Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-06-05
PRINCIPLES VS.. MEN.


We invite attention to the debate in the Bati
more Convention, on the question of postposing
declaration of principles until candidate should
have been nominated. The Democracy have ever
protested an unbounded devotion to principle
They have always told us that their motto and
their guide was principles, not men''-and they
would have the people believe that the object of
the present gathering of clans at Baltimore is not
to promote the purposes of individual ambition
but to carry out the great principles of the Dem
ocratic party. But what says Mr.. Soue, the ac-
compllshed French Democrat from Louisiana p
He declared that the inevitable effect of the adop-
ton of the resolution offered by Mr. Nabers
would be, that ''erery man IN the Conrention, eu-
cry individual member of the Committee on resolu-
tons, would strain his best nerve to prepare n
platform to suit the purpose of the individual cam
didate for whom he might entertain predilec-
ton, and in this struggle and sea of opinion pre-
pare an abyss for the dignity and harmony of the
Democratic party
A precious confession this A beautiful picture
worthy the pencil of Partisan artist, of Demo-
cratic devotion to political principle and the pub
lie good Here is party protesting to enter
tain certain great principles upon the practical APP
plication of which in the administration of the
government they say that the honor, the safety,
and the prosperity of the country depend. They
meet together from all quarters of the confedera-
cy for the ostensible purpose of securing the as
cendancy of these principles and thereby promo
ting the interests of the people. A proposition is
made that the party shall put forth public dec
laration of its creed, before nominating a candi-
date, upon the ground that principles should take
precedence OF mon; whereupon one of the most
distinguished.and talented men of the party rises
and expresses the opinion that there was not
member of the Convention, who, to secure the
nomination of his own particular favorite, was not
prepared to shape the platform of his party to suit
the views of that favorite In other words there
was not man in that august sanhedrim who was
not ready to sacrifice principles to men. The
Wings have said many hard things of the De-
mocracy, but they gave utterance to any
such wholesale and indiscriminate imputation as
this. We have no doubt, however, that Mr..
Soue was right in the main, and it would seem
that the Convention was of the same opinion, as
it adopted the course which he recommended,
tIeIeDy euuofSlLS Iue SouuuHeSS OI Ills reasoning
and expressing, by implication. modest distrust
of its own virtue.
We hear much ofthe great and cardinal prin-
ciples of Democracy. The Democratic party
have been pretending to proclaim these for the
last fifteen years or more. They have erected
platforms immemorabe both state and national,
but their political creed is still as unsettled and as
Misunderstood by the country and even among
themselves, as if they had never vouchsafed to
enlighten the public, on the subject. They claim
peculiar merit, and as an honorable distinc-
tion that they have always fearlessly, honestly
and fully avowed their principles in the face of
the country, but if this were true, these princi-
Piles would be better understood than they are,
there would be no difficulty about erecting their
platform, and no danger of its being shaped, as
apprehended by Mr.. Soule, to suit the purposes of
individual asprants to the Presidency.
1t will be seen that Gov. Floyd of this State,
expressed the opinion that platform was not alb
solutely necessary he wanted man whose life
was guarantee that he was true to Democratic
principles; the only platform that of the con-
sttution on which the candidate is sworn, &c.
This sounds something like the Wing doctrine
in the Taylor campaign, which was so bitterly
ridculed and denounced, by the party of pledges
and platforms