American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-04-26
TULIP GROVE, near Nashville, |
March 80, 1856.

.' TULIP GROVE, near Nashville, I
March 80, 1856. {"
GENTLEMEN II did not receive,
until yesterday, your official note Of
the Goth of February last, informing
me of my nomination to the office Of
Vice President by the American earty,
and asking my acceptance of the same.
For the Aattcrring terms in which
you have communicated this proceed
ing, beg leave to offer you my sim
cerc thanks. | accept the position as
signed me by the American party,
with just sense, | trust, of the res
possibility belonging to it. ] attended
the convention with no expectation
that such an honor awaited me, and if
my own feelings and wishes could have
been consulted, it would have fallen
upon some other member of the Amer
lean party, in whose ranks are so many
distinguished individuals, better known
to the country and better prepared by
experience for the high duties of the
station, should the voice Of the people
be in accord with that Of which you
are the organ on this occasion. But,
acting upon the maxim left us by the
great men of the earlier days of our
republic, that public office should be
neither sought nor declined, l yield to
thejudgment of those who have thought
that my name might be of service in
advancing the important objects which
constitute the American party. 1'.
| Our leading idea is that the two old
parties, Democratic and Wing, have
ceased to exercise their former health
ful influence in the management of the
public interest, and that, without the
Intervention Of reforms which they can
never effect, the beloved Constitution
and Union, bcqucathed to us by our
torefathcrs, will not long be preserved.
For the most Of the evils with which
we arc threatened at the present peri
cd, the administration of President
Pierce is evidently responsible; but,
instead Of finding his party engaged
in the prosecution of measures to avert
the dangers he has brought upon the
land, we see it more active than ever
in scattering the seeds of sectional
strife and social anarchy. "f." p.
When Gen. JACKSON came into the
Presidency, lie acknowledged in his
inaugural address the obligation of the
Executive to restrain the patronage
Of the Federal Government, so that it
should not be brought into conflict
with the freedom Of elections. But
modern Democracy stands in direct
antagonism to this obligation. There
is scarcely an election precinct in the
United States which has not witnessed
the most shameful interference with
elections by the agents of the Federal
Government acting in the name Of De
mocracy. --"
In former times, when parties were
created by patriotic and national SEN
timents, upon measures of general in
tcrcst to the whole country, we never
heard that measure could be declared
Democratic in one place, and not Dem
ocratie in another, by leading men pro-
Tossing to belong to this party. Yet
we see the cnormity exhibited daily by
the party press in the pay Of the pres
ent Executive,
The necessary result of such cor
ruption, if not successfully opposed,
must be to destroy all political moral
ity, and to continue power in unfaith-
fuh and incompetent hands by the nero
influence Of the money derived from
the taxes which are paid by the people
for far different purposes. It's undc-
niablo that the antagonism now pre-
vailing between the North and the
South, is mainly attributable to the
political artilico which had enabled men
holding directly opposite opinions on
the power Of Congress over the institu-
ton of slavery in the Territories, but
yot protesting to belong to tho same
Democratic party. The Nebraska
Kansas act is constantly called by one
portion Of Democrats, o law which will
prevent the extension ofslaycry to the
Territories, and by another portion, a
law which will enable the South to
carry slavery into the Territories. BY
the same fallacy, secession, nullifca-
ton, abolition, and all other tsms have
found q shelter under the flag of De-
nocracy, explained as il is by modern
interpreters.
In former times, also, our best pa
triots, without distinction of party,
spoke of the necessity Of guarding the
bollot box from the dangers Of foreign