Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-05-05
Speeches of Col. Orr.

Gcntlcmcn of the Convention: thank
you for the distinguished honor you have con-
trrrrd upon ne in selecting me to preside over
your deliberations The task will be an easy
one, MS | shall doubtless have your cordial CO.
operation in carrying fully and faithfully into
execution the objects and purposes OF our as
Scmbling upon the present occasion
] am happy, gentlemen, to see 50 large aud
highly respectable delegation, representing
the different Districts and Parishes in the
State of South Carolina We have had many
difficulties to encounter in times gone hy, up-
on the question AZ to the prorrirty of South
Carolina being represented in the National
Conventions of the Democratic party.
trust, however, gentlemen that the day is
past, and that SO long as our political brcth-
rcn IN other sections of the Union determine
that the Convention system is the proper svs-
tenn for the purpose Of selecting their caudi-
oates for President and Vice President of the
United States, we shall always find the people
of South Carolina cooperating with them.
80 long, gentlemen, as the caucus system
existed, South Carolina acquicsced in it, 1t
was found absolutely necessary party organi-
zaiiou and party combination were found to be
indispensable clements in the CARRYING out Of
great principles. Finally the Congressional
three preydrpti,I oloc,;n,,. ri L,l,nroar,on t,oyn
was mo- settled system Won ,,II rrn,om,b,,.
that in 1924 n nor,ion of tLo Dn,nII;nan
Rcnrcscntotivcs of -. n.o,,Ic ,,Lo L,L os.o,,
h|cd ;n c,ucrs ~ w,vhinIr,o,, ., ,,,,;,,a,o'
candidate for presi1cnt oft,r tbc mn,r;,,mt;on
of MIR Crawrnrd for that no.;t;,n ,y;tI,Irn,,.
and determined to co.t tl,c;,. ,.ntos f,r ntl,a,
rromincnt gentlemen Of thn nnnnhlic,n or,
rnnizntion. The result wos flat tho clrction
of President went 10 the lIousc Of Rcnrrsrn.
tatives; and whilst very much was said aonin.t
DISTINGUISHED ocutlcmcn thcn win r,f.r.
cncc to the particular mart which thcv nI,vn1
in consumatinr an election of ONO th'in.,
the country was thoroughly satisfied and
| that was thntrit would be utterly nnsnfn cy.
cr again to trust the election Of President
to tic House of REPRESENTATIVES. Never,
gentlemen of the Conventions ut any nrcvi.
Gus time in the history OF this Government,
would an election by the House of Rcprcscn-
tatiycs have been more unsafe than it would
bc now, by the present House, with olt ,he
discorClant clements CONSTITUTING II and
headed by Black Republican as its Sneak.
er. Would Won feel, gentlemen. that vo,,r
rights and your insttutons-to say nothing
of your principlcs-would be secure if the
election of President should dcvolvc upon
such body? That result can only be
defeated by concentrating the votes of the
opposition 10 Rcpubicanism, and that end
can only be consummatcd in the manner and
by the policy which we have defended. viz :;
the Convention system.
l have ntimntcd that the result Of the
rext Presidential election is of Importance
to us. ID is not only Of Importance to the
people of South Carolina but it is of grave
consequence TO the people of this whole I'm
ION; for, in my humble Judgment, not
only is the maintainance of our principlcs
involved, but the fate of the Government
itself for veal or for voc, for all time to
come, is to be decided in the oppfoaehnr
Presidential contest. We have an advcrsn.
ry to meet, gentlemen, which has been
growing in strength, and power, and in mum.
bcrs. at the Presidential election in 1856,
they carried most OF the free Statca they
had very large majority of thc oopular
vote in all the free Stascs. do not see
from any point Of observation that that party
is disriritad The doctrine of an " "imo.
prcssibc conflict" has been proclaimed in
the Senate Chamber of the United States
and the hustings, and we have had, within
the last few months, some exhibition of the
practical working Of that doctrine How il
is to work out gentlemen of the Conventions
time alone can determine. 1t bchoovcs us