Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-07-17
The Presidents Midnight Speech.


The night of the 9th inst. at midnight.
when all honest people ought to have been
a-bed, parcel of Office holders, and hangers
on about the departments in Washington,
pickers up of crumbs, &C., went to the White
House, called out the President, and listened
to a speech from him. In that speech, Mr.
BUCHANAN went into an argument 10 show
that the old Congressional caucus whose cor
ruptions Gen. JACKSON denounced, was bet
ter than the present convention system of
nominating Presidents. Under the old Con-
gressional convention SYSTEM" quoth be, go
person was admitted to seat except the
democratic members of the Senate and House
of Representatives. And, we ask. what
cared the members for the wishes of the
democratic masses2 They selected what
ever candidates suited than, and the masses
had no choice but to vote as directed by their
Congressional masters It is not matter Of
surprise Il at Mr.. BUCHANAN should favor this
system. An ofshoot of Old Federalism, it Is
rather to be expected that he should
side with prerogative against the rights OF
the people. Perhaps, it would please him
batter to still further simplify the matter.
In his protest to the House against the Co.
yode Committee, he assumed that the Presi-
dent was a more direct representative of the
people than Congress He would, therefore.
we doubt not, think it far better even than
the Congressional caucus, to permit the Pres
dnt to name the eaHda55dHqlfge fhe- matter into
consideration. If they should agree TO this
mode, they would thereafter have no more
wrangling in conventions of delegates fresh
from the people, but could carry out the be-
hests of the one man power representing
them, and give themselves no further con-
Germ.
Mr.. BUCHANAN assumes that the Convention
which nominated Mr.. DOUGLAS was "not 4
regular democratic convention" but confess
Is, at the same time, that Mr. BRECkISRIDGE
is in the same condition in that respect
sThe Convention" he adds, ''that nominated
him, although it was composed of nearly all
of the certain democratic States, did not con-
tain the two-thirds; and. therefore, every
democrat is at liberty to vote as be thinks
proper, without running counter to any reg
ular nomination of the party" Having thus
placed Mr.. DOUGLAS and Mr.. BRECKENRIDGE
on the same footing in respect to the irregu-
larity of their nominations, aud shown that
any democrat might support either without
di.loyalty to his party, he says
Holding this position, / shall present some
OF the reasons WHY l prefer Mr.. Breckenridge
to Mr.. Douglas. This / shall do trithout at
tempting to interfere lCih any Democrat or any
State Democratic organization holding different
opinions from myself The main object of all
good Democrats, whether belonging to the
one or the other wing of our unfortunate di-
vision, is to defeat the election of the Re-
publican candidates; and I shall neuer oppose
any Ronesf and honorable course calculated 10 ac-
consptish this object.
In the conduct of Mr.. BUCHANAN since the
nomination of Mr.. DOUGLAS and the declara-
the hypocrisy and peridy of the midnight
orator. His conduct has shown that no
oficeholder under his administration sis at
perfect liberty" to vote for his choice. They
are constrained to support the choice of Mr..
BUCHANAN or be driven from Office. And
whilst declaring that be would not attempt
to "interfere with any individual democrat
or any State democratic organization hold
ing different opinions" he was interfering in
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and
other States, to bring the democratic organ
izations to bear against DOUGLAS; and OPP
posing "honest and honorable" democrats
for presuming to differ with him as to the
proper mode of defeating the election of the
Republican candidates. Oh, perfidious b.
CHANAsi No wonder the Democratic Nation
al Convention and the Maryland Institute
Hall Meeting passed you by in silent con-
Tempt They had too much self-respcet. or
too much respect for the opinions of the
people, to connect their fortunes with yours,
or to endorse youl