Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-06-11
The Democratic Nominations.

an, of pennsylvania, received the nomination lot
President of the United States, and on the Sc
cond ballot, John @. Breckenridge, of Kentucky,
was nominated for the Vice Presidency.
1t seems to be the general impression that a
stronger ticket could not have been framed; and
vet we are credulous enough to believe hat it is
not invincible. Why old Buck should be so a.
m~azingly strong with the Democracy we are
somewhat at q loss to conceive. In years gone by
he was regarded as the .5athy horse from Penn
s~ylvania," and in the language of the good old
Wing song we used to sing,
,"He had to drag in heavy stages,
His federal notions and t0ac Udges.
At one time he is reported to have said that if
he had a drop of Democratic blood in his veins,
he would open them and let it out. He has al
ways been a Protective Tariff man, and cast his
vote for the 'odious and abominable" Tariff of
1S42-the bill passing the Senate by his vote
If he stands upon the platform erected at Cincin-
natl, he must be regarded as committed to the
erandest scheme of Internal Improvement BY the
General Government ever proposed-a National
Road to the Pacific. On the slavery question
his rccOrQ Is DJ uO uSsll uS ivan II iouieASoS
Us Southern Democrats are wont to demand of
their opponents. Who knows whether or not he
regards the Kansas Nebraska Bill as q PROPOSE
ton in favor of freedom?
In fact the New York Tribune" before the
nomination declared, that if Buchanan succeeded
it would be a northern victory" because he
was supported by all who wished to evade the
Kansas issue and escape the responsibility of the
Pierce administration. Nor does the "Tribune"
stand alone in this view. Here is the language
of the "valley Democrat" a paper published in
the heart of Virginia, and at the headquarters
of Virginia Democracy, but a few weeks ago:
ST Pierce, Douglas and Others are to be throna
ocer5oard because they tcere foremost IN sustain
ana this bill, and aiding the South IN maintain
ana the Constellation, the Democratic party I'm
Qusstionably sAirks the contest and admits thatit
scas acrong IN repeating the Missouri restriction,
6y sacrificing the men Who scers foremost an ats
defence. This is the only legitimate and correct
conclusion that can be drawn from the actions OF
those who advocate a certain a~spirant because
he as not identified with the Nebraska issue" &c.
Mr.. Buchanan's position in regard to these
matters may give him strength at the North,
but we do not perceive that it is specially adap-
ted to the tastes Of the Strict Construction,
States Rights Democracy of the South.
Mr.. Breckenridge, the candidate for the Vice
Presidency, is a young man of fine talents and
excellent character. He was q member of the
last Congress, and regarded as the leader OF the
Administration party.
In point of personal responsibility the ticket
is by far preferable to any ever presented by the
Democratic party. As a man, Mr.. Buchanan's
character is irreproachable; as a politician, judi
ging from his record, it is hard to say what he
is, or what he may turn out to be. If left to
himself, we believe that his administrative
policy would be conservative, but our fear is
that he is not the man of nerve and resolution
to resist the unwise ~counsels of the reckless men
who have placed him on a dangerous platform.
In regard to the platform we have only to
say that it is like all other Democratic platforms,
suited to the principles of politicians of every
shade. To establish the fact it is only necessary
to notice that the Hards-the National men of
New York-and the Softs-the Black Republi-
can wing of the Democratic party of New York
both unhesitatingly endorse it. "Men who
advocated the Wilmot proviso and men who OPP
posed it, men who favored the Kansas bill as a
measure of freedom and men who supported it
as conducive to Southern interests; men who
believe in squatter sovereignty and men who re-
pudiate it men who hold the doctrine of the
right of secession and men who think secession
1stt1o hafta. than t.aaeop. ,,op xuhN oou Gov A
protective tariff and men who glorify free trade;
men who advocate internal Improvement by the
federal government and men who pronounce all
such measures q violation of the constitution;
men who demand a distribution of the public
lands or their proceeds and men who d~enounce
such a system a base and corrupting men who
voted for or availed themselves of the benefit of
the bankrupt law and men who acclaimed a
gainst that law as robbery and swindling; men
who worshipped and men who loathed Andrew
Jackson men who deifed John @. Calhoun and
men who thought he should have been hung as
a public malefaetor are all brought together on
one political platform, and the p~retence set up
that the Democratic party is united and that
there is but one Democratic faith"
If such discordant clements unite upon the
platform no wonder that Buchanan with his
federal notions can consistently take his stand
there too. The fact is any and all classes Of
politicians of every hue and shade of political
opinion may be heartily received into the en-
braces of that party, if he will only adopt the
name and wear the badge Of Democracy.
IKhin NIoofinnS L