The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-02-13
For the Ledger.

MR. EDITOR: Az you have requested il,
will now give, briefly, my views on the
proprcty of South Cnrolina sending dele
gates to the Democratic National Convention
to be held at Ciituhat,i: % ~
An effort was made, during the late ses.
sion of the Legislature, to get up meeting
10 take that matter into consideration, but i.
Was unsuccessful. "A day or two before the
Adjournment, understood that a paper hsd
been Aligned by about fifty members, which
hhs since been published, Recommending the
people of the several Districts to meet at
their respective Court Houses, On Sslsday
in March, and appoint delegates to meet in
Columbia on this first Monday in May, for
The purpose of appointing delegates to rep
resent the State in the CINCINNATI Conrcn.
tion. That paper did not see, butt sup.
pose the reason WAS, that had expressed
myselfto q Senator who did sign Il, and who
ieSucsi.d my views on the matter, as op.
posed to the measure.
Since then, have read a good deal that
has been Urged in its favor, but have seen
40 suaGcieAt reason to induce a change in
my opinien. But, on the contrary, the more
have reflected on it, the more thoroughly
hm convinced that the policy heretofore
psrsued by the State, 10 keeping out of all
presidential scramhcs, is correct. | am Cd.
posed 10 the convention " caseus system
on principle. 1t supersedcs the mode point.
ed out in the Constitution, (w hich I pref.r,)
for the election Of President and Vice.
President. Il Is uafairly eonx,isated, is isss-
sPonsible, and is controlled BY few shsewd
and designing men, who arc looking more
TO their own selfish ends and personal ag-
grandisemcnf, than tosSholcscmc principles
and the rights Of tho different sections Of the
country. Now, what arc the arguments 10
favor of the States charging her policy and
going into this Convention! So far ss |
can understand them, they arc three. Th.
first is, that all the other States " i'll do SO,
and We might as we'll do likewise. The
amount Of the argument Is this, that if 9th.
ers do wrong, We must do 80 too. pass il by
without further comment. Another nrpu.
mcnt, and one they seem TO think is "a crush.
er, is, that this Convention is to meet and
lay down platform of principles, which will
secure us all our constitutional rights. The
great question now at issue, and paramount
tn all others, is the question of slavery. The
Rnsi-slavcry Seatineut predonlinatcx now, in
The popular branch of The Government, and
in fact, in all The Northern Statcs, and is still
increasing every day. The idea, then, of 70.
ing into that Convention, a majority Of
whose members will be from that section.
with the expectation Of making = platform
that will secure our constitutional rights on
this question, is TO my mind, the most pre.
postcrous idea that ever entered the brain
of sane u,an.
il platforms would secure our rights, We
ought 10 have had them long ago, for we
have had platform after platform, but unfor
tunately for US, We never hear any thing
more OF item. after they accomplish til.
purpose for which they were intended, to
wit: hat Of making President and diyid.
ing tie l"a'cs and fishes. For ~ part,
want no more platforms, made by irrcspon.
sib'e party conventions. We have platform
already nisdc-the Constituion-in which
our rights are guaranteed. Let us stand OIL
that and not beg for our rights, but demand
md exact them. If we cannot get them in
this way. il is worse than folly to expect to
do 80 in cau"uscs and conventions, in which
we are In the minority. The third argumcn,
IL, that We oupLt Ia a.. rcnr,.o,,.I e, H.,
Convention, in order to secure the nominn.
ton of President Pierce. | have no idea
THAT President Pierce can get the pomiua-
ton in that Convention. The fact. that he
has done justice to. and is popular in. the
South, is the very reason why he cant of got
IT. contend, that We viii rxsreise great
81 Influence n securing lis nomination, by
pot being, than IL we ~'-rc rcpfcsen 10 the
Convention. am willing. however, that
the different Districts should send delegates
TO Colnmbia, for the express purpose, and
ponc other, Of announcing Franklin Pierce
as the nominee Of this State, for reelection.
To the pres. mt system Of President max
ing, by conventions and csucuses, may be
attributed. more than all either causes put
5 together. tis- condition Of the South at this
time. II NIL ihc other Southern States had
followed our example In this respect. We
would have been united. ard had all our
riglitsin the Union or oar independence out
efit. DIXON BARNES.
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