Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-09
NUMBER 123.
MIR. Patton's Speech.

held in that city on last Tuesday evening as fol-
lows
On motion Of Mr.. J. II, Gimer, Geo. w. Toler
was appointed President of the meeting, and Dr.
Easey, one Of the editors of the Penny Post, and
Robert Ridgway, Jr,, editor of the Whig, were ap-
pointed Secretaries.
About this time Mr.. Patton entered, when thun-
ders of applause rang from every part Of the Hail.
| or Church rather, which was crowded to suifoca-
tion.
The President introduced Mr. r. to the assent
bly,; and when the applause which followed tho
announcement Of bis name subsidized, he arose and
said
Felow-citizens, feow-citizens Of the American
party, and of all parties / regret that, upon this
| first occasion Of the assembling Of the American
party, and OF the great body who are synpathizing
with the American party, that it shall be my lot
| to be the only one Of the nominees of the Win
chester Convention present to receive your greet
| ings on this occasion. / shonld have been much
better pleased and especially gratifed, if the dis
| tinguishcd leader, who has been chosen as the
political standard-bearer in the present canvass
had been present to address you, gentleman 70
much more able to address you than am, SO as
to do justice to your views, and so much better
qualified to crafty the expectations of this large
and crowded assembly, by an address worthy of
the great subject.
came here, gentlemen, rather for the purpose
Of vindicating myself for assuming the position
which have assumed, ard Of vindicatng you for
placing me in that position My nomination by tho
Winchester Convention as candidate for the suE
frages of the people of Virginia was as unexpected
as 1t was unsought by me, withdrawn, as 1 had
been, for several yearsfor two or three years, at
least-from any active participation in the political
controversies of the country. Absorbed in the
laborious, overwhelming, ard almost crushing dll-
ties of an arduous profession had paid very little
attention to the progress Of political events.
knew scarcely anything of the issues which we're
about to arise, and which were likely to guide the
people in the coming election. In that position
sought no Office, and expected none from any party,
or nomination from any party. held out no in
ducements to those who, in behalf of this new
American party, called upon me for the purpose Of
ascertaining whether would accept the nomina-
tion for the Office of Attorney General sincerely
and most earnestly discouraged the idea, and told
them very frankly that had not even read the
basis principles which they had put forth to the
public as containing the great objects for which
this organization was formed, and which they were
endeavoring to accomplish. ] was told that this
great organization desired, or at least portion of
the members of the Convention at Winchester, and,
probably the whole body would desire to confer
this nomination on me, if ] was willing to accept
the Office without any regard to my political opn-
ions or my political course; that this office was an
office wholly disconnected with political contro-
yersy in reference to the discharge Of the peculiar
duties which devolved upon it that 1t was an Office
which had no patronage connected with it; and
that estimating very highly, much more highly
than had vanity to aspire to, my qualifications
and fitness for the Office they desired to confer the
office upon me in reference to their estimate Of my
qualifications and fitness for it, without reference
at all to any political objects.
told them that II, under these circumstances
as it was an Office in the line of my profession an
Office which, although had no particular desire to
obtain It, would yet not be unacceptable to me-if
the Convention chose to confer upon me the nom.
nation, would accept it. assuring them at tho
same time that it would be incompatible with my
business TO engage in the political canvass in the
way of discussion and that in my estimate IL was
not desirable or proper that candidate for an OF.
fee of that sort should be mixed up in the angry
political strife of parties. most sincerely desired
TO occupy that position absolutely and entirely. Il
has not seemed good to the leaders and mouth
pieces Of the party the other side that shall be
permitted TO occupy that position. have been
assailed with iercencss of denuncation, and with
aYrulence of finvective and coarseness and hliber-
atty of abuse that has nevor been surpassed IL
indeed, II has ever bcen equalled-ny motives tra-
duced eagerness for Office imputed TO me, amnlu-
GUS aspirations suffering humiliation in consentlng
to take an inferior Office with tidewaters salary,
10 serve under another leader, with the high and
important and splendid Office Of Governor Of Vir-
gniA, with vast munhcent pecuniary compen-
sation.
You have seen what eagerness displayed to get
the nomination OF Attorney-General. And now
let me bring to the notice Of this vast assembly ana
10 those who have been disposed to impute TO mo
ambitious motives and cagerness for high ONCE,
ono or two simple papers, which Is all the answcrl
mean TO give to those charges.
received, on the evening Of the 18th OF March,
from Winchester, the following telcgraphic de-
spatch from friend oftninc, who was member Of
that body:
"Will you accept the nomination for Governor?
Reply Immediately to this"
Immediately sent the following by telegraph:
~ wodid not accept the Office Of Governor II
every man in Virginia were to vote for me-
BY an ingenious perycrsity OF accusation, u
might still be said that was like Caesar, rejecting
the crown because knew could not get II.
On the same evening, not very long after | bad
received the telegraphic despatch which have
just read, received this note from gentleman in
Richmond:
al have just received despatch by telegraph
that you were nominated for Governor, and re-
quested to communicate il directly"
AS soon as / received this note, instantly, for
the purpose ofpreyenting any Inconvenience to tho
Winchester Convention, such would result from
| their making nomination which would not be ac-
cepted, probably causing them to assemble again
there or somewhere else TO make another nomina-
ton, sent the following reply:
Several times during the last fifteen years have
declined being candidate for Governor when my
friends thought could be elected will not nc
cept the Office Of Governor under any circum-
stances, and though every man in the State were 70
vote for me. Excuse the apparent peremptorous-
ness Of this note"
These are my aspirations for the Office Of Cover
nor, and you can now well form notion how
| great was my modification at being passed over
for this high Office and offered the humble Office Of
| Attorney General 1t s proper to state that the
| information that was nominated for Governor was
a mistake, which Of course | did not know until
the following day. There was, az / understand,
| no such nomination, and the distinguished gentle
man who has been nominated and so worthy to
receive the suffrages Of this American party, was
| the decided choice of the Convention at all times.
| l do not know that there was single man who
was favorable to my nomination, except the par.
| ticular gentleman who sent me the despatch And
besides all that, il is now said am animated by
aspirations for the Senate. say here, and now,
| ss have said repeatedly in the course Oh tne ast
ffteen years, when my friends had desired to put
me in nomination for that office, az SAID about