What was the main issue in the Democratic Party's platform in 1864?

Answer 1

The main or center piece of the Democratic Party;s platform for the 1864 presidential election was a controversial one. The Democratic delegates to the convention wanted a cease fire in the US Civil War and a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. George B. McClellan was voted to be the presidential nominee.

Answer 2

In the Fall of 1864, the US Civil War raged on. There was no certainty concerning the final outcome of the war. For example, when General US Grant was named the Union's general in chief, he predicted the war would end in the Fall of 1864. In Virginia, it was a stalemate, while in September, Atlanta had fallen. With this background the Democrats held their 1864 presidential convention. There was a controversy. At the convention Peace Democrats wanted a platform that urged an immediate beginning to negotiations to end the war. The Democrat nominee, George B. McClellan however rejected this and sided with the War Democrats. Their position was that there could be no negotiations unless the Southern states first agreed to return to the Union.