Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-01-24
committed to their custody.

Unsatisfactory as convention is to many
the selection of a candidate by it, who must be
accepted or rejected by the votes of the people,
is far safer for the Republic than any election
by any Congress. 1t is far easier to corrupt a
small body, such as "a majority of the House of
Representatives, than to corrupt the people
Money-ofice position llmay
be held out as inducements to the former body;
they would be unavailing to the latter. It will
be great national calamity as often as the
people fail to elect, and devolve the election
on the House of Representatives and such a
calamity will arise at the next election, unless
by concert, through conventions or otherwise,
the votes of the people can be concentrated on
some one candidate, representing their opin-
ions.
The people have failed in two cases to make
an election, both of which have become impor-
tant in history. The first, was when Jefferson
and Burr received an equal number of votes
The contest convulscd the whole Union, and
produced the most painful apprehensions in
the bosoms of all patriots, and we'll it might,
when we review its history and learn that JEFF
fcrson finally triumphed over Burr by a single
vote The excitement was so great that it
caused the States the next year to assent 70
the only amendment of the Constitution, adopt
ed since the government went full Y into opc
ration.
The other was between ,Iaciscn and Adnms
in 1921. There had been no concentration Of
public opinion, hy can@uS or otherwise, because
ii was said to b. tic 'ca cf good feeling, and
several gentlemen were consequently voted for.
lin the Electoral COLLEGE .jack:ur received 90
votes, Adams 81, Crawford II and Clay ) !;
neither candidate having received q moiority
Of all the votes cast. there Was no election by
tho people, and it went to the House Of Re-
prcscntatiycs On the first ballot, Mr.. Adams
was elected. This result produced public
Indignation. which has had no parallel be-
cause Of the outrage OF hcpopular will. in sup
porting General jackson by John Quincy
Adams
After that, prudent and sagacious men saw
the Importance of making an election by the
pcople-to accomplish it party organization on
defined principles has been perfected, and con-
ventions are, in the judgement of the people
of all the other States, the safest and fairest
means of ascertaining and concent trating the
popular will. have shown the importance of
perfect union and concert in the Democracy if
they expect to triumph in the next election.
Will we hazard defeat by cburlishly with
holding our counsel from our political asso-
ciatcs at the Cincinnati Convention Will
we hazard another outrage the popular will
by carrying the next election into the House
BE not deceived by the opponents of rcpresen-
tation, when they tell you that our vote is
small and can be ofno service in y mating
or voting platform. Jefferson was elected by
a single vote; many of the most important laws
have been passed by one vote the casting vote
of the Vice President reduced the tariff in
1916. Your votes will count, your delegates
will be kindly received and their wishes and
preferences treated with the most respectful
consideration. Instruct them, if you choose,
to retire from the Convention, if the principles
adopted by it are unsound, or if the nominee
is unreliable. If you do not choose toinstruct
them, send prudent, wise, sagacious delegates,
and say to then, that tile Democratic party Of
South Carolina expects to reccire no detrinsent
at their hands.
Be not deferred by Know Nothings or fshy
Democrats, who may denounce you for going
into the Convention by the per sec Demo-
Gratis, who are anxious to destroy the Govern
ment, even without cause-nor by those men
who profess to be Democrats, when spols of
office or public printing are to be distributed
by the Federal Government, and who grow in
tensely local when State spoils or offices excite
their veneral cupidity. Nor by men who do
not admit themselves to be Democrats, and who
arc in organizations antagonistc to the Demo
cratic party. None of these have any right to
a voice in determining the question whether
the Democratic party of the State should be
represented at Cincinnati. Only those who
admit themselves Democrats should pass upon
the question, and if there be only Il dozen in a
district, | trust they may determine to have
themselves represented at Cincinnati. Such
Democrats as are opposed to sending delegates
may refuse to 60 into the primary assemblies,
and they will then not be compromised. If
they cannot go in, Ee have no cause of qurrel
with them; they exercise the right in staying
out, and we do the some in going iu.' We do
not profess to speak for the Statc-no party
has a right to speak for the State; we speak
for that portion of the Democracy who think
as We do, that the party should exercise its
privilege of sending delegates to Cincinnati
| have conceded that the policy pursued has
heretofore been against conventions, and yetou
a memorable occasion. q convention that Us
sembled at Columbia, in May, 1913, represent
ing every district III the >tote---thc fullest rep
reseutation of the people in voluntary conycn-
tion that has been had ior many years, very
strongly committed itsc; ana the people to the
convention system. The dclc@ac&n that con-
vcutiom, and the constituencies they represent
ed, were fully committed without qualification,
and they committed themselves to IN utilization
and determination with the Democratic party.
when it had then given much fewer pledges by
their votes in Congress to the political scnt-
mcuts which we have most zcalously y cherished.
Since then, the Northern Democrats aided liz To
bring into the Union Texas, a magnificent
slavphuldinr TerritOry-large enough to make