Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-05-16
mr.. Buchanan,


why we should be unjust to other eminent gentlemen
of the Democratic party, whose claims have been and
urged for the nomination of the CINCINNATI Con-
venton. The gentleman whose name forms the cap
ton of this article is prominent before the country,
and has ardent and devoted friends who Justly look
him as in whose hands the great interests of The
country would be safe He is the choice of his own
great State, Pennsylvania, and the State Council
which declared unanimously in his favor, in March
last, appointed committee to inform Mr.. Buchanan
of the unanimous choice of the convention having
fallen upon him. That committee waited on him at
WhQatland near Lancaster on the 9Th inst, and,
through its chairman Mr. Brewer, made neat ad-
dress to MIR. Buchanan, informing him of the object
of its mission, &c. We quote the concluding para
graph, together with Mr.. Buchanan's reply and the
resolutions of the State Conventions referred TO and
endorsed by him. The following is the concluding
paragraph of MIR. Brewers address:
And we complete oar duty, by presenting to you
copy Of the proceedings, and the resolutions adopt
ed by the Convention, with the firm conviction, that
YOU will recognise in them, the principles which You
have always maintained and defended and which
have secured TO the country the blessings of liberty
religious and political.
BUcHANAN's REPLY.
GENTLEMEN u thank you, with all my heart, for
the kind terms in which, under resolution Of the
late Democratic State Convention, you have in
formed me that am their " unanimous choice for
the next Presidency"
When the proceedings of your Convention reached
me in foreign land, they excited emotions of graft
tude which might in vain attempt to express. This
was not because the Democracy of my much loved
State had by their own spontaneous movement,
placed me in nomination for the Presidency--an
honor which have not sought-but because this
nj cd n itself HIGHEST
hat, after long course of public services, my pub
lie conduct has been approved by those 10 whom
am indebted, under Providence, for all the Offices
and honors have ever enjoyed. In success and in
defeat-ln sunshine and IN storm--they have ever
been the same kind friends to me, and value their
continued confidence and good opinion far above the
highest official honors of my country.
The duties of the President, whomsoever he may
be, have been clearly and ably indicated by the ad-
mrable resolutions of the Convention which you
have just presented TO me, and all of which, without
reference to those merely personal TO myself,
heartily adopt Indeed, they met my cordial appro-
baton from the moment when | first perused them
on the other side of the Atlantic They constitute
platform broad, NATIONAL and conservative, and one
eminently worthy of the Democracy of our great
and good old States
Thes resolutions carried into execution, with an
infexiblitv and perseverance precuding all hope of
change, and yet in kindly spirit, WILL ere long, al
lay the dangerous excitement which has for some
years prevailed on the subject of domestic slavery,
and again unite all portions of our common country
in the ancient bonds of brothey affection, under the
flag of the Constitution and the Union.
We annex the resolutions referred to by the Com
mittee and endorsed by Mr.. Buchanan:
RESOLVED, That in the present distracted condition
of parties, in which sectional and partial issues have
been allowed to attain a dangerous supremacy we
recognize in the policy of the Democratic party that
which rests upon the Constitution as its basis and
that ii is the party which above all others has, in the
language of the illustrious Madison ever continued
to hold the Union of the States as the basis of their
peace and happiness; to support the Constitution
which is the cement of the Union as well in it's lima
tons as lis auth orities to respect the rights and au
horties reserved to the States and TO the people, as
equally incorporated with. and essential to- the sue
cess OF the general system and to avoid the slight
est interference with the rights OF conscience or the
functions OF religion, SO wisely exempted from civil
lurisdictionn
RESOLVED, That by the general consent of the wise
and VTtuous OF all nations, the trainers of the Re-
public of the United States exhibited in their ndi
vidual characters and in the result of their public de.
hheraons degree of virtue and practical States
manshp, to which the history of the world affords no
parallel; that in no part of the federal compact is
the wisdom of our Fathers more conspicuous than
IN leaving the whole question of Slavery to the
States IN their separate capacities and that in the
provision for the redevery of fugtves escaped from
labor service, they demonstrated sense of Justice
an appreciation of the value of the Union, an attach
ment to lis preservation, avoidance of one-sided
philanthropy and impracticable theories of govern
ment, which present proper example for the gui-
dance ana imitation OF US their descendants
RESOLVED, That We look only to the Constitution.
and the exposition thereof, which has been afforded
by the practices of Democratic administrations, for
the chart of our policy That these constitute un.
til the fundamental law is changed by methods which
itself provides, the highest la0 of our obedience as
citizens and that utterly discard that partial and
exaggerated sympathy, the attempt to carry which
into practice is at the peril of our dearest interests as
natlon and threatens the inficon of evils of ten.
tod magnitude to those which il proposes to heal
ResoVed, That the equality of the States is the vi
tai element OF the Constitution ITSELF and that all in
reference with the rights of the States, by those who
seek TO disregard the sacred guarantees of the past
and by all Others should be rebuked with the same
spirit that would denounce and repudiate all ATTEMPTS
TO erect odous distinctions between those who are
entitled to share the blessings and benefits of our
free institutions.
Resolved That the effort TO direct the power of the
government by anti slavery agitations, under the va
Ious names and phases of Free-Soilism, Ant.Nebra-
e si Fuslonsm' and Repubcanism, and by inter-
lenng with the rights of conscience in ESTABLISHING
a fellgous test as qualification for Office by the
secret bound society of the Know. Nothings. is
opposed both to the letter and the spirit of the Con-
stuon, and TO the earnest teachings and practice of
lis earnest and most honored administrators.
hesotred, That we are ever unalterably |
opposed to the doctrines and designs of all organza
lions which contemplate the overthrow of the civil
ana relglous rights Of the Citizen like the euuaIitv
oi me States, IS SACRED and nalienable right never
10 De lnterfered with by actious parties and reckless
!egslaton, without subversion of the primary OBJ
Jecls OF our political system, and Reputation of
tne guarantees OF the past and the hopes of the flu
ture. 49,
ResolUed, That in the repeal of the act known as
the Missouri Compromise Act and the MASSAGE of