Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-03-19
DEMOCRATIC MEETING.

The Democrats o Richmond assembled III
large numbers a, The City Hail. Oh "Wednesday
night. The official proceedings will be inunu III
another column. Believing that The people oi'ne
District would be pleased 10 know the posiaohs
held by the late representative IN Congress VI ~"
the prominent topics of the day, We have maoe i
hasry and very imperfect sketch OF MIR. Seldom
views upon few points, II does mol become US 10
express an opinion as 10 ihs impression pIoaueeu
BY Mr.. SIS remarks. The delegates TO The Con
yeplion who will he called upon 10 selecl can
didale, will be enabled 10 form their own concur
sions. Blu! we deem not improper 10 Stale 'ha'
Mr.. S. boldly and frankly ayowed his sentiments
10 The audience many Of wnoin pIopoundeu IN
terroaatories To him in course Of The evening, ana
he let il 10 Them 10 say whether ne was sun
WORTHY OF their continued confidence ana
| support. A resolution was adopted, cofdiai
Iy approving The course OF Nj. Seldom in The
| late Congress of the United States.
| While we differ entirely from Mr. ). on some
points. and agree with him upon others we cheer
fully refer The decision Of the question TO me
nominating Convention, in The iuli confidence
that with all the lights before them, they Will 10
,uslice in the premises and select Candidate
whom all can support and in whose election oni
principles will triumph.
MIR. Seldom being introduced 10 the heelng'
delivered very able and animated actress IL
would be impossible Tor us 10 give an outline %:
all his remarks, and we shall only attempt to
slate. concisey what he said, on some OF Inc
| promipen, tories 10 which he referred. In regard
Ia Baltimore Convention. he slated maj ne hei"
,hr same ground nov, which he mad oscupiea
| rrevicusp ~ and al he lime Of ms l1in'ei nom
| ina,ion and election. That his opinions on this
.ubec, were then published and The publication
widely circulated, and they were well known TO
The District Convention which nominated ann =
They had Undergone no change s'ncei On Tue
and confirmed by subsequent reflection and ex-
per,snce lie had oiYrcted 10 thr organization
of The Convention teioTe, he did so now. Inc
objection resed on various grounds, hut mainly
on this tina, in making The nomination, (Which,
il all are pledged 10 support il. would be IN effect
making The election OF a President undue petehf
was given 10 The Northern portion OF Inc party !;
sufficient, indeed, 10 enable The North 10 dictate Inc
nominee and thus control the election; and THIS
WAS done, by permitting small number otlhe pat
| 10 in Massachusetts. for instance, who would give
no vote in he Electoral College for the Democratic
candidate. as potential voice in the nomination
Of the candidate, as was given TO the great num-
Der of the party in Virginia. for instance, who
would vote for him in the College Of Electors.
Thus he power Of nomination, and virtually
,ha, Of election, so lar as The Democratic party
was concerned wsuld be transferred TO The North,
by stripping The large portion OF the party 10 the
South, Of their due weight in the Convention. he
could no, pledge himself 10 90 Tor a nominee
whom the North might thus dictate 10 US. tie
did not think il proper wise 10 do so; and espe-
cially this time when their recent action in Cor
press had shown, and when from his intercourse
with them he had ascerrained. that with few
honorable exceptions, The Democratic party, no
less than he Wing party al the North, were I'M
sound on the subject ot our slave institutions.
No Southern man should be willing 10 surrender
10 Them more than their just weight in making
The nomination; and no individual, ie believed,
would be found al the Sonih who woait consent,
after due reflection, 10 go il blind, and 10 pledge
himself TO support he nominee whom these North
rrn anti.slavery men had the power Q. dcla
ling 10 him. He could no give pledge
10 vote tor such nominee in his representative
capaciry, because he was answera5lc 10 hiscon
sli,uenrs for his vote in that capacity and bound
10 ohcy heir will. The same objection presented
iseli 10 pledge, that as representative, he
would vote as the Democratic party IN Virginia
might vote. So lar as his nclnatons and feel.
ipes were concerned, he could have no objection
10 give such pledge. Hehad no dis'Iust OF tho
Democrats Of Virginia. He certainly expected
to vote Tor The man whom maloliIy ol them pre-
terred. as he had done in 1874, when he zeal.
ously sustained Mr.. Polk. But, il instruct.
ed by his constituents he was bound by The
cardinal principles Of the Democratic creed.
10 obey their will or resign, and he could not
therefore pledge himself 10 obey The will Il
others If elected, all might be assured, thai
on this, as on all other questions, in The alb
.ence OF Instructions, he should give Demo
cratic vote-lhe bes, which his best Judgement
could dictate.
In regard 10 the Mexican war, he stated The
suggestions which had been made BY MIR. Cal.
houn as 10 the best mode of conducting il, and
said that he had, from the first, frankly differed
with him about it, and that he still so differed
with him, but that he would mol, on that account,
consent 10 renounce him. On the other hand,
he did not think The plan on which the war had
been conducted was The best which could be de-
visei He was himself in favor ui concentrating
large force al New Orleans one worthy the
dignity and power Of our great RePublic-with
directions TO land al the most convenient point
on the Mexican shores, and under The lead OF
an able and experienced General, 10 strike blow
after blow, and achieve victory after Victory, I'M
al our standard foated over the walls Of the
Mexican capital We were disposed for peace,
and seldom engaged in war. When we did fight,
we should do il in manner which should con-
vince all Chris,endom of our proves and our
might. Having taken their capital. We should
have done all that The most powerful nation
could do; and il we tailed then 10 obtain just
and honorable peace, through the folly Of this
stubborn and semi. barbarous race, We should re-
tire TO a defensive line, fof he was utterly or
posed 10 the tongues, OF Mexico,) which line
should include as much territory as would Ie-
imbu,se all the expenses 1.-The war, These views
MIR. Seldom enforced with great ability and in
eloquent and stirring language. II our lime and