The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-08-12

Speaker, admonish us of the dagger of such
an experiment? Who can doubt that our
political fabric would be shaken To its very
foundations by this election of President
being thrown into the present House of Re-
presentatives! On the other hand, is it not
certain, beyond the contingency of doubt,
that the vote of the States indicated for Mr..
Buchanan, when added to that of the other
Southern States, would Sccure his election
and the consequent safety of the Union -
1t is obvious that in this condition of the
canvass the only serious contest is that be-
tween Fremont and Buchanan; that the
only possible result that the most sanguinc
IF the friends Of Fillmore and Donelson can
hope to obtain is to carry the contest into
the House of Representatives. Who can
conceive any thing more fatal to the peace
of the country, more insane in political ac-
ton, than such course of conduct lead
ing to such q result ! Suppose Mr.. Fill
more to reach the House of Representatives
with the votes of four or five States, (lis
utmost possible strcngth) no man can serl-
ously contend that he wodll b, ,iected
President, and assurcdly few will ua bold
enough to assert that, under such circum-
stances, he ought to be. The only effect,
then, of giving the electoral vote of any
portion of the South to Mr.. Fillmore would
be to transfer the contest between Mr. Bu-
chanan and Fremont from the hustings to
the House of Representatives; and the dam
ger to our country, now sufficiently mena-
cling, would, in that event, be appalling in-
deed. Who can contemplate the occur
renee of such a contingency without feeling
that he would be traitor to his country if
he failed to exert every possible effort to
avert so awful calamity!
deem it, then, to be my duty, as well as
that of all who believe with me, that the
election of Fremont would be the death
knell of the Union, to unite in the support
of Messrs. Buchanan and Breckinridge -
and will sustain their election to the best
of my ability. Whilst concede that there
are certain principles hitherto professed by
the party which nominated them that can
not receive our support, yet to the great is
sues of the constitutional rights of the South
the platform on which they stand meets my
cordial approval, and is in accordance with
that of the party which now address, and
to whose kind favor owo the honor of
holding the scat now occupy, and which
/ shall cease to hold on the 4th of March
next by the fiat of that party to which Mr..
Fillmore has attached himself, and which
is now dominant in the Legislature of my
native State.
LET Maryland Wings remember that
the political battle now being fought is one
of the deepest interest to them; that the
of the constitutional rights of
the South is the issue rendered to the A.
merican people by the Democratic par y,
and las the Wings have no candidate) by
that party alone; that upon the issue the
Republican party have stakcd the Union;
and in such battle, upon such an issue they
must be true to those who are doing battle
in our behalf. 1t would be indeed sad if, in
such contest, the conservative strength
of the country should not be united; il
would be as strange rs sad if, in such aeon
test, Southern men should not be found bat
tling shoulder to shoulder for the mainten.
ance of their own constitutional rights.
I'm thus accomplishing what believe to
be my duty, shall be inexpressibly graft.
fed if shall find myself sustained by the
approval of my fellow Wings, who have re-
fused to abandon either the party or the
principles in support of which we have so
ong and so faithfully united. and which we
shall remain at perfect liberty to recognize
IS soon as our common efforts shall have
succeeded in averting the perils that now
threaten our beloved country"
THOMAS G.. PRATT.