The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1855-07-14
Tbt felitiara 9emotrat.
REMARKS OF COL. sANDIDGE.

REMARKS OF COL. SANDIDGE.
Col. JOHN NJ. SANDIDGE having been
declared the unanimous choice of the Dele
gates, of the Democratic Convention held
at Alexandria on the 25th ult., Ito nominate
a candidate to represent tile Fourth Con-
|gressional District in Congress, upon being
presented to the Convention, addressed
that honorable body in substance as follows;
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of the Con-
vention:-Those who have looked into the
wells of human feeling, and noted the NOV.
ing of their waters, may estimate my emo
tons at receiving from you this honorable
testimonial Of your regard and esteem. %
To be at any time selected as the stan
dard-bearcr Of the good old Democratic
Cause, is an honor to be priced by the most
ambitious and aspiring; but when such a
selection is made under circumstances and
at time when success may appear to be
involved in doubt, the evidence of approba-
ton is most flattering and conclusive. So
long accustomed to triumph, the labors of
Democratic Conventions have heretofore
been matters of secondary consideration,
as their ratification by the mass of our bretl-
rem has almost invariably followed; but
there are periods in the history of parties,
as of individuals, when confidence has addi.
tional value, and should be cherished by the
recipient as gift not to be estimated by
ordinary and evanescent considerations.
The responsibility that will attach to your
present actiou, gentlemen, must be divided.
Yon have done what doubtless appeared
to yon to be proper, and it remains for me,
humble as | am, to strain every nerve and
bend every energy of mind and body that
! may possess, to make good the work you
have commenced and entrusted to my hands.
1t was wise saying of shrcwd observer
of human action, that the man who is good
promises is fit for nothing else;
and you must pardon me if am sparing of
them. / will make but one, and redeem that
if God spares my life. / will canvass this
Congressional District thoroughly in its
length and breadth, and what ever indus.
try eau accomplish may be counted upon.
| fully comprehend the fact that hard work
is TO be performed by all, and that this is
not the time for summer soldiers, or the ey-
hibition of that unmanly indifference
which courts defeat and rcceivesi it, without
deserving the regard of any one who takes
a proper view of the duties and response
bilitics candidates chosen by agrcat Par
ty; which holds them to a rigid accounta-
bility for their acts of omission and com.
mission. Rest assured, gentlemen, that
whatever fate may betide me-whether vic
torious or defeatcd--my skirts shall be
clear of such supineness and neglect. If
| fall, it will be when the last shot has been
fired, and am overwhelmed by adverse
circumstances yet in the womb of time.
Gentlemen you have met and concluded
your deliberations under a strange, may
not say an extraordinary aspect of national
affairs. When your predecessors assembled
in this hospitable town, and nominated for
Congress most worthy citizen of my neigh
boring Parish, Caddo, the skies were bright,
and the prospect cheering indeed. The
Republic had passed through fiery ordeal,
and the chains that binds these States to-
gether in confedcracy for mutual benefits
and mutual sacrifices, appeared to be bright
ef and more valuable from the experiment
to which it had been subjected. The Com
promise measures whether good or bad
and discussion of them now were useless
had the appearance ofa Finality. The stor-
my waves of faction seemed to have subsi-
ded; the fell spirit of fanatcisn, never en-
tirely eradicatcd, was crushed and silent:
the rights of the South had been asserted
and maintained, not, it is true, without con-
siderable effort, but the result, if not entire
ly satisfactory, was acquiesced in by the
States forming the Southern division of our
country, and having peculiar domestic in
stitutions. 1t appeared to be decrecd that
this happy condition Of things should be
illusory, and that the calm in the political
elements at the time was but the precursor
of a gale which we have since encounter
ed, and which is now raging iu the North
ern section of the Republic. Your able
Representative had not been warm in his
seat in the national capital before the in
fcrnal fanatical agitation was renewed, and
those who are parties 10 the Federal COM
pact made in good faith, set about "calcula-
ting" its value as they would yard of low
ellis, New Haven clock, or barrel of
Thomaston lime. Had their base deser-
ton of Principle and disloyalty to the I'm
ion stopped here the South MIGHT have