Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-05-06
THE LYNCnBURG CvA) REPUBLICAN,
AND THE PRESIDENCY.

AND THE PRESIDENCY.
This really able journal, conducted by our
esteemed friend, Charles Irving, whose effective
pen and oratory have long commanded the ad-
miration and gratitude of our party, contains
leading article in its issue of the 18th, headed
"The True Position" upon which we propose
to make a brief comment.
Before doing so, we choose to say that few
things in our editorial career have given us
more regret than to find ourself separated in
our advocacy Of gentleman for the Presi-
dency from our contemporary of the Lynch
burg Republican. The zeal, fire, genius, and,
withal, good, hard, sound, practical sense of its
editor would constitute him at any time a
most able and valuable coadjutor in any cause
The fates have decreed otherwise, however,
and nothing is left US but to adopt friendly
and fair mode of warfare in the presentation of
the claims of our respective preferences. In
this spirit we proceed, then, to answer the view
taken in the article referred to, which, but for
our personal acquaintance with the habit OF
| frankness and fairness of the editor Of the
Republican, we should consider most insidious.
Our friend of the Republican has long since
announced his preference for Mr. Hunter, OF
Virginia He has advocated the claims, and
set forth the qualifications of that distinguished
gentleman, with great force and ability. He
has done so upon two grounds-frst, that he
desired to see the nomination at Cincinnati go
1 O ILL., tnt ba
Mr. Hunter was the fttest man upon whom
the choice should fall. These are perfectly
| legitimate grounds. We, on the contrary,
| have hoisted the name of JAMES BUCHANAN,
| do so by our firm conviction that he is the
| man of all those most prominent before the
| Convention, who will most surely bring success
to the Democratic party in its approaching
struggle. This we hold to be point second
only to the soundness and integrity of the can
| didate.. First, then, would Mr. BUCHANAN be
the safest nominee, in view of the success of the
Democratic party2 With the South as unit
| Pennsylvania and New Jersey have electoral
| strength alone sufficient to elect him. None
| will doubt that these two States will cast their
| electoral vote for him in the Presidential cleo
| ton. Many doubt whether there is another
man who could carry them. Whether this
doubt is well founded or not, it is unnecessary
| to stop to inquire. The fact of its existence
is enough for our purpose. OF course, we do
not mean to exclude the other Northern or
| Northwestern States from Mr.. BUCHANAN. BY
| nomeans. We believewe should only strengthen
| our position if we were to embrace them.
With, then, Pennsylvania and New Jersey,
Mr.. BUCHANAN can certainly be elected, and
with that election, PROSTATE, and probably
| for all time to come, the fearful march of ADO
litionism. Now, what other candidate can so
certainly, do this? There may be others who
can? But who are they2 And how do you
know they can? Shall we, then, at such a
critical junction as the present, turn our eyes
| from this great fact? Is it wisdom to surrender
a positive certaninty for a proLIematical one,
| if we may so speak? 1t is true we must, to
effect this, have the entire South? Who can doubt
that BUCHANAN, DOUGLAS or HUNTER would
carry the entire South Why should they not
Have either ever proved recreant to her rights
and honor under the federal bond And this
| inquiry brings us to the consideration of what
we believe to be the fallacious reasoning Of
our friend Of the Republican. With all pro.
| fession Of fairness-with an honest conviction,
we believe, that he is fair and just to all par
/ ties concerned, yet he will excuse us for
saying the effect Of his article however he
may not have intended it, is to place JAMES
BUCHANAN under the ban Of Democratic rule
at Cincinnati What is this reasoning2 First
he says, and says well, :" there exists but one
opinion in requiring that the candidate, who
ever he may be, shall be Enthusiastically com
mitted to the maintenance Of all the constitu-
tional rights of the South. There is no one
| spoken Of in connection with the Presidency.
whose soundness is at all questionable, and it
is not within the range of probability, that any
man, North or South, will be selected whose po-
sition is not perfectly satisfactory"
Very well. We entirely concur with you
here. But how is this paragraph to. be recon
cied with the succeeding sentcnce7
"But It really appears to us that there exist
peculiar circumstances at the present time,
which impose upon the South more than ordi-
nary caution in casting its vote. We fcel-and
in politics as well as private matters feeling
is often a better guide than calculation, or cold
polcy-that the South ores something to those
national democrats who stood up so manfully
for our rights on the Kansas bill, and upon
whose garments there is yet the smell of the
fire, through which they walked in upholding
our rights. Not only does the impulse of graf
tude dictate the preference Of some such stan
dard bearer, as the choice Of the South, if il
goes North, but such is also the suggestion Of
true policy"
"More than ordinary caution" What does
our friend mean by this2 He has Just said
| that "fherc is no one sDoken of IN connection