The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-07-06
The Vice Presidency.
Governor Johnson's Acceptance Of the
20 Douglas Nomination.

a1 The following is the speech Of Hon. HER.
scHEI V. JOHNSON, Of Georgia, on Tuesday
last, at the National hotel, accepting the
nomination for the Vice Presidency on the
National Democratic ticket: ..@J ais
Mr.. Chairman, gentlemen of the Executive
Committee of the National Democratic party,
and fellow.citizens /: ..,. 49, ~,
I was taken by surprise when received
Geographic despatch in Baltimore, at three
o'clock this day, that the Hon. Benjamin
Fitzpatrick had declined the nomination
rendered him by the Democratic convention,
and that it was demanded of me to accept
it. 1t is known to many of you that my
name was freely mentioned in Baltimore in
connection with this nomination, and that l
persistently refused to countenance it, but
invariably urged that if Georgia were to be
thus hon0red, it was due to another of her
sons distinguished for his talents and great
public services. This was my earnest de.
sire and the desire Of the delegation of which
I was q member. But the convention, in
its wisdom, deemed it best to nominate a
statesman of Alabama. 1t was entirely
satisfactory. Alabama is the child OF
Georgia, and the mother cordially responds
to any compliment bestowed upon her daugh-
ter. Those are the circumstances under
which Ihave been assigned this distinguished
position, and which demand that disclina-
ton should yield to the voice of duty.
The National Democratic party Is in
peculiar condition. 1t is assailed in the
house of its proiessed friends, and threatened
with overthrow. The country is in pecu-
liar condition. 1t is on the eve of q section
al conflict which may sweep down all politi-
cal parties and terminate in dissolution of
the Union. 1t is the duty Of patriots and
statesmen to unite in averting these threat
ened calamities. 1t may not be inappropriate
to refer to the circumstances which imperil
the National Democracy. The Alabama
delegation went to the convention at Charles
ton instructed to demand the incorporation
into the platform of the party of the propo-
sitiOn that Congress should intervene for the
protection of slaves in the territories, and to
withdraw if the demand should be refused.
1t was refused, and, 1 think, properly re-
fused. That delegation did retire, and with
them large portion of the delegations from
the cotton States. Why should they have
retired ? The record shows that if they had
remained at their post they had the power
to have prevented the nomination of any
candidate who might be obnoxious to the
South. Thus reduced by secessions, the
convention adjourned to Baltimore, and re.
quested the States to Eli the vacancies in
their respective delegations. The conven
ton re-assembled on the 18th instant. The
seeding delegations were returned, some
accredited to Richmond, and others to Bal.
timore by the way of Richmond, and in.
structed to make the same demand, and tt
withdraw if it should be refused. Delegates
were appointed in Louisiana, Alabama anc
Georgia by the National Democrats of thos,
States, to eli the vacant seats of the seced
ers. Those of Alabama and Louisiana wer,
admitted. and the seeding delegations re.
jected, and the seeding delegates from
Georgia were admitted to seats. They all
took umbrage at the decisions of the conven
ton touching the various contests for seats
They retired, organized and nominated can
didates for the presidency and vice presiden
cy, and they claim to be the "Nationa
Democracy Of the United States" Now, i
they were actuated by principle" if it was
their purpose, in good faith, to obtain thu
recognition of the principle of Congressiona
protection for slavery in the Territories
why not wait until proper time arrived tx
bring that subject before the convention
and then according to their instructions
withdraw from the body? The reason il
palpable: they were waging war against q
distinguished man, not for the maintenance
of principle" they were willing to leopard
the integrity of the Democratic party and
the triumphs of its cherished principles
rather than see its will proclaimed in the
nomination of its favorite. Admitting, fol
the sake of argument, Mr.. Douglas to be
obnoxious as they allege be is, yet there
never was time when the south united
could not have defeated his nomination
Why, then, should they have seeded
Why not remain at their post WHY seek
to dismember and destroy the party?
question not the patriotism of any, but the
people will hold them responsible, sooner or
later, for all the i'll that may flow from their
errors. / said the demand for congressional
Intervention was properly rejected at
Charleston, and why do say so? Because it
was the agreement between the north and
south that the slavery agitation should be
removed from the halls of Congress, and
the people of the Territories be left perfectly
free to regulate their domestic institutions
in their own way, subject to the Constitu-
ton of the United States. This was the
principle of the compromise measures of
1860, and practically applies in the Ne
braska- Kansas act in 1854. It was adopt
ed by both the great political parties of the
United States in 1852. 1t triumphed in
the election Of Franklin Pierce in that
year, and of James Buchanan in 1856. 1t
is, perhaps, the best ground of compromise
between the north and the south which
human ingenuity can devise, and by it the
Democratic party at least, of all sections,
should be willing to abide. 1t gives ad-
vantage to neither section over the other,
because it refers all questions of dispute
between them, either as to congressional or
territorial power over the subject of slavery
to the final arbitrament of the Supreme
Court of the United States. tits therefore
safe Tor the south. Its practical working
is not without satisfactory results. When
the people of territory desire slave labor,
and the soil and climate are suited to it,
slavery will go-where these conditions do
not exist it will not 60. This finds an illus
tration in New Mexico, where slavery is