The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-02
THE ECEDERS
FROM THE
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
The Delegates from Eight States in Council
A MASS MEETING.
Proposition to Nominate Presidential
Candidates.

CHARLESTON, April O-Midnight.-The Seceders
from the National Convention met at ST. Andrews
Hall to night, which was thronged by deeply in
terested mass Of people
Mr.. Smith of Alabama proposed that the meet.
ing should be adjourned to the open air, the hall
being too small to accommodate all who desired to
participate in the proceedings.
Mr.. Iancey rose to address the gathering, and
was greeted with deafening applause. He said
this great crisis and should be inaugurated
with calmness and delibera tion. He proposed that
all should retire from the hall and allow the dele
gates to organize with due deliberahon, and that
they should then meet the citizens in front of the
City Hall and address them on the momentOus
questions at issue.
Mr.. johnson, of Kentucky, said he came here to
deliberate with the seeding delegates from the
slave States and he thought that business could be
done meeting. They had important business
to transact, and it should be attended to immedi-
ately, before the last fatal act was consummated.
Mr.. Iancey moved that Mr.. Bayard, of Della
ware, take the chair.
Mr.. Bavard excused himself on account of phy 81
cal inability.
Hon. j. c. Preston, of S. Carolina, was then called
to the chair, and addressed the meeting returning
thanks for the honor conferred upon him. This he
considered a great occasion. 1t was a movement
of the constitutional lovers of this republic. We
only seek to the imperilled institutions of our
country. We are here to preserve our rights and
redress wrongs. If we had submitted we would
from
the land our tOretathers gave us would have de-
MED us the liberty they fought for, and would uti-
mately have driven us from the spot in which their
sacred ashes repose.
Mr.. Preston spoke at considerable length, and
was listened to with earnest attention.
When he had concluded Mr.. Iancey again took
the floor and stated his views of the position occu-
pied bv the Southern delegates. We appear
here, he sad simply citizens of the States
in which we live. We were sent to the
National Democratic Convention as delegates
but our mission has been filled and we retire
citizens from the late National Conven-
tion, for it is a mere sectional gathering A
few Southern delegates still remain there but it is
in the hope of being able to induce the majority to
forego their Black Republican purposes. He pro
posed that they should take action vet. but re-
main here to watch the proceedings of the body of
which they were recently members, and should
they nominate Douglas, it will then become their
duty to present or recommend to the people of the
United States, candidates for the offices of Presi-
dent and Vice-President a National and COnsti-
tutional basis, and therefore a Southern basis No
action should be taken by the seeding delegates
until the proper time.
Mr.. Bayard, of Delaware, did not regard the in
fuences that overruled principles in the National
Convention as so much the spirit of Black Repub
licanism as the struggle for power and plunder-
the corruption and bargains of general scramble
for Office. He was verg severe on the New York
delegation, who came here protesting to desire to
Join in such a nomination as would suit the South,
but they given their seats they
have turned their backs the South. II lie trusted
that other States would withdraw from that Con-
vention, and that it would be utterly dissoved.-
He did not consider that secederS had power to
make regular nominations, but he would recon-
mend, if it should be found necessary, that they
should join in the recommendation of some suit
able candidates, with written address to their
stituents.
Mr.. Matthews, of louisiana on behalf of his del
egation, asked that action should be taken BY
this body until we see if, instead of eight States,
we do not tomorrow number fifteen, and perhaps
seventeen States.
We should wait he said, until we see what is
done tomorrow and we should do nothing hastily
until we hear from those States who asked for an
adjournment in the Convention this evening in
order to have opportunity of consulting as to
the course they should pursue.
A call of the States was then made, and when
New York was reached, DR.. Skinner, of the Wood
delegation; responded, and said he had come here
to attend National Convention, and had been sit
ting out IN the cold for eight days, his delegation
having been ousted from their seats by fraud He
was "hard, and the difference between 'hard"
and "soft' was that the former sacrificed place
for principles, and the latter principles for place.
lie had no doubt that Mavor Wood would have
been here if he had known of the meeting.
When Delaware was called, Mr.. Bayard and one
other delegate came forward.
Maryland was next called, but no answer was
made.
Virginia was called, and Mr.. Fisher responded,
saying that there would be more of the delegates
of that State here He said he had sent an invita-
tion to Mayor Wood to be here.
South Carolina called, with the names of
those delegates who had signed the protest.
Mr.. Read of that State, said that he was one of
the three whose names were not signed to the pro-
test. He had hestated about leaving the Conven-
tion, in the hope of securing harmony, but where
ever Alabama goes there the Carolinas will go
also; and he satisfied that Georgia will be with
us before tomorrow night, and he hoped every
other Southern State.
lWhen Georgia was called Mr.. Lamar responded
as delegate from that State, and said he believed
large majority of his delegation would, before to-
morrow morning, enroll their names
Florida being called, it was responded to by the
announcement that the entire delegation from that
State were present.