The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-10-01
THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

I
A writer in an Alabama paper having sug
gested the Hon. VIM. c. Rives in connection
with the candidacy of the Opposition for Pres
ident in 1860, aud Mr.. Everett for Vice presi-
dent, the Petersburg Intelligencer has the
following remarks on the subject, which we
transfer to our own columns:
"The Presidency is a station to which every
or any statesman of the country may aspire
| 1t was never designed by the founders Of the
| Republic to exclude from the national execu
tive chair any virtuous intelligent citizen on
party grounds. The Constitution recognizes
no disqualification on the score OF political
opinions, and the Democratic party in con.
filming their selection of candidates for this
| the highest office of the Government, to their
own household, do most fagrantly violate the
principles and spirit of the federal compact,
and establish test of fitness not only un-
sound, but fraught with innumerable public
evils If the law of party is TO govern the
people in choosing their President, what be
comes of the Constitution which throws open
| the doors of the executive mansion to all
alikef Is not the limitation of the Chief
| Magisraey to the possession OF single po-
! litical organization where there are others
collectively stronger than that one. radically
and totally at variance with the genius and
vital elements Of our institutional What is it
but to put the government in the hands OF n
minority and perpetuate it theref What is
it but to subject the liberties of the people to
the fercest and most grinding of all tyran-
niesG he,tendeney Of this vicious and mon
strous innovation upon the broad system OF
equal rights upon which our government is
founded. can only be injurious to the general
| ,,,a1faNav nd 10 all na1 inf a fnr
which the supreme law of the land so care.
fully provided. Why is the Democratic par.
| ty any more entitled to the exclusive and
continual enjoyment of all the executive Of
fees from the highest to the lowest, than the
Wing party or any ether honest party That
party is now, and hrs long been in mnor-
| ty. How, then, in the face of this notorious
fact, can it claim the further control of ma
tional affairsi In so doing it not only goes
couHter to the maxims and doctrines of true
republicanism, but it sets an example of self
ishness and intolerance, which. if initiated
by successful rival, would retributively de
ny to il the very rights which itself now de
MES to others. These and other general re.
Elections have occurred to us from the perusal
of the paragraph at the head of our article,
and now we will say few more words par
ticularly to the point.
There can be no question that william U.
Rives and Edward Everett are, at least, as
well qualified in all respects to fill, respect
lively, the offices with which their names are
connected as any other candidates. They are
both statesmen Of the highest grade-both
eminent for their talents and public services
both conspicuous for their private virtues
and conservative tenets. Why, then should
they not have as strong title to popular ia
vor as Democratic aspirants1 Upon what
ground can the Democracy resist their pre-.
tensions except upon the narrow, illiberal
and wretched ground of partyf"