Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-06-28
Hon. JAMES BUCHANAN.
WHEArLAND, (near Lancaster,
June l6, 1856.

WHEATLAND, near Lancaster,
June l6, 1856.
GENTLEMEN: have the honor to acknow.
ledge the receipt of your communication Of the
18th instant, informing me officially of my
nomination by the Democratic National Con
vention, recently held at Cincinnati, as the
Democratic candidate for the Office of Presi.
dent of the United States. / shall not attempt
to express the grateful feelings which enter.
tain towards my Democratic fellowcitizens for
having deemed me worthy of this, the highest
political honor on earth-an honor such as the
people of no other country have the power 10
bestow. Deeply sensible of the vast and varied
responsibility attached to the station, especially
at the present crisis in our affairs, have care
fully RETAINED from seeking the nomination
either by word or by deed. Now that it has
been offered by the Democratic party, accept
it with difidence in my own abilities, but with
an humble trust that, in the event Of my cleo
ton, / may be enabled to discharge my duty
in such manner as to alay domestic strife,
preserve peace and friendship with foreign ma.
tons, and promote the best interests of the
republic.
In accepting the nomination, / need scarcely
say that accept in the same spirit the resou-
tons constituting the platform Of principles
erected by the convention. To this platform
intend to con6ne myself throughout the can.
vass, believing that have no right, as the can
didate of the Democratic party, by answering
nterrogatories, to present new and different
issues before the people,
1t will not be expected that in this answer
should specially refer to the subject Of each of
the resolutions; and | shall, therefore, con6ne
myself to the two topics now most prominently
before the people.
And, in the first place, cordially concur in
the sentiments expressed by the convention on
the subject Of civil and religious liberty. No
party founded on religious or political intole
rance towards one class Of American citizens,
whether born in our own or in foreign land,
can long continue to exist in this country. We
are all equal before God and the Constitution ;
and the dark spirit of despotism and bigotry
which would create odious distinctions among
our fellow.citizens will be speedily rebuked by
free and enlightened public opinion.
The agitation Of the question of domestic
slavery has too long distracted and divided the
people of this Union and alienated their affec-
tons from each other. This agitation has
assumed many forms since its commencement,
but it now seems to be directed chiefly to the
Territories; and, judging from its present char
acter, think we may safely anticipate that it
is rapidly approaching "6nality." The re-
cent legislation Of Congress respecting domestic
slavery, derived, as it has been, from the origi-
nal and pure fountain Of legitimate political
power the will Of the majority, promises ere
long to allay the dangerous excitement This
Legislation is founded upon principles as an
Gent as free government itself, and, in accord
ance with them, has simply declared that the
people Of Territory, like those of State,
shall decide for themselves whether slavery
shall or shall not exist within their limits.
The Nebraska Kansas act does no more than
give the force of law to this elementary princi-
pie Of selfgovernment; declaring it to be "the
true intent and meaning Of this act not to legis-
late slavery into any Territory or State, nor to
exclude it therefrom, but to leave the people
thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their
domestic institutions in their own way, subject
only to the Constitution of the United States.
This principle will surely not be controverted
by any individual Of any party protesting devo-
ton to popular government Besides, how vain
and illusory would any other principle prove
in practice In regard to the Territoriesl This
is apparent from the fact admitted by all, that,
after Territory shall have entered the Union
and become State, no constitutional power
would then exist which could prevent it from