Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-09-11

SHOW, Tor hNe long days win q bitterness and
animosity such as polisical conventions can
scarcely rival. But he was the only man to res
cue the Democratic party from defeat. lie was
the only man to prevent the election of a Re
| publican, and the only man who could carry
| Pennsylvania; for upon the contest of that State
did the entire tide of battle turn. From your
own State similar disposition was manifested
in certain quarters. In this quarter now.
where this disease of Lecomptonism RACES the
most violently and where the affection for the
Administration is indulget the most ardentlv
| Mr.. buchanan received nothing but coldness
and contempt But We nominated him and re-
turned to Pennsylvania, for the first time iovous
IN having achieved our long-cherished wish
And when we returned there, we came with full
and confident hope that there would be an end
to the difficulty in cecting man whose nature
was believed to be so conservative. whose char
acter was believed to be so prudent, and whose
entire record had been national and consttu-
tional. At that time believe the Republicans
themselves abandoned H., campaign. They
looked upon his nomination as their death blow.
They looked around in vain for a candidate hut
events (and there is no necessity for spinning
out tins detail to greater length) brought on
series of cxcitements such as we have never
witnessed in our country, and by the midGle Of
August, 1886, the campaign was more than
doubtful. Why did it become doubtful? Be
cause the public opinion of the North had been
stirred to its deepest depths by the excesses of
the Pro Slavery minority, backed by Federal
power, in the. Territory of Kansas. That was
the only question. Ii was not the Ostend Con-
fercnce, it was not the Pacific Railroad it was
nothing but the single issue-Shall the people
OF Kansas be permitted to dispose of their own
affairs in their own way? Shall they vote upon
their domestic institutions, not Slavery alone,
but upon all the institutions, unmolested bv the
bayonets of the Administration on the one hand,
and the onslaughts of bands of foreign marau-
ders on the other. No man felt more deeply in
reference to Kansas than did Mr.. Buchanan.-
No man talked more freely about it. In his
letter OF acceptance of the nomination and in the
speech he delivered to the Committee upon it
III his parlor at Lancaster, tat which happened
to be present) he laid stress upon the great
principle that the will of the majority should
prevail. Why, he said to me a thousand times.
"Ihe South muSt vote for me, and the North
"must be secured and the only way to secure
"the North Is to convince those gentlemen that
when get in the Presidential chair | will do
right with the people in Kansas. | am now
"66 years of age. | have reached that time of
"hfe when l cannot have any ambition for a re-
selection. and if have, the only way to secure
"it is to be strong with my own people at home
81 watched this struggle from my retirement in
"London; have seen what | conceive to be
"the mistakes of others. | am not responsible
"for the administration of President Pierce
therefore, will inaugurate a new system; |
twill show TO these gentlemen that Pennsyl-
"yania President will stand firm to the pledges
"of Pennsylvania gentleman and Pennsyva-
mia Democrat" Now, fellow citizens in that
letter of acceptance if YOU will refer to tit is
moi necessary fpr q r~nfttrp II
will find thht he stated distinctly that the peo-
pie of the Territory of Kansas should be protec-
ted IN the sacred right Of suffrage, unawed by
any influence whatever, and that the will of the
We wen, NJ prevail
to he at the head OF inc .Stutv De,fjJ .a,,v win
mttee of Pennsylvania. All my affections were
in that State all the emotions of my nature,
physical and mental. were enlisted on the side
of the candidate she had presented. His whole
career. his character, my personal attachment
and the sincere devotion felt for him, hi. fam
lily, his cause, and all about him made me so
anxious for him to succeed, that l indulge in no
vain expression of speech when | say to YOU
that would have forfeited my life for him.
My devotion for him knew no bounds. Day,
night, night and day, toiled in that campaign.
And there are those here to-day from my own
State who will bear witness to the fact when |
say that all my own resources, all my fortune,
my every exertion every aid Mat could be en-
listed was enlisted to produce the final result.
And above all others in that campaign was the
great principle of popular sovei eighty. [Ap-
plausc. That was the standard which marshall
ed the way. That was the Shibboleth-that was
the war cry. From Lake Erie to the Delaware
Riyer-from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia-in ev-
cry village and town in the State-everywhere
that | could induce pen to write, OF tongue
to speak, that was the theme upon which those
pens wrote and those tongues spoke. Why,
gentlemen, Mr.. Buchanan had no confidence or
reserve upon this subject. lie was public, he
was oren, he was unreserved in his declarations
to everybody. He sent TO the traduced John
Hickman, in an adjoining county. He told him,
through his friends and agents "Iou, Mr..
Hickman, occupy peculiar relations you vot-
ed for the Topeka Constitution you denounced
the kansas-Nebraska bill : YOU were opposed
to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise line
the Democratic party of your district have nom-
mated you the Republicans like you they be-
lieye in you. Now, | want you to take the
stump and go before your people, and pledge
me, James Buchanan, that intend standing by
and if necessary dying by this principle of Pop
ular Sovereignty" For myself if | could de-
scend to the baseness of repubshing private
letters, might fill a volume with similar pied
ges from similar authority. Why, gentlemen
when the distinguished Secretary of State Mr.
Cobb, who from having been a superfine Union
man, has been converted into fire-eater, equa
to Mr.. Chaubert himself-when Mr.. Cobb camC
into Pennsylvania, and trayersed our State from
end to end, and from county to county, talking
to delighted audiences all the time, what wai
the burden of his theme? Why-Popual
Sovereignty. ] would take the Army ant
the Navy, | would use every power of the Fed
eral Government, | would surround the Terri
tory but what the people Of Kansas should vote
. and by their vote the destinies of the future
State should be decided. Whenever Southern
orator came into Pennsylvania and called upor
, me, said to him: snow, Sir, / have but on,
thing to say to you we have but single thing
before the people; every day is making TIN
campaign more and more doubtful; every da,
is making the popular feeling more and NOR
, intense Mr. Buchanan himselffeels that every
2 thing depends upon the prudence, the sagacity
and the spirit of Cancellation by which this cam
: paign is conducted, and for Gods sake take car
what you say about Kansas leave your violen
i Southern feelings at home; you must not COM
y to threaten; you Governor Johnston, and yo,
MI Scott, of Richmond and you Mr. Extra Bill
ly Smith, and YOU Mr. Secretary Floyd, all O