American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-04-26
M0NONGAIA COUNTY VA SATURDAY, APRIL % 1886

official duty. He did what he felt in
his own soul to be right, mutcly ap-
pealing for the rectitude of his conduct
to his country, to posterity, and to God.
lie gave to the nation as pure, as in
corruptible, as patriotic an Admins
tration as the world has ever known in
any country. And although, so long
as he continued at the head Of Govern
ment, his political opponents felt them
selves under partisan obligation to
find fault with him, yet, when they
found that he would not be a candidate
for reelection, they united with appa-
rent and no doubt real heartiness in
applauding the patriotism of his noble
Administration. Many of those oppo-
nents of course will now oppose him,
but in their hearts they admire him,
and if he shall be elected, they will feel
that the country is safe. There is not
q man living in whom they, whether
willing to acknowledge it or not, have
more confidence than in him. We
fully believe that he will carry almost
if not quite the entire South, and that
he will carry all such of the Northern
States as have not surrendered them
selves up hopelessly to abolitionism.-
His was the nomination which Locofo-
coism most dreaded.
With the political character of AN
DREW JACKSON DoNEIsoN, the whole
country, especially the whole Southern
country, is familiar. From his boy
hood, he was reared under the daily tu-
ition Of Gen. Andrew jackson. The
old hero, with his keen and deep appre-
citation of the character Of men, loved
and trusted him more perhaps than he
ever loved and trusted any other human
being. His confidence in him was
boundless. AS President, he made
him his private secretary and held
counsel with him upon all matters of
national concern. When the Nash
vile Southern Convention was projec-
ted, MIR. Donclson was urged by the
Tennessee Democracy to consent to act
as a delegate. Entertaining strong
suspicion that evil if not reasonable
councils might prevail in the conven-
Etion, he accepted with alacrity the Of
| flee of delegate. He attended, and,
as he had feared and anticipated, an
overwhelming majority went for the a
doption of resolutions looking to the
dissolution of the Union and the estab-
/ lishment of Southern Republic.
Then it was that his moral courage
and his patriotism manifested them
selves in all their glory and strength.
Standing almost alone in the conven-
tion, he denounced the course Of tho
majority with boldness, vohemcnce,
and a vigor, that were irresistible and
appalling. Such spectacle of sub
lime and patriotic daring as he exhibit
ed has seldom indeed been witnessed
in this country. 1t had a most power
ful effect. The convention stood re-
buked before the accusing eloquence of
the Unions fearless champion.
The character established by Major
DoNELsoN upon this memorable occa-
sion made him prominent throughout
the nation. When it was deemed i'm
portant that the Democratic organ at
Washington should oppose and with
stand the reasonable spirit of disunion
abroad throughout the country, he was
selected and invited by the purest and
most influential patriots of his party to
act as its editor. AT great personal
sacrifice, but in discharge of public
duty, he accepted the invitation and
entered upon the work. He was by
far the most vigorous, the most encr-
getic, and the most patriotic editor the
Democratic party ever had at the seat
of Government. He acted not merely
for party, though he was partisan,
but for the whole nation. He scorned
to "giye up to party what was meant
for mankind" He took some posi-
tions which neither We nor the party
to which we belonged could approve,
bat we do not believe that even the most
Jealous and fiery of his political oppo.
nents ever expressed or cherished a
doubt of his pure and all.embracing pa.
triotism.
Mr.. DoNELsoN, like Mr.. FItIMoRg,
is a model patriot. Both of them---one
at one fearful crisis and the other at
anothor---folt themselves impcllod by
stern and unavoidable duty to take
ground against their respective parties
in their respective sections, and BOTH
Of them performed the duty with such
/ n fidnEtv ouob n roen1ufonooa a,,J cell,