The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-04-19
THE PRESIDENCY.
Mr.. Slidell and the Register.

Before the next issue of our paper, The Char
lesion Convention will probably have decided
the great question of the Presidential Candida
cy. What that decision will be, no mortal can
foresee There never was q time, since the
inauguration of our Government, when politics
were SO inextricably involved, or when events
and measures in the political world were more
palpably uncertain. Of several possible or
probable alternatives, we scarcely know which
to look for with least Of fear or most of hope.
Our course, With reference to the Presidency,
has widely differed from that of many of our
regular Democratic contemporaries. We offer
no ccnsnrc Of them, direct or implied. We
have fearlessly pursued the path indicated by
our own sense Of duty and are not illiberal
enough to suppose they did otherwise. SILL
we must confess that in some respects, VIC can
not approve, as we would not initiate, tho poll
cy adopted by some of our co-cditors of the
genuine National Democracy. We have most
explicitly. and to the extent Of our feeble abili-
ty. advocated Senator Slidcll for the Presiden.
cy. We have done So U .....
the South deserved this honor, and that Mr..
slidell is the very best man, all things consi-
dered, that the South can possibly present. We
will not repeat the grounds Of these convic-
lions: they ore already on record in our cdito-
rial columns. To those convictions and on
those grounds we stand.
| Secondly: The action of the Baton Rouge
Convention made it obligatory on the regular
State Democratic papers to advocate the claims
of Mr.. Slidell for the Presidency. Such, at
least is our view Of the matter. We arc a
strict difciplinarian, holding the capital trait
Of party orthodoxy to be n prompt and honest
obedience to the properly constituted Demo-
cratic authorities. This, in fact, is the only
reliable test Of Democracy and it is adequate
and universal Nothing merely personal is or
should be decisive. Principles, not men, is
still one Of the corner-stoncs Of our party. The
true test of Democracy is adhesion to the
Democratic platform and obedience TO the De-
mocratic authorities National Conventions for
the Nation, and State Conventions for the State.
As no one could fairly claim to be National
Democrat who should rebel against the deci-
sion Of the Charleston Convention, so no man
can fairly be termed Democrat in any State
who disobcys the directions and rcsists the &C.
ton of the Convention of that State. This
holds true. confessedly, of platforms and nomi-
nations. Why it should be less bi,ding in re-
spcct of directions and recommendations, we
confess our inability to perceive. If the argu-
mcnt be good one way, it is good the other way
also. It's very poor rule that wont work
both why's.
Thirdly: Our personal preferences have long
been for Mr.. slidell. Years ago, in other pa
pers, we have given uttcrancc to these prefer
enccs. Our State feeling leads to the same
choice. As citizen of Louisiana, we should
desire to see one of her sons elevated to the
Presidency, even were his claims on the Demo-
cratic party and bis qualifications for the posi-
ton much inferior to those of our able and dis.
tlngushcd senior Senator.
With these convictions and this sense of dis
cipline, and these strong personal and State
preferences, it will be readily seen that our
open, firm, downright and manly advocacy of
Mr.. Slidell was our only course. We only re-
greet that some Of our influential Louisiana CO.
temporaries did not take the same view of
their duty in this important matter.