Washington sentinel., 1856-05-29

ioA on CovdPc from most OF tneSe evils.
Upon this grave fact, let all the South deep
ly ponder. 1t must have its weight with all
who are not blinded by ambition, selfshness, OF
mad with personal partisanship.
The object, the great object, we might almost
say with truth, the only object of the Demoe
racy in the coming contest is to avert from our
country these calamities, which the madness OF
fanaticism and of party threaten SO imminenty.
This crusade is against the rights and inte
rests of the South and from the absolute Ger.
tdinty Of their occurrence, there IS no assurance,
except By the Union with the South of so many
Northern States as ioil gire it a preponderance
and certain Uictory.
That no one will question this position, we
may safely assume.
These premises being mutually accepted,
| what course of action must be adopted to Sc
cure the defeat of this unhallowed crusade, the
triumph of right and reason?
There can be but one solution and that is,
| to adopt such course as will most certainly
| secure the cooperation of at least so many
NoitnCin o'o.oo 40 hioy po hCS0oo"iy w CuSuIc
victory.
Can any one else give better solution
Can any one give any other solution?
VIII any one venture the assertion, that the
| nomination of Mr.. Hunter by the Convention
at Cincinnati, will most certainly secure the
votes of the required number of Northern
States, and that therefore the question is solved,
and victory made sure by his Nomination.
We opine not, and all may and will so say,
without detracting one iota from the EXTREMIST
credit which may be awarded to him by his
| most jealous admirers, and most ardent per-
sonal friends.
| 1t is the peculiarly of the coming contest,
which postpones Mr.. Hunter, not want of
merit, and the postponement casts no shadow
of discredt upon his general claims, as he
would be delayed in reaching the highest honor,
| not by preference for another over him, but
| by circumstances for which he is not to blame,
and could not control
| The duty of his friends, in the case is so to
conduct themselves, that with an eye single to
the exigencies of the case, they shall so act as
to secure for themselves and for Mr.. Hunter
the good will and confidence of the whole
Democratic party-divesting themselves Of all
personalities, and select for candidate the
man who can certainly secure for the South
the triumph of its rights and interests. In a
steadfast adherence to that cardinal point, they
will have the qualification to know, that if their
course does not command the appreciation of
every portion of the Democratic party, they
will, at least, have deserved it. By any other
course they will neither receive nor deserve its
commendation.
We speak upon the very safe hypothesis, that
no name will be before the convention as
likely to receive its support, which is not fit to
be there.
What we have said of Mr.. Hunter may be
applied with no intention Of disparagement to
| General Rusk and Governor Wise.
In regard to General Pierce, it might suffice
to refer to the late election, in which, for the
first time, the Granite State, bis own State,
was permitted to fall in the hands of the Abo-
litionists. How could it be otherwise, when
he gave official authority to Democrats to join
the Abolitionists in opposition to the Kansas
bill, without loss of standing in the party; and
when his agents and interpreters represented
the bill as giving assurance to the acquisition
of new free States south of the Missouri line.
1t is certainly impossible for any one to feel
assured that General Pierce can carry any
single Northern State whatsoever.
If the Kansas bill were the only sesame to
the nomination at Cincinnati, and General
Pierce's records were confined to his last annual
and special messages, his claim might be promi-
nent. We have never omitted an occasion to
give to these eminently just and able papers
the high credit which is due to them. But we
put it to the candor of every man North and
South to say, if he had not presented these
messages, what would have been his position.
Would he not, by universal consent, have been
overlooked. AS reward for them, he had in
advance received the full honor.
His course, previous to the presentation of
these messages, had inspired such deep and
general distrust, that no one can presume he
has in the North sufficiently recovered public
confidence. A suitable acknowledgement Of the
merit Of his messages will leave the Democratic
party fully acquitted of all that might be due
to General Pierce.
At the nomination Of 1852, Judge Douglas
was before the country for a nomination-Vir.
ginia gave Mr.. BUCHANAN her preference over
this gentleman, and as nothing has since oc-
CURED to lower him below Judge Douglas, it
would seem to follow, as natural consequence,
thatthose partial TO Mr.. Hunter, to General
Pierce and Governor Wise, should, perceiving
the circumstances which exclude these parties,
without hesitation give to Mr.. BUCHANAN their
support They know full we'll the testimonials
Of confidence Virginia has already shown this
eminent statesman, and that bis nomination
will undoubtedly secure the victory, and that,
therefore, in supporting him, they cannot pos.
sibly err, while they might greatly err in the