Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-06-28
WnEATLAND, NEAR LANCASTER, !
June 10th, 1856. (

NENTLEMEN - nave the honor To nc.
knowledge the receipt of your communi
, cation of the 18th instant informing m,
, officially of my nomination by the Dem
: ocratic National Convention, recent,
} held at Cincinnati, as the Democrat,
candidate for the Office of President o
the United States. / shall not attcmpt
to express the grateful feelings which
entertain towards my Democratic fellow.
citizens for having deemed me worthy Of
this-the highest political honor on
earth-an honor such as the people of no
other country have the power to bestow.
Deeply sensible Of the vast and varied
responsibility attached to the station,
especially at the present crisis in our
affairs, / have carefully RETAINED from
seeking the nomination either by word
or by deed. Now that it has been offered
by the Democratic party, | accept it with
difiidcnce in my own abilities, but with
an humble trust that, in the event of my
election, | may be enabled to discharge
my duty in such manner as to allay
domestic strife, preserve peace and friend
ship with foreign nations, and promote
the best interests Of the Republic.
In accepting the nomination, / need
scarcely say that | accept in the same
spirit the resolutions constituting the
platform Of principles erected by the con-
vention. TO this platform | intend to
confnc myself throughout the canvass
believing that | haye no right, as the
candidate Of the Democratic party, by
answering interrogatories to present new
and different issues before the people.
1t will not be expected that in this
answer | should specially refer to The
subject of each of the resolutions and
shall therefore confne myself to the two
topics now most prominently before the
people.
And in the first place, cordially con-
cur in the sentiments expressed by tue
convention ON the subject Of civil and re-
ligious liberty. No party founded on
religious or political intolerance towards
one class Of American citizens, whether
born in our own or in a foreign land, can
long continue 10 exist in this country
We are all equal before God and the Con-
stitution; and the dark spirit Of dcspot-
ism and bigotry which would create
odious distinctions among our fcllow-citi-
zens viii be speedily rcbuked by free
and enlightened public opinion.
The agitation Of the question Of Do
mestic Slavery has too long distracted
and divided the people Of this Union
and alicnated their affections from each
other The agitation has assumed many
forms since its commencement, but Il
now seems to be directed chiefly 10 the
Territories and judging from It's present
character, ] think we may safely antici-
pate that il israpidly approaching Of
nality." Tho recent Legislation Of Com
grcss respecting domestic slavery, de-
rived, as it has been, from the original
and pure fountain Of Legitimate political
power, the will Of the majority, promises
ere ioSg % allay tho dangerous excite
ment This Legislation Is founded upon
principles as ancient az free government
itself, and in accordance with them has
simply declared that the people Of
Territory, like those Of State, shall
decide for themselves whether slavery
shall or shall not exist within their limits. |
The observation-disclosures act does no more