The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-07-24
Briggs--No. 3.

According to promise last week, we publish
Mr.. Briggs third communication, thinking, thai
by letting him 60 on, he will soon wear himself
out.
We have no remarks to make, not wishing to
provoke controversy.
DR.. HoLr-Allow me to tender my acknowl.
edgments for publishing my remarks last week
and should have been content to let the matter
rest in statu guo, had you not considered it ne.
cessary to easseverate the binding authority Of
the Floyd Convention, in the nomination of Gen
Lewis. l consider this monstrous doctrine
which you call on all good Democrats to sustain
i. e. that the doings Of that Convention are
the legitimate and proper action Of the Demo.
cratic Party You have said yourself that the
Convention broke up wholesome rule of the
Party. How, then, can its action be ''legitimate
and proper?' l have said that no action of a
convention can be binding, unless that action &C.
cords with the rules of the Party. Now, what
Democrat does not acknowledge the legitimacy
of rotation in Office? and has not the convention
disregarded this cardinal article of faith in every
good Democrats creed? to say nothing of the
constitutional provision which you call nothing
No matter by what means convention is got
up, it is vaiu to talk of cliques-we are bound
by the action Of that convention-nolens volens
Let us suppose case, which cannot be very
Suppose in the first place, there are in the city
of Dubuque 90 men who want Office so bad that
they can't stand still, and that there are only 5
Offices to be divided between them. Well, sup
pose i OR 5 of the most influential of these men
get dozen or twenty of their friends together
and choose II delegates, who are pledged to
their purposes to 60 up to Floyds to make no.
limitations for the party. Well, when they get
there, in comes single delegate from an ad-
joining county, suited to their purpose, and they
Well, to give them little better show, they rope
in some fellow without credentials, from our
town and town or two more. WE'LL they no.
inmate Gen. Lewis for Senator, although he
tells them it will be great damage to him-they
gave somebody else Carte Blanch to the Day.
export Convention-and 60 on to the end of the
chapter.
Now, friend Holt, do you suppose that the
people are verdant enough to believe that this
kind of manouvering is the legitimate and prop.
er action Of the democratic party? If they do,
they are greener than take them to be.
Every honest thinking democrat must hang
his head and blush to see the sacred name of De
mocracy thus desecrated for selfish ends
When went to school they told me that the
word Democracy was derived from two Greek
words signifying literally a thing Of the people,
How many of the people think you had hand
in the Floyd Convention?
Was the Floyd Convention "Ming of thu
People, or thing Of half dozen individuals
in Dubuque?
With Gen. Lews's qualifca tons have no.
thing to do-he is a gent eman that very much
respect, both as q public officer and private
citizen But in this matter am opposed to him
and believe am right in so doing-and many
more think so too. Personally do not care a
fig to the result; but feel determined that
the People shall vote with full understanding
of the matter--and if they indorse the nomina-
ton of Gen. Lewis as "right and proper, so be
it. OTIS BRIGGS
Taylor Township, July 10, 1850