The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-06-14
GEN. cAss's LETTER OF ACCEpTANE

GENTLEMEN: have the honor to acknwl'
edge the receipt of your letter ofthe 18th ist.,
annnun cling to me tina, have been nomiited
by the conventional The Democratic party sits
candidate for the Office Of President oftheJnl'
ted States, at the approaching election. -
While | accept. with deep gratitude, thi'dis'
tinguished honor-and distinguished indeed is
do so, with fearful apprehension ofthges.
it may eventually bring with itand
with profound conviction that it is the ind
confidence of my fellow citizens, far more Ian
any merit ofmy own which has placed me aus
prominently before the American people,
And fortunate shall | be, ifthat confidence shud
find, in the events ofthe future, a better jusli.
cation than is furnished by those of the past:
have carefully read the resolutions !ot ifs
Democratic National Convention, laying dow
the platform of our political faith, and i adher
to them as firmly. as approve them cordially
And while thus adhering to them shall do o
with sacred regard TO "the principles and con
promises of the constitution" and with an etr.
nest desire f,rtheir maintainence "in splrIt@
moderation and broiherly love, so vita'Iy essen.
tial to the perpeuity of The Union and the pros
perity and happiness Of our common county,
n feeling which has made US what we are, ar1
which, in humble reliance upon Providence, We
may hope is but the beginning OF what we arc
TO he. If called upon hereafter to renderan
accoun, of my stewardship, in the great tns'
you desire to commit to me, should | be abe to
show that had truly redeemed the pledge hus
publicly given, and had adhered to The TrIn.
cipIes of The Democratic party with as much
fidelity and success as has generally m'Tked
the administration Of the eminent men TO whom
that party has hitherto con6ded the chief esecu.
tive authority Of the government, could p'eie'
no higher claim to the favorable consideration
of the country, nor to the impartial comnenda-
tion Of history.
This letter. gentlemen, closes my profession
OF political faith. Receiring my first appoint.
ment from that pure patriot and great ekPoun.
der of American Democracy, MIR. Jefferson.
more than forty years ago, the intervening Pc.
rod Of my lfe..has been almos, wholly passed in
the service ofrny country, and has been marked
by many vicissitudes and attended with many
trying circumstances; bath in peace and war.
Ifmy conduct in these situations. and the opn
ions have been called upon to form an express
from time to time, in relation to all the great
party topic of the day, do not furnish clear ex'
position of my views respecting them, and at
the same time sufficient pledge OF my faithful
adherence to their practical application, when
ever and wherever may be required to act
anything further might now say. would nc
mere delusion, unworthy Of myself, and Justl,
offensive to the great party in whose name you
are now acting.
Ny immediate predecessor in accepting the no.
mination by Democratic party, who has since
established so many claims to the regard and con
Years ago, his acceptance Of similar honor
announced also his determination not TO he a
candidate for re. election. Coincding with hun
in his views so well expressed, and so faithful
ly carried out, beg leave to say. that no cir
cumslances can possibly arise, which would in
duce me again to permit my name to br brought
forward in connexion with the Chief Magi,tra
cy Of our country. My inclination and my
sense ofdu,y equally dictate this course. .
No party, gentlemen, had ever higher mo.
tives for exerIion, nan has the great Democrat
ic party of the United States. With an abi
ding confidence in the reclilude Of our princi'
Piles, with an unshaken reliance upon the ener-
gy and wisdom of public opinion, and with the
success which has crowned the administration
of the government, when committed TO its keep
ing, (and il has been so committed during more
than lhree-fourhs ofits exstence,) what hal
been done, is at once the reward Of past eSer
ton and the motive for future, and at the same
time, guarantee for the accomplishment oi
what we have to do. We cannot conceal from
ourselves that there is a powerful party in the
country differing from US in regard to many oi
the fundamental principles of our Government
and opposed to us in the practical application
which will, strive rs we shall, 10 secure the as
cendancy of their principles, by securing The
election of their candidate in the coming con-
test. That party is composed of our fellow cit.
izens, as deeply interested in the prosperity o.
our common Country as we can be, and seek
ing as earnestly as we are to promote and per-
petuatc it.
We shall soon present to The world tho sub
lime spectacle Of the election ofa Chief Mag
istrate by twenty millions of people without q
single serious resistance 10 the laws or the sac
rifce ofone human being; and this too in the
absence ofalI force, but the moral force OF our in
s,iturions; and il we should add TO all this an
example ofmutual respect for the motives b
the contending parties, so that the contest
might be carried on with irnness and energy
which accompany deep conviction, and with
as little personal asperity as political divisions
permit, we should do more for the great cause
ofhuman freedom throughout the world. than
by any other tribute we could render to its val
ue.
We have government founded by the will
of all responsible to The power Of all. The
very first article in the Democratic creed teach.
es that the people are competent to govern
themselves; It is indeed. rather an axiom than
an article ofpoitical faith. From the days o.
Gen. Hamilton to our days, the party opposed