The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-05-16
THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION AT
CLEVELAND.


THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION AT
CLEVELAND.
CLEVELAND. May 9Th, 1856.
Mr. Editor IL hasten to give you short |
account Of the proceedings Of the Democratic |
Convention that assembled here to day
That intensely Democratic sheet, the "Ban.
ner." characterizes the American Convention
Of Monday last. as almost a complete failure,
because we did not shout, stamp, and rave
around like we were mad, but got up and
conducted the meeting in harmonious and
business like manner. suppose the meeting
to-day was all right on the score of enthusi-
asm. Men exhibit pretty strong rartizan
feelings who can meet and nominate an Flee.
ter to support their Presidential candidate in
advance Of his nomination. and who in
string Of resolutions, unanimously adopted by
the Convention, can deliberately refuse to
express any preference for candidate for
that high office, but yielding submissively to
the dictation Of the tricksters and wire. work.
ers Of the Cincinnati Convention, can still
confidently rely on the support and cooper.
alton Of the masses Of their party. 1t GER
tainly evinccs high degree Of efficiency in
party drill, If the result. should meet their
calculations. No wonder the great Demo.
cratic party, as it is called, is great power
in the State. The old Wing party could new.
er be managed so; there was always too much
independence of thought among the individ-
uals composing it, and their leaders always
found the experiment Of attempting to whip
them into ranks, rather dangerous business
If they did not like the nominations made by
their Conventions, they usually bolted and
stood nloof The American party exhibits a
good deal Of the same spirit and something
more is required to induce them to follow,
than merely to erect banner inscribed with
the party name; and / am of the opinion
that some Of the leaders of the great Demo.
cratic party vii! find themselves wofully mis-.
taken in their calculations, and that there
are many steady, thinking Democrats, who
will not be wheedled into line, simply on
hearing the Democratic war.cry of "whoop.
de doodle doc" as given by one of their speak.
ers to-day.
, But to return to the Convention. The first
> speaker, Mr.. Burch, endeavored to show that
the impression universal throughout the
South, thnt Mr.. Fillmore during his admins
| tration of the government was true to the in
terests Of the South, as well rs the North,
and that his administration was sound, M.
tional and conservative, was all a mistake,
and that in point of fact he was as much op.
posed to the institutions of the South as any
Black Republican or Free Soiler could desire.
This he attempted to prove by quoting an
extract from Mr.. Fllmore's Louisville speech,
,, in which he tells the people of Kentucky
that before signing the Fugitive Slave Law,
he Ind consulted his Attorney General. a
distinguished citizen of their State, and took
his opinion as to its constitutionalty. Mr.
Burch, and all other Democratic speakers
will find as much difficulty in proving to the
n people Of the South that Mr.. Fillmore's ad
k minstraton was not able, sound, true to the
8 whole Union, and faithful to the Constitu
o tion, rs they will have in proving to the Alb
L olitionists and Republicans of the North that
n Mr. Fillmore is and always has been with
Il them. Ills history, and the history of hi.
, administration is too well known for that.
. After Mr. BIS speech. and after the cand
/, date for Elector was selected, string of res
olutions was adopted, which you will soon see
in print. One thought peculiar, coming at II.
t time, aud from the source It did, 1t was in.
s tended to be token of respect from the
G Convention, to the Hon. G. W. Rowles, fol
d his past services in behalf of the Democratic
party, and request that he would continue
his labors in behalf of the party during the
} canvass. In reply, in very pretty speech
II the Judge gave his experience telling how il
y days gone by he had battled for his part,
c against the old Wing party, until complet,
" victory had crowned the standard he bore
\ ard the Wing party was annihilated. Thi
q he had done, not for hope of reward or hon
or, but for love of principle, and for the ap
proval of his own conscience. He felt NOR
= deeply the Importance of the principles o
!. the great Democratic party, and had great
o err love for them now, than at any former pc
n riod OF his life. thought then, as had Of
ten thought before, that for his eminent sci
vices it would be more appropriate for hi
party to tender to the Judge something NOR
! substantial than mere votes Of thanks judy
:. ing from communication read by the Chail
as man Of the meeting at its close, such an OF
re portunity will soon be presented. Let u
lie wait and see what we shall see.
MIR. Key accepted his nomination in
y speech, which is model Of the manner j
'e which the canvass is to be conducted in til
te South, suppose.
Mr.. Key was thankful for the trust repose
ny in him by the Convention; he distrusted
ms abilities; his youth and inexperence mac
ND him difident. He would rather have Sc,
-. the banner Of his party entrusted to old
.IR and ADLER hands. The standard bearers
"A. the Democratic party in former times had
different enemy to contend with than the OF
he had to fight They met open enemies, h
rd was q secret foe, who did not attack bold
m. face to face, but changed names and fronts
he He did not know where he should find the
u. next month; they We're not like the old VIII
20. party, that was a noble party. lie honor
mt and respected the noble Wing party, alwa
his had done so, it was bold and patriotic, W
TO sorry when it died. Those Wings who h
not yet bowed the knee to other gods W
had not yet forgotten their first love, won
find no difficulty in determining their cour
on on Noble, even in it's ruins, the remnants of tn