Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-03-02
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.

dates which go out from asnlngUon. 1He
fat contradictions which they exhibit, and
the fluctuations they undergo from week to
week-almost from day to day-destroy the
credit of the whole. Evidently these reports
are made up in most cases by those who
know they must write something, else what
are they Washington Correspondents for?
and the more variety there is in their let
tiers, the more readable they will be. The
talk of any little squad of cigar smokers is
therefore heralded abroad as 1.-THE prevailing
sentiment at Washington" about the pros
poets of Mr.. Douglas, Mr.. Hunter, Mr.. Ste
vens, Mr.. Breckenridge, Mr.. Seward, Mr..
Chase, Mr.. Cameron, Mr.. Lincoln, &c, on
one side and on the other. Besides, Congress
is much like our Legislature at Montpelier.
The members and their hangers-on are half
crazed with schemes and cabals to elect off,
GERS and to carry %favorite measures of all
sorts. One says voting for John Doe will
damage the prospects of Richard Roe one
little sympathizing group says, if we cannot
carry our measure a certain other group which
stands IN our way may find their own little
plan knocked into a cooked hat before they
know what is coming, and so on.
From the operation of such causes the
members to a great extent are brought to
feel that they constitute pretty much the
whole country-sO far as public sentiment is
concerned whereas they are in fact but an
exceeding small part oft. and so they find it
to be when they scatter away from each 9TH
er and mingle freely with the people all over
the land. The prospect of a candidate among
the cliques at Washington is one thing
what it will be in "A Convention Of several
hundred delegates sent together directly from
the people, and from'all parts of the country,
is quite another afflir-not to b. known
surely till such Convention is assembled, and
not to be OWNED, with a reasonable approach
TO cert3inty till very near that time.
Even the Democratic party. bouni togeth-
er as it is by cords of plumber and office,
present and prospective,-its masses Injured
to party disci line like soldiers who have no
law but to obey their officers, is yet IN an UNI
settled state as to who shall BE- its nominee.
Its leaders, the Southern politicians, do not
want Douglas-ior he baked them once
Just a little, to be sure, but enough to make
them long to grind his head if they can, and
they will do it il they dare. Only let them
he convinced that any other man will prom
Use as fairly for them in these FreeStatcs where
they must succeed or fail altogether, and
they will turn their backs on him in an in
slant. His most ardent Northern supporters
profess tn have no fear on that head. We
believe they feel more uneasincss on l. than
they care to uake known, and their uneiSi-
ness will continue for some weeks to come.
As t. the Republicans. there is 10 lack If
able, statesninlike, tried ard true hearted
men in their ranks, whose names are before
the people. Ola dozen who could be named,
though MT all equally prominent, each one
will be favored by large and respectable
DO lies Of friends from important districts Of
country, any one cf whom if nominated after
a fair consideration of opinions at the Chica-
90 Convention, will find himself supported
with an energy and good will worthy of the
cause he is to represent. Who that man
will be we must wait for the Conve7 ton to
determine.
As to the suggestion of sOme-a suggestion
made specially prominent by an article n
the n. Y. Tribune, on which we remarked
last week-that we may find it wise to 60
out of the Republican ranks for our candi-
date, we hold it in no respect whatever. The
following from the Poughkecpsie Eagle, Of
Feb. %, in IN article on that of the y. Y.
Tribune already referred to, is to the purpose:
I'VE quote this paragraph for the purpose
of observing that if arguments such as these
are to be considered legitimate in the repub-
lican party, or a republican convention. we
have heretofore cherished verv erroneous
opinions on the subject of political orthodoxy
and the way to sustain political principles.
According to the Tribune, if there are som
grounds for doubt whether we can succeed
with a C ndidate devoted to our principles.
the road to success will be to select one not
identified with them in other words, in
the abandonment of our principles, and in
of maintaining our integrity with the
which a good cause should inspire,
to compromise our position, cast off our
SOUND and true men, and attempt to rally
under a candidate of doubtful character ,
There are a great many ways to commit su-
lclde, and if there is one more safe han this
for a political party we should like to see it
pointed out.
We have nothing against Mr.. Edward
Bates, of Missouri, personally, but in our
humble view of the case, his chance of
reaching the next Presidency, after his late
definitions of his position, is about as good
as that of John Smith. Should the republi-
can convention at Chicago wind up in NOM
mating him, or any other man occupying a
position similar, we would charitably advise
the members, after completing their grand
qualification, to make an excursion TO Lake
Winnipeg. or Hudson's Bay. for their health.
They would need the invigorating northern
atmosphere before returning to their cOnstitu-
ente. We firmly belief such a nomination
would drop dead at the start; the party
would be considered sold, and the strife end
with the Chicago proceedings.
Perhaps som will think that we treat this
matter too gravely, and ought not to consid-
er the nomination ofequivocal candidates at
Chicago as even possible. If such a con-
clusion is not supposable one, we would
like to know what right the Tribune has,
as a leading republican organ, to advise it
under any contingency? Our enemies are
liberal enough in rendering their advise to
lead us on this downward road, and therefore
we insist that we should be offended, and
even indignant, when we see our friends
thus s~econding their motion"