Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-05-26
From the Illinois State Democrat FaIsifying Political History.

The Cincinnati Enquirer of May 8th, for the purpose of creating the impression that the opponents of Senator Douglas manifested a want of magnanimity in retus- ing to abandon principle stultifv them selves, and misrepresent their constituency, by making the nomination of Douglas unani- nous on the receipt of 153 votes in the convention, by asserting that as soon as Douglas acertained, on the sixth ballot that Buchanan had received a majority of the votes of the convention, he immediate ly forwarded the following dispatch to Col. Richardson:
 Mir. Buchanan, having received ma jority of the convention, is, in my opinion entitled to the nomination. 1 hope my friends will give effect to the vote of the majority of the. party.
 STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS"
 Unfortunately for the truth of the En- quirer's position, the officially published proceedings of the Cincinnati convention, show that no such dispatch was presented by Col. Richardson. Equally unfortunate 1t is for this attempt at talsilication, that although MT. Buchanan did receive ma jority of the convention on the sixth ballot, Mr. Douglas friends had not even the pow CT to giveMr. Buchanan two-thirds vote, much less q unanimous nomination. On the sixth ballot Mr. Buchanan received 155 votes, Douglas 2S!-192 votes constituting tWo-thrds. Not until the seventh ballot was announced was 1t apparent that Mr. Douglas vote added to Mr. Buchanan's, was sufficient to nominate. and did the Douglasitcs exercise that magnanimity so much desired at the present time, by with drawing the name of Douglas and conccn- trating their vote upon the individal who was the choice of maorty of the conven- tion? They done no such a thing. They persisted, in what they would call disre- gard of popular sentiment, and insisted that two-thirls vote should oe had for the nominee. The Douglastes adhered to their programme so long as there was a posSibiIi ty of their being able to defeat AIr Buch- anan. On either the 1th, Sth, 9th, 10th, llth, 12th 18th, l4th or 10th ballots, the Dougasites could have given 1lr. Buchan- an the two-thirds essential to nomination; but they persistenty refused.
 After the 18th ballot, in which the friends of Pierce and Douglas had united, and af- ter finding that on the 17th ballot they could not prevent diversion from their own ranks sufficient to insure Mr. Buchanan the requisite two-thirds vote, Mir. Richardson then, as at Charleston, Mr. Douglas fugle- man, rose and read dispatch from MT. Douglas, as follows:
 WASHINGTON, June f, 1856
 Dear Sir: From the telegraphic re- ports in the newspapers, fear that an em bittered state of feeling is being engendered in the convention, which may endanger the harmony and success of our party. l wish you and all my friends to bear in mind that 1 have thousand fold more anxiety for the triumph of our principl than for my own personal elevation. If the withdrawal of my name will contribute to the harmony of our party, or the success of our cause, l hope you will not hesitate to take the step. Especially it is my desire that the action of the convention will embody and express the wishes, feelings, and principles of the de- mocracy of the republic, and hence, if Mr. Pierce, or Mr. Buchanan, orany other states man. who is faithful to the great issue in volved in the contest, shnU receiye majori- W of the conuention, / earnestly Hope Mot M my friends mW unite in insuring hin tro thirds, and then in making his nomination unanimous Letno personal considerations disturb the harmony or endanger the tri umph of our principles.
 STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS
 MT. Richardson prefaced the reading of the dispatch with the following remarks:
 Whdterer may be the opinion ot Me .gentle- man, (NIr. Douglas as to the contest, am satisfied that I cannot advance his interests or the interest of the common cause, or the principles of the democratic party, by con- tinuing him in this contest. l will, there fore, state that have dispatch from Judge Douglas, which 1 desire, may be permitted to be read, and shall then withdraw ais name from before the convention Idesise. gentlemen, otter hot, 10 decide on mhat course Mey nsay deem a proper Co pursue"
 Now, mark! This dispatch, dated on the 4th, was not presented to the convention until the 9th, notwithstanding the 9th ballot was had on the 5th. Why did not Mir. Richardson present immediately after the announcement of the sixth ballot? Simply because it was desirable to use 1t only when ever Mr. Pierce might have received a ma l iorty, as means of defeating Mir. Buch- anan Col. Richardson withheld 1t until