The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-12
A Sensation Document.


LETTER FROM KNERAL YOUNG, OF MISSOURI TO THE
HON. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, URGING HIM TO RUN AS
AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY
IRON the Chicago Press and Tribune
ST CHARLES HorKI
CAPE GRARDEAU, Mo-, August /, 1859 I
Hon. STEPHEN A. DOUGLASS
My KAR SRI have read, with no small degree of dis
satisfaction and chagrin the announcement of your pur-
pose to submit claims TO the President a succession
to the decision OF the approaching Charleston Convention
and your avowed resolve to abide by that decision how
adverse il may be to you. This disinercstedness
and seltimmoaton may have been highly pleasing, nay
commedabc the purcr and better days of the repub
lie, when morals were better, and representative trusts
without the reserved right Of appeal in this midnight de-
brs OF moral gloom and political degeneracy downright
madness III the extreme.
The uniform course of this administration has been so
low revealing and degraded in the indicative pursuit Of
is own petty revengcs and personal aggrandzemcnts
tina, you can make no calculat ions of good from it,
Lean reed that will part
And send It's shyers TO the heart
With all the dishonorabe means that will be pursued
to cut you out Of the nomination, yet hardly think it
possible that the Convention will so far forget its duties
the country and wantony to disregard the popular WILL
kneed in thunder tones from every Of the land
as to pretermit your claims for those Of any living
much less for the neophyte ephemera who cucumber
and ponss the avenues Of preterment Yet such fate
may await yen shonld il come, | would no.-you will
not-tamcly submit to its unjust DEGREES. No You will
rather meet with bold heart strong arm, keen eye
and ready aim, and YOU will conquerit
In this dread hour OF your countrys doom and your
| party's perpetuity-
Heed not the though kings re m 70
But strike deep your steel in the bosom of Gath
IT, then this Charleston Convention should obstnately
refuse to confer the nomination where justice truth,
tue religion aud the popular voice point DUE then SIR
you wil-you must-you owe to YOURSELF your country
and to Heaven and Him who there presides, to guard
patriots fate and patriots charge to appeal the unjust
and unrgheous verdict to the legitimate of all
power-the uncomfortable people. They who have
delighted to honor the bold and fearless champion of their
constitutional rights, will not desert you in that trying
hour The great popular heart pusates for you with the
dlastOleS
Under other circumstances surrounded by other scenes
and influenced by other motives, could counsel disc
bedence and dsloyaty to the decisions OF properly
ganized and properly conducted National Democratic
Convention. In the present exgency of affairs, l
doubtful OF the propriey and wisdom of committing your
fortunes to the final and revocable decree Of so vena
uncertain and precarious a tribunal
1t Is more than apparent to the most casual observer of
Transporting events that means are now being used and
demonstrations made that clearly indicate the attempts
rrupt distort and sway the judgment Of that body.
On account of these dsreputabc proceedings so early
begun and so eagerly pursued am oath to you
without the privilege of appeal to the tender merces of
that most unnatural and unnationa monster Charleston
If that Convention should resolve in their suen angry
and defiant nfatuaton to disregard the popular will in
pursuit of their own sinister ends and make another
nomination. then, sir will the election Of black repub
can be reduced TO a positive certainty Then indeed,
will the die be cast then will the long mooted question
OF mans capabity OF government forever be solved
in the negative, and stronger principle than de-
mocracy will be found necessary to perpetuac the blood
OIL TINS sisterhoOd OF States
sir will your patriot heart scken and reco at the bloody
scenes which your arm might have prevented had you
not bndy and serviely yielded to the fat OF unjust
and unconstitutional body Now it will be too late to re-
pent Of your temeriy the hour of redemption will have
passed and, like Iaocoon OF old, you will have to behold
the murdered spirit of Liberty bound the cankless
coils of the mercess hydra Dsunon Then, you
excaim, as did the cowardly Macbeth when he imagined
he saw the spirit of the murdered Banquo:-
Shake not thy CORY locks at
Thou canst not say did it,
Your skirts will be too deeply stained with your countrys
blood FOR though you may not thrust your spear in the
bleeding side yet you alone could but would not
he unaowed mmotion, because the Charleston Conyen
ton wiled ii otherwise
Ponder, conjure YOU the solemn sanctity of your
trust and the awful responsibility Of your position before
you rashIy conclude to abide by the decision of the
charleston Convention.
Never give your written pledge to any one to ab.e by
the decision of this Convention Keep them doubt as TO
your future intentions Keep constantly suspended over
them the fearful sword OF Damoces dictate their action
and constrain the result.
Do this and they will dare make an adverse nomi.
nation They well know that mighty powe andr influence
winch you justly exercise over the popular heart, and
they will not dare brook that macstrom of popular indg
nation which would certainly greet an adverse decision
Threaten, DEFY awe them into submission but never no
never, do you bow to the magnificent humbug, ack.
nowedge the authority Of any such tribunal dsappont
In conclusion, sir permit to ask you a plain une
quivocal question. II s:rf the Charleston convention
should bad faith TO the people will YOU or will Won
not repudiate its acton rebuke its indety delegated
trust aud announce yourself independent candidates
no .i ana your victory will be signal-your triumph
answer me- beseech you, in all candor and sincerity
assure me you can, that you will rather trust your
ssh W the hands Of this great mountainous peopln
.nh DO" obedience TO the unrgheous verdict Of an un
/ consecrated convention OF dishonest politicians
answer me at your very earliest moment and accent
renewed assurance of the unwayerng fidelity and dstn
guished regard Of your very humble and obt serv't,
~, e. OGLvIE BYRON YOUNG
In reference to this aforesaid letter our Chicago coem
porary has the following remarks
GEN. YoUSG's LETTER
The letter OF Gen. Ogilye Byron Young OF Cane Cr,r
deau Mo-, to Judge Douglas Of which we made brief
mention yesterday, will be found in another column n
has been for time in private circulation among the
friends of Mr.. Douglas in Missouri but has Just found s
way into print. As revealing the spirit Of the Douglas
wing of the democracyther covert purpose either To
rule the Charleston Convention bolt its nomnationt
probable that not the intention of the writer or OF
Mr. Douglas to make public prior TO the meeting Of that
body. In any event will command the distinguished
consideration Of leading politicians Among the many
literary curioses Of this trying time with the democracy,
Gen. Youngs pronuncamento will rank second only
Tho WseD.oney letter. Whether its effect will be TO
create the "~ildcst dastoes Of gratitude, the tamest
systoes Of disgust among the democracy, will probably
depend upon the peculiar diagnosis Of the readers politics