Gazette and sentinel., 1860-09-22
6azette T. Sentinel.
SPEECH
OF
JOHN E.. BRECKENRIDGE,
SPEECH
DELIVERED AT
ASHLAND, Il. T., SEPTEMBER 9TH.

foundly grateful for the cordial welcome you
have extended to me. The circumstances
under which l appear before you are novel and
unusual. / do il in obedience to the request
of friends whose wishes l have been accustomed
TO observe, and if it be an uncommon thing
for a person in my position to address assem-
blies Of the people, l can only say l hope to dis
cuss the topics which are before us in II manner
not altogether unworthy the attitude which l
occupy. l shall certainly indulge in no lam
. cuage which, in my opinion, will fall below
the dignity of political discussion.
The condition of my health makes it i'm
nossiblc that / can extend my voice over this
vast assembly, but | trust | will become
stronger as l proceed. 1 have been asked,
fellow-citizens, to speak at my own home,
because l and the political organization with
which | am connected, have been assaulted In
an unusual manner and charged with treason
TO our common country. L appear before you
to-day, for the purpose, first of repelling GER
tain accusations which have been made against
me personally, and industriOusly disseminated
over other States of the Union, and next to
show that the principles of both the Constitu-
ton and Union of our country, (great APP
plause.) and Ia voice, "thats right, John,
give it to EN- ~ surely, if at any time a
Justification could be found by any man for
addressing the people in the position which L
occupv, it will be found in my case. Anony-
NOUS writers and wandering orators have
chosen to tell the peope that |, individually,
am a disunionist and a traitor to my country,
and they declare, that in the form that have
exhibited that treason it makes, by comparison
with il, Burr q patriot, and the memory of
Arnold respectable. But, fellow-citizens,
before l come to these topics, L desire to make
n brief and comprehensive statement in regard
70 nv position and feelings in connection with
the Presidency of the United States.
have been charged with a premature am
bition l have been charged with having
intrigued for this nomination l have been
charged with leaping before the wishes of the
people and desiring to thrust myself before
them for the highest office in their gift. To
that | answer that it is wholly untrue. L have
conversed with nobody soliciting support (;
have written to nobody soliciting support (;
Ihsye intrigued with nobody have promised
nobody. To these statements l challenge con-
tradiction from any human beng. Cheers
A voice-"T That's so, John C"
A voice." Open your mouth wider
Nav, morel / did not seek or desire to be
placed before the people for the office of Prcsi-
dent by any Convention, or any part OF any
Convention.
When | returned to the State of Kentucky,
in the spring of 1859, l found that some par
tial friends were presenting my name to the
public in that connection, and that the editors
of certain presses in the State had hoisted my
name for the Presidency. i said to my friends,
"I am not in any sense a candidate" l have
in my eve more than one conductor of a pub
lie journal to whom l wrote private letters
requesting that my name be taken down from
the head of their sheets. 1t was done.
A very eminent citizen of the Common
wealth of Kentucky was presented by his
friends for that office. / was gratified to see
it, and so far rs my own efforts and conduct
were concerned, l united cordially in present
ing him for the s~uffrages of the American peo-
ple. At no time, in or out of the Commas
wealth of Kentucky, did / do an act, or utter
a word which would bring my name in con-
fict with his or any other American citizen
who desired, or whose friends desired for him,
that position. If you take the trouble to read
the proceedings of the Charleston Convention,
YOU will remember that when my name was
presented and i received the vote of the State
of Arkansas, one of my friends arose and
withdrew my NAME declaring that / would
not allow my name to come in opposition tC
those of the gentlemen before the Convention;
and when that Convention reassembled al
Baltimore, my feelings and my conduct were
still unchanged. After the disruption which
took place there, my name, without any solicit
tation on my part, was presented, land nc
modest man presumed his name would be pre-
sented.) / said / did not desire to be pre-.
sented to the American people, but | am con.
tent with the honors which have been heaped
upon me by my State and my country, and ]
look forward with pleasure to the happy pros
poets i had, of serving my country in the
Senate of the United States, for the next six
years. My name, however, was presented
and / felt / could not refuse to accept the
nomination under the circumstances without
abandoning vital principles and betraying my
friends.
1t is said | was not regularly nominated. and
that an eminent citizen of Illinois was regularly
nominated for the Presidency. But that is a ques
tiOn | have not time to discuss to-day, aud it ha
already been Thoroughly exhausted in discussion
before the people. l refer you to the bold ant
able letter Of the delegate from this Congressiona
District. / refer to the mastery and exhaustive
speech lately delivered by my noble friend il
whose grounds we are met. j can only say tina
the Convention which assembled in Front Stree
Theatre, at Baltimore, in my Judgment, was de
void not only Of the spirit Of justice, but Of thu
forms of regularity. (Cheers)
The gentleman who was present never received
the vote required by the Democratic organization
Whole States were excluded and DISTINGUISHED il
that Convention, not to speak of individuals. Th,
most dagrant acts Of injustice were perpetrated
and that for the purpose of forcing a perticula
dogma upon the Democratic party, (of which
will speak particularly hereafter) and to fore
the gentleman upon the country who is the repre-
sentative of that dogma of principles, which l vii
De able TO show is repugnant alike to reason ant
the CONSTITUTION. So improper did these pro
eeedings become, that q decided majority Of tn,
delegates from your own State Withdrew from th,
Convention, declaring it was no longer a Nationa
convention Of the National Democracy.
Aimos the entire delegations from the South
eih states Of the Unon-the entire delega.