Newbern weekly progress., 1860-06-12
MR.. EVERETT'S LETTER OF ACCEPT
ANCE


The constitutional union party in Boston held
a large ratification meeting in Faneuil Hall on
Friday evening. Speeches were delivered by
Mr.. Henry, of Tennessee, and several other gen
tlemen, and the following letter was read from
the Hon. Edward Everett, addressed to the Hon
Washington Hunt accepting the nomination for
the Vice Presidency:
Boston, May, 30, 1860.
Ny Dear Sir-1 have duly received your letter
of the 11th, in which you inform me officially
that the national union convention, recently in
nominate me as its candidate for the Office of
Vice President of the United States
am deeply impressed with this manifestation
of the favorable opinion of the convention, COM
prising as it did among its members so many
persons distinguished for public service, patriot
ism and intelligence, and fairly representing a
considerable portion of the conservative feeling of
the country. For the great cordiality with which,
as you inform me, my name proposed and re-
ceived, my warmest thanks are due.
The grateful acceptance of such nomination
would, under ordinary circumstances. be a mat
ter of course but it has unavoidaby been with
me the subject of long and anxious hesitation.
The grounds of this hesitation owe to this con
vention which has honored me with this mark of
its confidence, and to myself, to explain; 10th as
am to dwell on matters of personal interest of no
Importance to the public.
Mr. Everett then refers to the fact of his having
retired fro n public life for several years. and to
the request he had made that in case his name
was brought forward at the Baltimore Convention
it should be. withdrawn He next alludes to his
efforts towards, ,redeeming Mount Vernon, and dis
claims having sought through it any political
honors. He then continues follows:
These considerations, and others of A still more
personal nature, have*lecessarily occasioned me
to reflect long and anxiously before accepting the
nomination with which she Union Convention
has honored me. In yielding at length to the
earnest solicitations which have been addressed
to me, from the most respectable sources in al
most every part of the Union | make a painful
sacrifice of inclination to what ami ed to believe
public duty. 1t has been urged upon me and
l cannot deny that such is my feeling, that
we have fallen upon times which call upon all
good citizens at whatever cost of PERSONAL con-
venience, to contribute their share, however,
humble to the public service.
suppose it to be the almost universal impres.
sion Git is certainly mne) that the existing state
of affairs is extremely critical Our political con
troverses have substantially assumed an almost
purely sectional character-that of fearful strug-
gle between the North aud the South. 1t would
not be difficult to show at length the perilous ma
ture and tendency of this struggle, but l can only
say, on this occasion, that my opinion, it can
not be much longer kept up without rending
the Union, do not mean that either of the great
parties in the country desires or aims at sepera-
tion of the States final object, although there
are extremists in considerable numbers who have
that object in view. While potent and a baleful
lnnuence IS exercised ny men or the class, In
both sections of the Union, portion of the con-
servative masses insensibly and gradually
goaded into concurrence with opinions and senti-
ments with which, in the outset they had no syn
pathy. Meantime, almost wholly neglecting the
main public interests, our political controversies
turn more and more on questions in reference to
which. as abstract formula, the great sections of
the country differ irreconcilably, though there is
nothing practically important at stake which re-
qures the discussion to be kept up. These con-
troyersieS ara carried on with steadily incre sin
bitterness and evaporation.
The passions thus kindled have already led to
acts of violence and bloodshel, approaching to
civil war in the Territories and attempted serviie
insurrection in the States. The great religious
and philanthropic associations of the country are
sundered and the kindly social relation of North
and South seriously impaired. The national
House of Representatives, lowering on the verge
of anarchy, requires weeks to effect the organiza-
ton, W hieh ought to be the work of an hour, and
it holds its sessions (many of its members am
told, armed with concealed weapons,) on the crust
Of volcano. The candidates for the Presidency