Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-06-08
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION.

Some are are "born great" and some have
i'greatness thrust upon thomas was sagely re-
marked by great man good while ago-and if
the saying wanted confirmation from some mod
ern Instance, which should effectually exclude all
idea of the ''detur degRiori" as the principle of
promotion, the Democracy have certainly sup
piled it now. Not man whose intellect states
manship, or distinguished public service would
seem to indicate as fit head for this nation stood
the least chance for the honor from the first. Ia
scripture phrase, though clearly not in the scrip
ture sense, it has resulted that s'the first shall be
last and last should be frst''-for the nominee
who got vote in the beginning, and only one
the 23d ballot, got two hundred at the end; and
Cass, who got most votes on the first ballot, finally
dropt down to the bottom, like bucket in
empty WE'LL with the windlass let loose The
most amusing thing here, was first the stolid
amazemeut next the look of perplexed enquiry
then the gradually assumed air Of satisfaction to
be on the countenances of ''the Faithful"
when the news was received. Never had the
wires thrown set of people into such bewider-
ment. "Who is PIERCE said one !-'Pierce,"
what pierce" said another! (They had it
.'Pearce'' posted up in place. )-s.Why don't
NOu klUW lie WIS III Tile M6AlCdu w Ill !-duu
straightway with penny history
of SCOTS battles, searching him out. ''Well,"
said guid nunc, with grave shake of the head,
sits better nomination any how, than Douglass
and certainly it would be exaggeration to say
that if the whole assembled Democracy of Virg-
MIA, rank and file, who will doubtless cast their
votes for Pierce President, simply because
they told by their leaders to do so, Gust as
they voted for Governor Johnson,) had been put
to the question three days ago, who the man is,
where he lived, and what was is history, not
one in one thousand could have given any clear
answer to the question-so little in truth, have
they to do with the elections, they are taught to
believe, free, and so completely are their votes
made mere counters, in the thmble-rig proceed
ceedings of Politicians and Polieical Conventions
The fact of such nomination indeed, is a striking
circumstance in the Philosophy, so to speak, of
the two parties. In Wing Conventions, there
may be rivalry-a struggle for preference, be-
tween candidates-but then the candidates them
selves have been known, approved. admired long
their names and deeds, household words-with
those whose feelings and opinions are represent
ed IN the nominating body. Fillmore, Webster,
Scott-in what homestead in broad America, are
these names unfamiliar sounds? What Wing is
not now ready to say, if he can't get of these
men for President, he will readily take the other!
But look at the Democratic proceedings-ssab
tquotans, adj ignotius' Polk, Pierce, and who
next!-in this graduated declension into obscure
ty! 4 secret concave of cardinals engaged in
making Pope Joan, were not more glaring con-
tempt of all popular agency, in the bestowa of
the Supreme Dignity.
But it appears that this is emphaticay Vir-
ginia nomination. For after voting many ballots
for Buchanan, the delegates from this State, cast
their votes on Pierce, who h ad been forgotten in
the previous struggle and shortly after, Virginia
was followed by the South, including Maryland;
and then by Pennsyva and New York-until
at length there majority in his favour. And
what recommended him to the delegates of Vir-
ginia 1t is scarcelya week since the .smaster-
ly movement of MIR. Elector Scott resulted in
procuring from thirteen of fifteen gentlemen, (of
whom Mr. Pierce one,) whom he favored
with his correspondence, the 'strue Democratic
Platform las the Enquirer styled it) on the SUBJ
ject of the Fugitive Slave Law-and we were
further informed that "the mail has failed to
bring responses from only two of the distinguished
Seulienen addressed. VIZ: Oen w m. ~. Butter
of Kentucky, and Gen. Franklin Pierce of New
Hampshire" But the Enquirer assured the pub
lie, that from ''whnt the Editor knew Of these
gentlemen and their devotion to the constitutional
rights of the South, and the true interests and
safety of our blessed Union, he undertook to guar
antee that their replies, fully and afirmatvely
responsive to the interrogatores Of Mr.. Scott
would have been received but for distance and
the irreguarity of the mails. We ventured then
to surmise contingency in which this mode of
getting Platform might fail of its object
some person, not Intercepted, might get the NOM
ination, and then what would be the value of the
replies? We could not possibly anticipate the
otheralternative that has happened-that if no
reply from Gen. Pierce before the nomination,
and still less that the Virg mia delegates would |
think so poorly of the mastery movement as |
an expedient, to vote his nomination, without |
even waiting for the mails or was it because of
this irregularity in the mails, that General Pierce
got their vote and SO got their nomination? We
have heard it said that the Freesoilers would
never vote for of Mr.. SCOTS respondents
for having pledged themselves to agitate the re-
peal of the Fugitive Slave Law, they would not
stultify themselves by supporting candidate who
had pledged himself TO veto its repeal, though
they might feel certain the pledge itself was
nullity for any occasion there will ever be, to
deem it. Without that vote, and in the event of a
disruption of the coalition by which Freesoism
and Democracy now hold the ascendancy in some
of the States, the latter faction would be put to
extremity-was the necessity of securing that
VOTE felt in the selection of that catechumen who
had made no reply If so, we have only to say
tlatc H. L fni.h nfn