Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1860-09-22
sion and trample them into common grave
! (Great applause.)


comparing rotes with you in reference to tn
true policy which it is the duty Of the Demo
cratic party to pursue. The name OF Berk
county is historical in connection with th
Democratic party In Pennsylvania it occu
pies the same political relation as the Tent
Legion does in Virginia. have just returned
from tour through the Tenth Legion, anC
there found the Democracy firm and true t.
their organization and their principles. Zap
plause.) trust that will find the Democ
rscy of Berks equally firm in their adherence
to the regular organization of the Democratic
party. "A voice, "You will" Great entbu
siasm, and three cheers for Douglas.) 81
long ns we have principles TO defend, it is es
sential that we should preserve the regula
organization by which those principles are t.
be maintained
Eight years ago visited the city Of Read
ing for tSe first time, to make speech in de
fence OF the platform, the usages, the organi
zation, and the nominee of the Democratic
party Of the United States. Although have
never been here since, recognize this street
and the end of that market house, as tht
place where the meeting was held, over which
James Buchanan presided, whilst | made @
speech in defence of Democratic principles
| (Cheers) propose to enter into viDdica
ton o.! the same principles to-day which ad
vocated then, and which you applauded with
so much enthusiasm. At that time General
! Pierce was the Democratic candidate FOR iht
Presidency. My own humble name, among
those Of james Buchanan, Lewis Cnss, and
others, bad been presented to the National
Convention in opposition to that OF General
Plerce, but the instant that the telegraph
announced to me at Washington, that MIR
! Pierce had received the vote of the majority
oi the Democratic party in Convention, i'm
mediately telegraphed to Baltimore, declar
ing that 10 my opinion be was entitled TO the
nomination, and trusted my friends would
conform TO the wishes of the majority of thu
| Democratic party. (Great applause.l That
despatch from me was read to the convention
before the official result had been recorded
and promulgated. Again, at Cincinnati, in
! 1856, the names Of General Pierce, James
| Buchanan, and myself, were presented to the
| Convention, and the very iDstaut of time
/ that Mr.. Buchanan received the vote Of a
majority Of the delegates. sent despatch
by telegraph Withdrawing my name, and de-
clsring that a majority of the party having
voted for James buchanan, he was entitled
to the nomination. (Cheers) / desire 20
! say to you, my friends, that my ambition
never yet led me so far as to induce me to
desire q nomination in opposition to the
wishes of majority of my party. Three
cheers for Douglas
When the Democratic party assembly in Con.
| vention at Charleston during the present year,
they proceeded first to lay down platform OF
principles, The platform they agreed upon was
identical with the one adopted at Cincinnati in
| 1856, which was affirmed when James Buchanan
was elected President and John e. Breckinridge
Vice President of the United States. After thus
making the platform the party proceeded to vote
for candidate for the Presidency. and | received
a majority of all the votes cast in the Convention,
and majority of the whole number of votes of a
full Convention on n large number of successive
ballots. applause. confess that | expected
that the other candidates would then feel hound
in honor to treat me as had treated them on
former occasions. [Great applause.] lnasmuch
as had given James Buchanan the nomination
in 1856. by Withdrawing in his favor, under the
same circumstances had a right to believe that
he would be as generous towards me as | had
been towards him, cheers; ); and, inasmuch as
my conduct at Cincinnati made John &. Breckin-
! ridge Vice President | had right to expect that
he, as a gentleman, would feel bound to observe
that line Of conduct towards me that had voun-
tarily adopted towards him. Applause. If that
course had been pursued, there would have been
pursued, there would have been no division in
the Democratic party. Noice-There never
should have been, either. Whilst there was a
large number of candidates before the Charleston
Convention, it so happened that received more
votes than all OF them put together on every bal
lot, and almost two-thirds of the whole number.
When the Convention adjourned to Baltimore,
and it was ascertained that the majority of the
party could not be made to snccumb to the min
ority, the defeated candidates formed a combina.
l. A. Il, -, h.
jority, under the twothrds, rule. to govern as in
former cases. IA Voce-"Bigler was at the
head of the conspiracy"
believe the Democratic organization is essen
tial to preserve the peace, the prosperity and the
unity of this Republic. Applause.l 1t is the
only historical party now in existence in America
and it has achieved all the civil reforms, and all
the great measures of progress during the eXls-
tence of our Government. Look over the map
of the United States, and you cannot put you fin
ger on q State or a Territory annexed to- this
Union since the Revolution that has not been
acquired by the Democratic party under Demo.
cratic Administration. GCheers.l Whenever
disunion and secession have rasied their heads in
open rebellion against the Federal Government
il has been Democratic President, sustained by
the Democratic party that has crushed the mon
ster. [Cheers.] Never was their time when
the services Of onr party, united and compact,
have been required more imperously than at this
moment, and now an attempt is being made to
distract and divide it, What is the excuse given
by the disorganizers who are fighting the party to
which they formerly belonged, with the prospect
in view OF electing q Republican by a minority
vote They assert that the platform adopted at
Charleston, and reafrmed at Baltimore, is not
sound national platform. Let me ask your
attention to that proposition for an instant
What is the platform that is thus denounced J.
II is no more and no less than the Cincinnati
platform, on which Mr.. Buchlnan was made
President and Mr.. Breckenridge Vice President
Of the United States. "a voice, "fou're right
But it may be asserted that there was difference
of opinion in respect to the meaning OF the plat
form at that time Well all we have to do Is
to turn to Mr. Buchanan's letter OF acceptance,
and construe it now as he then construed 1t.
accept the Cincinnati platform without the
dotling of an or the crossing OF an t, together
with the construction put upon 1t by Mr. bu'
chanan in his letter Of acceptance. (Cheers.) =
In that letter he said that "the people CT
Territory like those of State, shall decide for
themselves whether slavery shall or shall not
exists within their limits" "a voice-"Sound
doctrine" Yes. my dear friend, il was sound
doctrine then, and il is sound doctrine now.--
lAPPlause) 1t is the doctrine ON which our
fathers taught the battles Of the Revolution
what was the point Of quarrel between 'ur
ancestors and the Tories Of Great Britain =
hemember, they did not desire independence at
the beginning Of that struggle; they only de-
sired the right Of local self government at home,
in the Colonies.
l.