Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-07-20
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80 mucn mas Deen ealO, coDleCtuTeO
aud prophesied about the action of the
coming Charleston Convention, tina,
the very mention Of it is becoming
odious to the reading public. Its &C.
ton has been anticipated in an hun
bred ways-it is to break up, dissolve
and be disgraced by multitude Of
impracticabie preconcerted schemes
1t ia seemingly represented a. . sort Of
pladiatorial amphitheatre, wherein
| Presidential buiiies are to wrangle and
maui each other for the amusement OF
the national audience. That many
pugilistic political aspirants are already
in . course Of preparatory training for
the contest and that their friends are
busy rubbing them down, reducing
their superauous flesh, cropping, and
hardening their muscles, we we'll
know; with . commeLdable zeal, too,
we ind that each of them occasionally
mounts his hobby to take exercise in
the open air OF public opinion, whereby
to show bis points and impress his
friends with his peculiar capacities for
the encounter. Of course, the friends
of each are sanguine and back their
opinions without hesitation. Clubs,
coteries and campaigners are in the
hot haste Of preparation, 90 as to be on
the ground in numbers to assist and
encourage their favorites. Now, all
this is very we'll for those engaged 10
it, but we shrewdly suspect that in the
first place the Charleston Convention
is not going to be SO easily broken up
or dlsgraced by these schemes and
contemplated exhibitions, and second
ly, that these contestants and their
friends really represent but . small
portion of the public of these United
States, or of the Democratic party.
They may fight their sham battles, let
of their pop guns and discharge letters
at the public, bnt in the meantime
they may as well be advised that the
country is fast becoming disgusted
with the whole tribe of men who thus
seek to throw dust in the visual organs
Of the people. The game is an old
one, too often practiced by the Lilli-
putiau statesmen in this happy land,
where all have chance to be Presi-
dent. 1t might serve good purpose
to inform them that such schemes have
never yet succeeded, that a Convention
composed of good and conservative
men, as doubtless the Charleston Con-
vention will be, from all parts of the
Confederacy, has never yet been BAN.
boozled by these anticipating clap
traps so wisely concerted to manufac-
ture pub i6opinion. They might take
a lesson IN the Convention Of 1874,
which threw overheard all those who
were in training for the course by the
acts Of themselves and their officious
friends. James X. Polk. without So
licitation, and without manGuvering
was nominated. to the discontinue of
those who thought that they had it all
fixed in advance. In lS48 Lewis
Cass, who he'd been assiduously seek
ing the nomination for years, received
it and was defeated, whereas it is adj
mi,tcd that if a new man had been
nominated, General Taylor would not
have been elected.
In 1852 candidates were again nu-
merous, anxious and self-schelDing, one
against the other, or combining to kill
off this or that aspirant from this or
that section. But not one Of them
was nominated. The politicians, as
such. failed. and comparatively new
man, Franklin Pierce, was nominated
and elected. In 1856 some of the
same men who were thrown overheard
in the preceding Convention, and
others, were again busy with their
plots and counterplots, but they failed.
The Convention nominated the pres
ent Chief Magistrate by the compul-
sion Of outside pressure. The people,
and not the politicians, in fact, con-
trolled the nomination, and the Presi-
dental hucksters were pushed ont Of
view. Buchanan had ceased to be a
candidate, had been absent, had not
schemed nor plotted he was nomi-
mated and elected. Had it been other
wise, he would have failed before the
Convention or the people.
The history of the Wing Conven.
tions and nominations show much the
same peculiarties. Harrison and Tay-
lor, not self-seeking candidates, were
nominated over the heads of such
men as Clay and Webster, the stand
ing candidates of the party, and they
we're elected. Scott sought and Tough,
for the nomination, obtained it, anC
was defeated. Fremont was a monde
script candidate, entered the list.
through the scheming of friends, used
money, intrigued to break up opposi
ton conventions, and, by uniting the
discordant elements, succeeded in OBJ
tanning the nomination and in being
defeated before the country.
We commend these lessons of thu
past to those aspirants now in the field
who feel that their past history is moi
sufficiently understood by the people
and hence they now obliging come
forward to exalt themselves, anc
catch at every straw that floats on the
somewhat turbulent streams of poll
tics, Their views may be right o.
wrong upon the Squatter Sovereigut,
dogma they may reap some gain By
expressing Themselves on the naturali
cation question, but all this won't serv,
to show their fitness for President
Their record is made UPS a part o
: the history Of the times-they hav,
made their impress upon the comm