Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-03-02
Wood agd tho Platform of the
Democratic Party.

Fernando Wood and tho Platform of the
Democratic Party.
From the Charleston "Mcrcu.y," Feh Is.
Mr. Fernando Wood is nominated bya Demo
cratic Convention lately held at Syracuse. Ncw
York, delegate to represent the State at large
at the Charleston Convention. Mr.. Wood took
the occasion to deliver a sound Democratic
speech lie is obviously no Douglas Democrat
no dodgcr or cquiyocator on issues. tic Is
against 'avalability' lie is against "a COM
,Tomisc of principles." lie is 70. "a platform
Of principles" which will reconstruct the Ma
tiotal Democratic party, "aild as This result is
dependent upon the Success OF this re-organlzed
and rc-conStructrd party, so Will It rest with
that Convention whether We snail have party
ut ALL This is excellent. This is all the South
crn Rights party oi the South require Of The
Convention Let the Charleston Convention
repudatc 'availability' and all compromises o'
principles. Let it re-orsanize and reconstruct
the Democratic party, and thus make II t"llat
it is not now Il party, by u PLAIN platform! "i
principles; and the nomicc Of the Convention
for the Presidency and Vice Presidency oi the
United States. will most probably carry for lis
candidates Il united South. We give tie con.
cluding words of Mr. Woods speech. We
trust the whole South will support them:
but, my friends, We are to proceed Il"
Charleston 10 lay down platform Of prize;
vles and to select standard bearers for the
contest Of next November. Selected as il:r
representatives of the National Democracy,
pure and simple, the part VIC shall act in coll
Structiug that platform aud III the creatlo@ ol
those candidates will rebound to the glory NJ
Shauic OF those whose agents We are ,ihe
history Of the Democratic party furnishes no
parallel 70 the condition OF things rs Row
existing. Al no period since the loundati"!! pE
the Government has u Presidential contest
presented sllnla: ISSUE or involved i similar
consideration. For the first tmc there is bat
one issue and that issue is s;Tt life o. death
Such stupendOnS consequences never before
wore dependent upon the action OF Il party
a party, Us il were, 10 be reconstructed by Tie
National Convention about to assemble; and 'i
this result is dependent upon the success oi
this re!organiZcd and reconstructed party, 50
will il rest with that Convention whether Mr
shall have Il party at all. |! Wise couliScI>
shall there prevail, and tr9e patriotism ever
ride iealuusieS and selfish controversies, al! will
be well; but il inlcmpcrate passion, nt!Stakci!
availability and compromise OF principle
shall be adopted, all will be lost. Ruin mast
cnSli. The party will BECOME d>in,c;ratcd
and destroyed, and OVER lis destruction will he
reared monument erected 10 i;iacl; Eepubil'
can success, to be followed liz AZ incyIta!'sc
dissolution Of the Union.
The Mercury" from Which we clip the
above, does nothing more than Justice in tic
compliments which it bcStows upon Mr.. Wood.
IF the Democratic party mean pracptt" Dy
their platform, they must show tic sincerity "I
,hrir declarations by the pertinency oil tl!c''
actions. The admission Ci the frccsoil Ca:
ger Cassidy delegation even. upon equal term.
with Mr.. Wood, would constitute an nnwar
rantabe concession to irrc-Soil proclivities. Tho
exclusion of Mr. Wood and the Hard dclcca
ton wuul,i br all abandonment Of principle, 4
coalition with frcc-Soilsu, that would render
the Democratic Convention a hy-wortl and re
proach among honest men, We tell the hc
lnocracy that the day for cquirocaton has
passed No 'loube-faced platform, meaning
squattcr sovereignty at the North, and its re-
verse at the South can again succeed. Mr. Ma
son and Mr. Hunter, the Senators from Virginia
have months ago declared, from the tluor o
the Senate. that no man occupying Mr. Dong
lass position upon territorial slavery r"uid re
ceivc an "individua vote" in Virginia .tnd
no paper has conlradictci the declaration, III
questioned its proprety.
Mr. Wood and the Hard Delegation present
themselves at Charleston with clean hands
and records unsullied by Frcc.soilisH. They
are the unconpromiSing advocates Of rrinci
pies so plainly declared "tlIat the way-ia,ing
man, though fool, cannot err therein" sowci
defined that "he who runs may rea'l'' and
perfectly comprehend them. Reject such mel
or admit them, and place ly their side the cor
rupt and dishonest lrer-<oi confidence men o
the ,lbany Regency. a,"l the Convention will
only confirm the sway Of Black Rcpublicansnl
in the Empire State.
Let every Southern delegate determine thai
contested elections shall be decided upon tie
same principles that are recorded in the platform
that from first to last the Charleston Convrn
ton, in its delegations, its platform and It's can
didatcs, open, fair. just and uaelnisocal princi,
pies shall govern.
Such conduct alone holds eut prospect o
SUCCESS at the South. let the Southern Dele.
gales to Charleston determine that every Nucs.
ton shall he decided upon principle, and
availability" will he secured much more rtirc
tualy than by any ,aupcring with treason, Vi
abnegation OF principles Let the right hand
of Democratic fellowship be extended To the
iinr,7s Of New York and then the world will
know that the Democracy and Constitutional
principles are convertible terms.
--S-<>-- -
silver and Gold Treasures OF virginia.
We have seen letter from an experienced!
chemist of Baltimore, addressed to Mr.. Me-
Carnant of the House, giving The following
ASSAY of some lead ore lrom Southwestern
Virginia
Lead d..............+TI.lti Iii per cent
Silver. ..........." ounces
to ti,r ton of metallic lead. which is about ) to
the ton of ore The Sil,er contains notable
quantity o, gold. The lead, silver and gold
are found. with the copper vein or lode, at the
Peach Bottom Mines, now being worked
near the 'irayson county line.
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Fatal AHray.
\ suit was instituted in the fall of 1859, by
Victoria Clements against her husband, James
Clements. for divorce Depositious were taken
soon after the institution of the suit, which
rave rise 10 diilirn|.y between the defendant
and Vim. p. tilbrrt, in which both Of these
gentlemen, as well a> i brother Of Nh Gilbert,
were severely wounded.
On Saturday last additional depositinns were
taken at Brooks, in the county Of Franklin,
and while Capt. Vincent Wilcher was engaged
in examining witness, we are informed that
Jrntr ,,StD N,