Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-06-01
The Democracy not Dependent on any
one Man.

1
We have felt mortified at Tie opinion ad-
vanced in some quarters, that the Baltimore
Convention must nominate particular candi-
date or be utterly defeated and handed over to
the tender mercies Of the Black Republicans.
In the many political mutations of the day, We
have never harbored the idea that the Demo-
cratic party has become so faithlcss 10 its high
principles as to require an especial idol to be
put forward to secure success. We rcpel such
imputations upon the honesty and fealty Of
the Democracy. We believe that the great
men Of the party, North and South, heartily
respond to the following sentiments in Sena-
tor Benjamin's late speech:
II am not willing to 60 for any man, DO
not care whether his name has been proposed
or not, who is not willing TO stand upon 4 plat
form of principle-of constitutional principle
am willing to go for any man, whether named
or not who will pledge his honor to stand
faithfully and squarely upon platform of
sound principles; and when q platform ofsound
constitutional principles shall be adopted by a
| Democratic Convention, satisfactory to me-
with my views Of constitutional right, and salts
factory to my peoplc-prncipes satisfactory
to my people, say, I care not for mcn-then
you may put upon that platform any man who
can stand upon it'honorably, and will vote
for him; | will maintain him; will canvass
my State in his behalf; will spend all my
time and all my breath in his cause, wherever,
whenever, and however may be asked by his
| friends"
We have now no Washington whose majes-
tic character and sublime virtues render him
the great central object Of popular alteration.
We have inferior mortals to deal wth-and we
look to our delegates to the Baltimore Conycn-
ton to compare opinions, to canvass the claims
of candidates, and, after concurrence upon
great constitutional principles, to select such
nominees as will override the discords of Sec
tiona strife and the rivalries of personal amb-
| tion, and will commend themselves to the po-
pular heart of the conlederacy. As the Hart
ford Times we'll says:
"The object (of National Convention) is
not for the especial benefit Of any one man,
but for the promotion Of sound national prin-
ciples and the welfare Of the country. One
State may prefer one man for President, and
another another man but it would not answer
for each to take up its favorite and run him
against the opinions and preference OF all
the other States This would result in defeat.
To harmonic the party and consolidate its
strength, National Conventions were establish
ed in 1882. Even in these bare majority
might make nominations quite distastc(ul to Il
very large portion of the Democracy Of the
Union. But TO avoid this the two-third rule
was adopted in 1882, and it has been adhered
to regularly from that time to this. 1t was
conceded that if two thirds of all the delegates
Of all the States Of the Union could agree upon
candidate no Democrat could reasonably
withhold his support
On various occasions excitement has run
high in these National Conventions, and the
strife for favortcs has been great. But in the
end twothirds Of the delegates, by yield
ing preferences and consulting the public good,
have agreed upon candidates acceptable to all
sections and the party has acted unitedly with
some few exceptions, mainly confined to single
States
1t will be the duty OF the National Convcn-
ton which will assemble Mt Baltimore next
month, to consider this matter calmly. The
South does not ask that any man offensive to
the North shall be nominated, and the North
should not insist that an individual offensive to
the South should be made the candidate
There are men capable and worthy, of exec.
utive ability at least equal to that OF Senator
Douglas, who would he acceptable to the peo.
pie Of both sections. 1t is the duty Of the Con-
rention to concentrate upon one of those men.
Most certainly it should not pursue course
that will inevitably tend to divide and destroy
the old Democratic party Of this Union.
Itseems to US unwise for any portion OF the
Democratic party to join with the Black Re-
publicans in denouncng the South. The
South do not demand a platform unsound in
principle or unjust to the people of any por-
tion of the Union. They do not ask tho North
to take any candidate offensive to them. They
do not say you shall have our particular candi-
date or nobody. But they do ask that the
North shall not crowd an offensiye candidate
| upon them; and what is rather significant in
the case is the fact that about all the Demo.
cratic States of the Union ask this. 1t is Of
no great consequence to Vermont and Massa-
chusetts, and eight or ten other States, who
the candidate is. They will 60 Black Republ-
can any way. Lincoln can beat Mr.. Douglas
in getting Black Republican votes in these
States. But it is Of consequence in some other
States, who the candidate is and very nearly
all of these protest against Mr.. Douglas.
We think q little calm reflection will satisfy
the .ssccedcrs" that it is proper for them to re.
turn to their seats in the regular Convention;
and also convince the regular Convention that
it is not best to crowd any man upon the De-
mocratc party whose name will divide rather
than strengthen its ranks-but that it is impe-
ratively necessary for them to select candl-
date on whom the Democracy of every State
in the Union can unite its entire force. Do not
| let us initiate the miserable example OF the
Black Republicans in exciting contest with
the South, and fostering abuse OF those who
sustain the rights of all the States of the Union
when no good can result from such course,
but which must tend to bring great evils upon
the country.
These remarks contain the /. rnel Of the mat
ter. The Democracy, in st crises, have
found it vital to the cause Of &c party and the
country to postpone to more fitting occasion
the aspirations Of distinguished leaders, and
they will exercise the same patriotic spirit
whenever it shall become necessary. They
will require that personal preference and in
terests shall succumb to the harmony and vel
fare Of the party. Above all, they will insist
upon firm and unambiguous assertion ofprin-
ciples; and to show that the party, North as
we'll as South, are ready to come up to true
and honest position, nc cory at length the fol-
lowing appeal signed by five hundred Demo-
Gratis of Stark county, nhi:', which has just
rcached us in hand-bill form:
4 Call!
To the National Democrats Of Stark County,
Ohio.
The Charleston Convention has proved q
failure. We all understand the causes Of the
failure. The time-honored and conservative
maxim of the National Democracy, "PRScG-
Plies AND NOT Men," was ignored, for the time
being smothered, by tactionists and imprac-
ticable opposers Of the present National Ad.
| rn;pictrotion and the true and fundamental