Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-08-29
Communication.
For the ClearGeld "Republican."

munication which appeared in your pa
per, and in which the writer charges me
with making ar abolition speech. But
since one of you was present when | had
the privilege of addressing that meeting,
called as Democratic Mass Convention,
and heard the sentiments then express
ed, and as your paper has styled the meet
ing Republican meeting, and stigma
tized those who participated therein as
Lincoln men. feel it my duty TO reply.
If to declare my firm adherence to the
Cincinnati platform, my belief that the
Constitution recognizes slavery and con-
fers on Shareholders the right t,take that
species Of property into our common ter
ritories where the relation of master and
servant connot be constitutionally abroga-
ted either by Congress or territorial leg,
islature, my determination to abide by
the decisions OF the Supreme Court now
made or which may hereafter be made
touching this and all other su} }ects and
my utter adherence OF the doctrine of
congressional Intervention either for or
against slavery, constitute me an Aboli-
tionist-then | am one and on that occae
sion l made an abolition speech.
You are well aware that before the
meeting of the national Convention | was
opposed 10 the nomination of Judge Doug
las. You, then, doubted if all his adhe.
rentH would cordially support the romi-
nee of the Charleston Convention, should
he fail to be selected, and you endeavored
to pledge them. 1t was for this purpose
you gave your unqualified pledge in Your
PAPER of April 18th, when you said-"we
Ga e Z
Convention, be they who they May We
all looked to that convention with ankle
ty and hope. W. experienced bitter dis,
appoi ltments. Your editorial of may 10th
condemned the course Of the seceders
and its language-"the secession Of dele
gates from those states was coused by the
refusal Of the Convention to adopt n set
of resolutions in accordance with what
they claimed to be recognition Of south
ern rights on the question Of slavery in
the territories --ahiough tie resolutions a
dopFd Jy the CoaucHtioa cmJCdicR uhat has
been hcretotore regarded as the doctrine on that
if carried out in letter and
spirit in the administration of the gov
eminent must secure to all sections Of
the country, north as we'll as south all
the rights guaranteed to them by the
Federal compact" was approved. We
trusted that better cOunscls would pre-
vail when the Convention should reassem
bic at Baltimore. ut was with sincere
regret" you recorded the action of that
Convention when on the 9th of June |
you could not divine "what object they
1.-THE seceders) expect to accomplish, un. |
less il be the entire overthrow of the DEM |
ocratic party, the trampling Of its princi-
pies in the dust, and the dissolution o
our national union" We admired your
independent language when on the 18th
day ofJuly, casting oifthe fctters Of place,
men and Office seekers who sought TO de.
prive us OF "our right of thought--our
last and only refuge" You used these
words-"lt cannot fail TO appear doubly
Important to US that candidate should
bo selected VINO could command tie en-
tire strength of the party and enable Us
to present to the country that unity of
action AMI Of sentiment in our counsels,
which insuros success by inspiring res.
peci. Whether so desirable a result car
30 accomplished with either Of the gen
tlemen now in tho field, representing dBtr.
Gnt vieic3 QfNe Democratic DriuciUlGS, we will
not undertake to say but iGit cannot be
done with either, we have no hesitation
in saying that the safety OF our orgauiza.
tion, upon which hangs the hopes of this
union, demands that the Democratic party
Of the country--of the whole country
Shomd at once takc this m9tcr in their olrn
hands and declare for themselves who shall
be their candidate for the presidency
At that time you were willing to refer this
matter to the source Of pCwer--the peo>
pie. You then marked out a course
took the initiative, and advocated calling q ,
new convention from the body OF the par
ty. Your position presented a tangible
mode for healing all diiierences--it was
reasonable. Such compromise might
have been effected. But you were not a.
ware at that time that committee APP
pointed by one man could release electors
chosen by a State Convention from obe-
dience to the unanimous resolution of
the Convention which pledged them to
the support of the national Convention
and could authorize them in case "the
vote of Pennsylvania cannot elect the
Candidate for whom a majority of the
votes are cast and it can elect a1y man
running for the Office of President Of the
United States claiming 70 be a Democrat,
then the vote Of the electoral college shall
be cast for that candidate"
Thinking that your remarks conferred
on US freedom Of action, and believing af,
ter the manifesto issued from the White
house that "evety Democrat is at perfect
liberty to vote as he thinks proper" some
Democrats, among the number, review
ed the past expecting it might yield
glimmer of light to conduct them in the
future. We found that AZ national Con-
venton, convened according to the usa-
ges Of the Democratic party, having full
delegation from every State in this Union
adopted an orthodox platform which "em-
bodied what has been heretofore regarded
as the constitutional doctrines That
after certain men entertaining different
views of Democratic principles" from
these entertained by the majority of the
Convention had seeded, the Convention,
still containing 424 regularly accredited
delegates entitled to cast 2I24 was Cmore
than two thirds of full Convention had