country is. Smith ardently supports President Abraham Lincoln and opposes McClellan. He dismisses partisans who only "follow party." He commends John C. Fremont and Cochrane for supporting Lincoln out of "maganimimity" and "patriotism." Smith says he does not follow the motto, "Our country right or wrong." He instead says, "It is only when she [the country] is right that I am with her. Nor, if I would, could I help her wherein she breaks with justice. A nation, like an individual, puts herself beyond the reach of help in proportion as she defies the claims of truth and righteousness." He excoriates the South for starting the war by attacking Fort Sumter. Smith says the North only went to war as a defensive maneuver. He also lambastes the South for its claim that it was being oppressed by the constitutional election of Lincoln. As a counterpoint, Smith highlights how the North never made claims of oppression when pro-slavery presidents were elected. He then elaborates how the North was even permissive toward the South regarding the issue of slavery. Smith says, "I admit that we wronged her [the South]; but never . did we oppress her. And the only way in which she was wronged by us was our shameful indulgence of both her tyrannous spirit and her greed of place and power." After illustrating the corruption of the South, he says that any of its standard-bearers are guilty of supporting its cause. He denounces McClellan's acceptance as the Democratic nominee. He says it would be one thing if McClellan refused the nomination, but since he accepted, Smith argues that it made him complicit with the South. Smith points out that in his acceptance letter, McClellan showed support for the South and opposition to the North. He also charges McClellan for aiding and abetting the enemy. Smith then says that the South is only using the Constitution to "destroy the country." He says the South wanted both constitutional protections and secession. After seceding, he argues that the only right the South has is the right to be punished. Smith adamantly counters any supposition that the South could peacefully return to the Union. He states that its actions prove otherwise. He forwards a saying by Lincoln, "no time to swap horses when crossing a stream," to illustrate his point that it would be dangerous for the Union to reverse its prosecution of war while in the midst of it. He then explains why so many Northerners sympathize with the South. He says, "It is because of the power of party. . In the early days of the Republic the parties, morally considered, were not essentially different. But its espousal of the Pro-Slavery policy wrought a sad change in the Democratic Party." He says slavery's defenders "love to have a stratum of humanity still lower than their own," and that the Democratic Party is now "the servant of the Slave-Power" and "Northern wing of the Rebellion.".…