Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-09-11
SKETCH OF THE 4.
EM1 RKS s OF
HON. JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE,
AT THE 1str9o
Tippecanoe Battle Ground Convention.

After being introduced to ;he vast assemblage
by the President of the Convention, Hon. JOHN
PErrir, Mr.. BREckNRIDoE spoke, in substance,
as follows:
He said he never in the whole course of his
life felt more regret in being unable, upon this
occasion, to address his fellow citizens, who had
met in friendly communion for the Union upon
ground so sacred. On his way hither he had
been called upon SO frequently to address the
people, that his voice had leen rendered ex-
tremely hoarse. Hewas totally incompetent 10
make himself heard by the vast assemblage
present. and could not do more than to address
those within the sound Of his voice, intending,
in few earnest words, TO speak OF our common
country and its interests
He said there were present to-day thousands
OF Kentuckians, who felt that they had the
right to assemble upon that blood bought
ground, where their fathers had united before
with their Indiana brothers, in defence OF our
country from foreign and savage foe. That
man must be blind, indeed, who did not con
slider this Confederacy in danger. The ami
mostly, vindictiveness and ill-wiIl shown to-
ward the Southern portion OF 1t and its people
by a new party, might do If between two ma
tions at war with one another, but as between
| brethren of our common country it was repre-
hensible, aud if persisted in would lead 10 dis
union The geographical line feared by Wash
4 ington had been drawn, and it was portentous
omen of evil.
The difference was not between individuals,
but difference between one community of
men against another-an array of States against
States. This was no time o deceive. He would
1 express his convictions that fifteen States be-
lieve that the Republican party was making
most persistent efforts TO create vindictive feel
] ings in the minds Of the people Of the other
portion of the Union, against the South. To
create this unnatural prejudice it had been
charged that il was the design of the South to
be aggressive upon the North-to use the federal
powers of the government to propagate slavery
4 This was not true. To whatever extent he
might be authorized to speak for the Southern
| States, he pronounced it untrue. He was con
nected with no political organization which de.
sired TO extend slavery; nor was he connected
with one that opposed the free expression of the
voice of new communities upon this and al
other domestic questions. The Democratic
party had endorsed the principle of leaving the
people of the Territories free to say for them
selves whether they should have slavery or not
He was in Congress when the Kansas Nebrask'
,bill became a law, and if it had prescribed tn,
) North he would not have voted ior it. Had i
, prescribed the South he would not have sane
toned it.
The Democratic party in endorsing the prin
| ciple of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, had, iron
its very nature, to take that position. 1t wa
not pro slavery nor an anti-slavery party, bu
Constitutional party. One reason why tn
) Democratic party had remained a united party
was because Of its adherence to few plain
, simple truths, embodied in the Constitution Q
our country The Democratic party. adherin
: to the plain precepts of the common bond {
q union, had been compelled, in justice 10 itsel
to oppose United States Bank, Protactiv
: Tariff, and when the new organization calle
: American, or Know Nothing, arose, it was lik,
r wise compelled to oppose it, il true TO its PriI
u ciples But those questions had past, and f
" had no motive to bring up what was gone.
.. reference 10 the organization of which he hs
spoken, he would only say that the1ever ha
70 abated, the delirium was over, and the patieI
j. was sane again. ....f. ..ear
The Democratic party had not now undertake
to legslate slavery into territories no more tina
k it did when New Mexico and Utah were mas
territories-the same principle governed j
both that Of leaving the people thereof pc
L fectly free to establish their domestic instit
n. tions, in their own way, subject only to Il
:. Constitution Of the Union. He spoke Of Il
Democratic party in its federal relations.
o the citizens Of Indiana sought to abolish cap
~ tai punishment in their State, the citizens
= Kentucky had no right to oppose them, and :
of the question Of slavery and all other loc
hi questions. This was the Democratic principl
Ie and the difference between Democracy and S
:; called Republicanism. was that the former T
io fuse to employ the federal Constitution to pr
oil pagats any local question or any fanaticism
us the day These were matters TO be determine
by the internal regulations of each State,
S themselves. The beauty Of the American sy
as tenn Of government wasthat in external affai
we presented unit, whilst in local affair v
were community governed by the interests
as distinct localities. To the world nation,
an ourselves a confederacy. Perfect equality W
!. given to all who compose the nation. It W
Us no betrayal of this principle, in practice if OF
IS, RACES for the moment had been committed.
or These were the accidents Of the principle.
could not be charged that one system of 60
" ernment was failure because the people
:al Rhode Island had been at war with one anotl
IA a. to the form of State Constitution they shou
live under; or that because in California
ed powers of government had been transferr
res (he would not stop to say whether righuu
a.. or not) to an irresponsible association. {
'' government was not failure because Of d
= trrbsnces sngsndersd by folly or smbtion.