Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-06-02
...
POLITICAL.
From tic ST. La,orsnee Rcgatiice")
THE CONVENTIOS AND THE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES.

Fr0Igld ST.. Laurence
THE cONvENTIoS AND THE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES..
So many of our contemporaries OF the hepuoican
press are discussing the topics win wiiich we heau
this article, that constrained 10 say wofa upon
each And first OF the Convention. That one Is 10
he holden is universally assumed by all The compel
tors for the Presidency, upon the Republican sioe o
politics. and By all their friends. TINS IS as u shonlo
be- Regular nominations, IN the sense IN when 'hose
term. are understood BY the New \ ork Democracy
are as indispensable the OF that party as an
adherence to its stable and fundamental pf;ncPes-
The candidate of the party Tor any responsible repre-
sentative office, is but approximation oil those pfh
cipes and until tina; great and popular party shall De
come so Impoverished and pauperised. as TO embrace
but one man. within aaost countless leglonS, ca
pable OF dschargag the duties, and holding The ua-t
of any office within IT'S ciit, the necessity ioF regular
nominations cannot be diminished. The preferences
for candidates. who qualified and worthy, mast ae
the strongest where they The best known; and II
the each local portion o. the party TO De cast
for its local favoriie without concert one OF Two con-
sequences both equally disastrous, must follow FL
Their division bring defeat, by giving the election
10 less numerous and powerful bu, more united par
ty or the election Of President by tie people must be
rendered forever hopeless and that worst OF all results
an election by the House % Representatives, for The
people, must te the only election Of that oihcer, known
10 our system.
We are eversc TO both these consequences, and
therefore we are for regular nominations for all the
elective officers Of the Democratic party, and more
than all others 70. the cce OF President In That oi-
Ger the people have the highest stake; and IN ccun-
try broad and extended ours, with interests con-
Hicing as local aud sectional interests in such coun
try must be, and Will. the multitrdes OF men which
party like tba, which belong, must and will ever
be able to present. fully qualified 10 discharge the du
ties of the highest Office of the Government, and IN
every way deserving the first honors of the Republic,
it is vain and absurd suppose that harmony ri action
can be secured without conventional NOMINATIONS IL
should not be SO, aud j, is not So We would not, u
we could, have any much the object OF po-
pular favor that he could not have competitor. II
IS salutary TO let every man know however strong his
pretensons, that has claims To such an election must
be tried with those OF h's distinguished co'emPorares,
and that TO be the candidate ot party so pa
trotic he must pass The ordeal OF convention oil It's
selected representatives Thus TO be presented be
The candidate OF this great party, and not the candidate
Of clan or faction.
Questions have been made about abiding such
Ininaon, though any member OF Tins great party
did possess could possess, claims upon lis favor pa
ratnount 10 its own will and choce Such SUGGESTIONS
surely cannot have been The fruit of mature conside
ration. No man, calling himself a Democrat, Will as.
sumo stand thus above his party, and It's WILL any
more than he Will 10 represent principle above
and beyond, in conflict with, those of his political
friends and supporters.
So ifs have been put forth as The fairness Of
mination BY convention of the representatives. OF the
Democracy OF this Union. Who shall put forth such
as by authority !! those representatives. act, and the
great body OF The Democracy approve that action, who
is authorized TO proclaim uniarness and fraud; Who
IS warranted anticipating either the part OF such
an arsemblagc; Is any who asks the favorable
verdict of such convention: Is any candidate To pre-
sent himself TO this council of the political fathers and
say them, when he registers his name upon the ca
lendar of candidates, "l you nominate me- well; but
you do not, Will hold your proceedings void and pro-
claim them fraudulent" No possessing the feel
ipgs of Democrat, actnaed by the spirit and prn
cpies of that party, Will assume such position The
representatives OF the Democracy OF this Union prac
fraud in selecting candidate for their party for
the high office o! PRESIDENT Who will make the
charge Not certainly one no either expects,
lic,ts that proud distinction. The very suggestion
would prove the want OF the frs, qualification for
candidate OF the Democracy, Just confidence in the
intelligence aud Integrity oil us people themselves, IN
the want offs Just confidence lie aipnrty with which
the representatives, q the people. voluntarily selected
10 discharge single and tpeclfc Duty, wi act Away,
then with all, IL, and IeteYefy candidate no asks this
proud distinction submit ks clans rncanciiionaIly TO
The decision Of the Democratic Con'trron
Questions OF umc, tn, Asss Isea se,.ogsly rnooed ];
of the time of holdipy tuis convention though
Martin Van Buren,, or John {. CsJoosa. James
Buchanan, or Richard n. Johnson n LEWIS Csss,
were TO become better known 10 the peDple u this
country in Nav l-3l ;san they are no# 0. w,ll be
in November, 1913 how long have these distinguish
ed Republicans been almost exclusively IN the public
service? And which one OF thein Will now come Tor
ward and cay, upon his own responsibility that he de
sres this high dtnoton bat that he IS not ready to
10
10 the Representatives oftha; Democracy in convention
assembled: That il is material to him to have from
November TO May to make out his case: Or that he IS
unwilling to occupy the position OF candidate Tor the
first office of the Republic fer whole year, instead OF
the half of one; Not of the men we have named
will place himself in such attitude. Their public
characters their long and faithful services, and their
known and avowed principles forbid the idea They
cannot, they Will not do il. Will the friends OF either
of them take position FOR him, which he would not
take for himself VIII they urge delay, upon the
ground that their favorite candidate is not yet sui-
GENTLY known to the country We cannot think so.
Ii is in our opinion, so far the candidates them
selves are concerned, and so far The nomination
of either is TO be affected question OF no sort OF IN
portance Mt what the convention shall be held -
If it be shown that the selection OF either can de-
pend upon point entirely unconnected with any
consideration of fitness and qualification for the place
as this mus, be- that would 90 far to show US that
such ought moi 10 be selected at all. The great
objects OF the nomination two LIST, 10 secure a
proper and suitable candidate who if elected will
prove himself "honest, capable and faithful to the Con
stitution; and ID, elect that candidate BY concep
tratng the energies and action of the whole Democra
tic party his favor Ii the individual be qualified in
fact that may reach the first object OF nomination,
but that alone cannot effect the second He must not
be qualified simply, but be be known TO the body
of the Democracy, and must have proved himself 20
qualified to their Satisfaction, nomination will not
give him their votes his election; and no ne
acquaintance of six months, with candidate who has
been well known for twenty or thirty years, from con-
slant employment in the public service, IS TO give him
new character with the people, or establish his ia.
vor preference his competitors which he does not
now hold The Democratic nomination for President,
for 1874 is not to depend upon preferences epheme
raj, and we'll is it that the popular mind is not thus
lightly take lis inclination upon point SO important,
else the six months between May and November, might