Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-05-25
Srecch of Hon. f. f. Butler

Charleston LOT tlcT uuSltt'ih>,
rulocizins Mr.. Gushing, President OF the con
~ycntion, Mr.. Butler proceeded to discuss 'nc
action of the Convention as to the platform,
defending the course pursued by himself in
vo,inc for the Cincinnati platform, and. with
rcrarJ TO the ba!lotins. lie saul:
What, then, was feared by the seeding
States? Evidently, that the majority Of the
Convention, composed Of Northern delegates,
would force the nomination Of Judge Douglas,
who has given IN Interpretation 10 that plat
form to which the Southern Democracy would
not, and. US their DELEGATES claimed, could not
agree, and br able 10 defeat the opposition III
their own States, and give their electoral votes
to the Democracy. Ihcy' SAID, you OF the
North have the platfora,. If You VIII put Il
man upon it that has given IN Interpretation
hostile to the South, then We cannot sustain
ourselves at home, if VIC would; and the more
ardent Of the Southern incl said, We would noS
if we could. THAT there was this fear OF his
nomination WIS made certain by the action oil
Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina
kentucky, who remained in the Convention,
but by their delegates insisted that if 4 resniu-
ton was not PASSED requiring t"o-!tnrds
to the whole Electoral College 10 make
a nomination, they, too, would withdraw 'roin
the Convention. and thereby the Convention
must have hccn dissolved, rs California anu
Oregon would have gone with them, leaving
only a minority Of the States in number, With
a loss of every Democratic State. The passage
of this resolution made tue nomination OF
Judge Douglas simply impossible. and although
New York cast her ll,irty-li9e votes steadily
r. L., ,c,,,.,,,l. ,.nt Sl,n cfirl for flio rule
which would make her vote for Douglas use
less, rs it Was evident TO all that more than
onc.,h.ird Of the Convention were unaitcfabty
opposed to his nomination. | believe there
were a majority 50 opposed 10 him in TACT.
Grant that he received upon one ballot 4 bare
majority Of the whole vote. But how was ttiat
~:najority made up? Simply by the unit rule,
which stiilcd the minorItieS III tho Northern
States under instructions. In New York there
were fifteen votes opposed 10 Judge Douglas
from first to last, yet lmr ttirty-iiyc votes were
cast for him ON ever: sol. In ONO SIX
VOTES, in Indiana live votes, in Minnesota two
votes opposed to him, yet by that rule
cast for him, SO that the majority was
more apparent than real. The Southern
States generally, acting without direct
instructions, by a cunninsly devised re-
solution of the Committee on Organization,
were for the most part voting separately, 50
that all of Judge Douglas strength, III the
Southern delegations substantially appeared
Now with the South opposed 10 Judge Doug
las even to ! disruption of the party, with every
Democratic free State voting against him, with
two.thirds of the delegation Of the great State
of Pennsylvania firmly against him, with one
hall, nearly, Of New York hostile, New Jersey
divided and the only State in New England
where the Democracy can have much hope,
Connecticut, nearly equally balanced, what
was it the part Of wisdom for your delegate to
doy Should he, coming from 4 State where
there was no hope Of 4 Democratic vote, per
s~is;ently cndeavor to force upon the Democrat
ic States 4 candidate diStatelul 10 thcln rs shown
hy their votes, in SO much so that thcy were
ready to sunder all political ties rather than
submit to lrs nomination.: Were his prefer
erceS and yours FOR Il given 'nal 20 be insisted
on at all hazards: lie thought not, then-hc
thinks so still. am quite aware that | am
addressing Q constituency whose first choice
was Judge Douglas. But why was he your
choice. Because you believe lie 0! ell men
could most successfully bear the tiag and ad-
vance the cause Of the Democracy in
the coming struggle with our enemies. Be.
lieving him to be 4 Democrat you love him for
his Democracy. You are devoted to him be.
cause Of his principles-but you arc moro de-
voted to principles than to any man; you re-
we're the Democratic party luorc than nil men;
10 your political juG gmcnt men are nothing ul-
less they carry out your principles; you love
your party. becaus" you love your COUNTY,
Then any man, however gifted, however wise,
however able. must give way II our hearts
when he binders thnsuccess OF those principles
on which We believe the future we'll being OF
our country depends. 1t is not that we love
g Sn IS .n isSS' h ~: ap Ts !SSS pS1T of lie !fhIsTs slbility, IN:
firing eliergg, parliamentary and executive ca.
pacity Of Judge Douglas. [ have no word Of re-
proach to utter against him propose 10 join
in no cr7-to follow no crusade, il such there
he against him. Not even the !as,y and ILL.,
tempered GenunciationS and abuse Of his near
sighted and ill.iudgcd friends shall tclupt nc to
do him any injustice, here or elsewhere. We
must accept facts as we find them-a truth is
truth however unpalatablc. No man can act
wisely who disresards facts and truths in sha.
ping his course, whether in political o. other
action. | would, must always wait upon whom
| ought For the reasons b:forc s!atcL, l
found Judge Douglns ~nomimution az im-
possibility, uithout q disruption n the party
and t~aroping atray all cAanccs IF Success
You may say this is I great misfortune. &c it
so. 1t is q fact upon which You and !, fellow
Democrats, must judge and act. | found u
very large majority OF the Democratic States
unalterably opposed TO him. lis true, It's
pity, pity tbs It's true" | found him ina bitter
ieud with n Democratic administration, and
without caring to inquire which is to blame for
it, such conflict is not 4 help to Democratic
votes in q closely contested election, especially
when the Democracy desire to carry tho State
Of Pennsylvania, when to say the least that
administration has both prestige and power
I found also that Judge Douglas was in oppo-
sition to almost the entire Democratic majority
of the Senate Of the Unified States. No mat
ter who is right or who is wrong. it is not Il
pleasant position for Il candidate OF the Demo.
cratic ,4arty. found him opposed by very
large wajority Of the Democratic members OF
the House of Representatives. l. is doubtless
all wrong that this should he SO, yet so it is. |
have heard that the Sweetest wine makes the
sourest vinegar" but | never heard Of vinegar
sour enough to make sweet wine. Cold apathy
and violent oppositions are not the prolific pa.
rents Of votes. l found, worse than all fora De
mocratic candidate for the Presidency, that the
Clerk Of the Republican House Of Representa-.
tives was openly quoted as saying that the inilu-
ential paper controlled by him would either sup
port Douglas or Seward, thus making hinsclfap-
p~arently an unpleasant connectirsllnk between
them. With these facts before me and iru-
pressing upon Inc the conviction that the noni-
nation Of Judge Douglas could not be made
with any hope of safety to the Democratic par.
ty. what vas | to DO? | will tell you what |
did do, and ! am afraid it is not what ought
to have done. Yielding 10 your preference !
voted seven times Tor Judge Douglas, although
my judgment told me tina. my votes were worse
than useless, as they gave him an appearance
of strength in the Convention which | felt lie
mad not, in fact, in the Democratic party. IF
this was mn error it was your iault. | l!ei.
looked around to throw IN" vote where at least
il should mislead no one. | saw a statesman
Of national fame and reputation, who had led
his regiment 10 victory at Buena Fista-a De.
,,orrnt wiIh whom 1iS3nreod i'm some things.