The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-06-22

repudate its deliberate action at Charleston We
DO not magnify the Importance OF these questions when
we assert ta upon their proper solution depends
fact as To whether there shall be National Democratic
party or not The task will not be difficult show that
the action recommended hy the majority OF the Commit
tee is grossly Inconsistent and should be reprobaed and
condemned by this Convention But to the task without
further preamble.
Reserving the closing portion of this report the cases
OF contested seats in the Massachusetts and Missouri
egaons We come at once to the of the delegates
who Withdrew from the Charleston Convention This
Convention, on the OF its adjournment at Charleston
and in the great cause of the restoration harmony
to our distracted party respectfully recommended to
the Democratic party of the several State make pro
vision for supplying all vacancies in Their respe cve
deIeEations to this Convention when it shall
PIE. cali particular attention to the wording of the
resolution Certain delegates had withdrawn They
had placed on the Convention the their with.
drawa
They STILL however the representatives of the De
mocrac party of their several States Their withdrawal
was not RESIGNATION 1t was not so considered by the
Convention The vacancies referred had reference TO
the contingency of vacancies at the time Of reaSsem6Ing
and the resolution proposed to provide for supplying
them. The Convention did not presume to touch the
question as to whether the withdrawal of the delegates
constituted resignation had it any right to inter
fere in the matter. resignation be to the
appointing power, and to be complete aud final mnst he
accepted by the appointing power 1t was well known on
the adjournment Of the Convention Charleston that the
withdrawing delegates desired the instruction their
several constituencies before deciding their future
Such the spirit and purpose of their deliberations
at Charleston They consulted their respective constitu
their constituencies directed authorized them-the
vacancies being filled contemplated the resolution
the Conyention-to repair to Baltimore, and there in
earnest efforts with their brethren of the Convention to
endeaVor once more to unite their party and promote
harmony and peace in the great of their country
The resolution Of the Convention did prejudice the
question, since so strenuousy raised, that their with
drawal was resignation but left the whole question to
the said delegates respective constituencies TO
the end that every State of this Union might be repre-
sened in Baltimore
The Committee has passed resolutions declaring by
q y. he del
ed by Pierre Soue by H. that the del.ea
ton from Alabama headed by Parsons, and by of
10 to TO- that half of each delegation claiming from
Georgia. are entitled to seats in the Convention The
resolutions recommended by the undersigned to the Con-
yention declare the right of the delegations elected
Shaeston with vacancies supplied, contemplated in
the resolution of the Convention which reference has
been made, and accredited to Baltimore to said seats
me committee which thus recommend the irregular del
egates from these three States haze rejected the rregu
lar delegates from Delaware and admitted Charles
ton delegates.
1t has admitted irregular delegates from Arkansas and
rejected portion Of the Charleston delegates mod-
ed, by the filling of vacancies. 1t has admitted the
(Chareson) delegates from Mississippi by of % to
and the Charleston) delegates from Texas by vote of
~ to D. The fact that delegations contested does
not establish the right to Convention There
may be irregular delegates without contest and there
be aconest between two sets irregular
The right of persons delegates to be deter
mined by the fact TO whether they appointed by
the constituency which they claim represent and ap
pointed according to the usages of said constituency
Wanting these essential pre- requisites, they
titled to seats if there be contestants
by contestants.
The committee in deciding by of % to . that the
Charleston delegates from Mississippi entitled seats
IN the Baltimore Convention, have decided rightly, just
because they duly accredited to Charleston have
never SINCE resigned and have received instructions from
the State OF Mississippi through convention called of the
Democratic Executive Committee of the State, return
to Baltimore The Charleston delegates both from Ala
Dama and Georgia, stand in precisely the position
Ihey were also duly accredited TO Charleston
Ihey Withdrew and resigned. They returned to
theirrespctive constituencies The Execu Committees
n a. nj allA1
a convention of the party. The conventions
me delegates, as in the of Mississippi submitted
ther action to the conventions, and these conventions
approved their course continued their powers and
dited them to Baltimore Their rights stand on precisely
e same oasiS ana are sustained by the same authority
III 'sslssipP me contestants were appointed by no
body authorized to meet according the usages of the
party IN these States and arc not entitled to any consider
alton whatever
In the case Of Alabama, the Convention assembled on
the call of the Democratic Executive Committee tad
dressed to the Democracy the Sae was very LARGELY
attended, nearly every county the State having been
represented. small number of persons, however is
sued notice which was published in only three
papers in the Statein two papers notice with
sgners, and the third paper Mobile Regiser) it
was signed by John Forsyth and thirty five others The
notice in one paper called upon all Democrats and all
osI % ptISotSlh the second paper upon democrats and
all conservatives, and in the third paper Mobile RegiSer
upon the people Of Alabama, to hold county meetings
ana send delegates to State Convention to be held
IN montgomery or Selma, the 4th day of June, to ap-
point delegates to Baltimore Twenty eight counties on
ly out of ifty-two represented.
1t was the coming together of persons all parties
down
mocracy OF the State. 1t call without any official
authority whatsoever We thus find the Democracy of
the State assembling in Convention according the
usageS OF the party, and we find, at the time
sons assembling at the call of unauthorized individuals
In the former the whole State represented In
the latter about half of the State majority of the
committee have endorsed the action of the AS the
action of the Democracy of Alabama, and have repudi
ated contrary to all precedent usage right and Justice
the action of the former not only this, they have epud
ed the principles of their action in the of the
Mississippi delegation.
of he of he III
case of Georgia has step further its disregard
OF the acknowledged principles the party The Con.
Venuon winch the committee put equality with the
regularly authorized Convention consisted great part
OF persons who just participated in the regular Demo
cratic convention of the State The regular called
Venton consisted of nearly four hundred delegates
presenting nearly all the counties of the State The
resolutions OF the Convention having been adopted by
vote OF 9 to IL these latter withdrew from the Conven
ton and organized anew. Thus the majority Of your
committee have exalted the preensions of less than
eighth OF the delegates of the State Convention to
equality with the rights of seveneghths of the Democra
Cy of the State
In the case of louisiana the old Convention, which
originally appointed the delegates Charleston was
sembled the call of the Executive Committee of the
state and by decisive majority accredited the Charles
ton delegates TO Baltimore. The for this action
have their parallels in the of Texas and Delaware
which have received the sanction of the committee In
Texas the delegates came back accredited by the Demo
cratic executive Committee simply-it being manifest
mpossibty, from want of time, assemble the party
IN State Convention and in Delaware under the usages
and rules of the party the old Convention reassem
bled In Louisiana there time assemble the old
Convention, but not to order election delegates
the several parishes TO meet Convention. The EX
ecutve Committee did everything could to get the
preston of the views of the State 1t reassembled the
old Convention nearly every parish in the State being
represented and accredited the Charleston delegates
Baltimore.
But the Convention whose delegates to Baltimore have
been endorsed by the majority of your committee
called at the instance two local organizations and OF
Dr. Coman former member of the National Executive
Committee of the party. The calls somewhat con
icng The notice did not reach many parishes in the
State Only twenty parishes out of thirty nine pre-
tended to be represented and in several these there
no reason to doubt the fact that the delegates did
leave behind them single constituent agreeing with
them in sentiments. In not single parish this call
responded to by majority of the Democratic voters
The Convention only represented very small portion
the party-it was totally irregular, besides
The majority of the object to the action o
the old Convention its reassembng the call
Executive Committee, the ground was defunc
and could not be brought to life Yet endorses the
ten of the other Convention the call in part of the
equally defunc member of the National Committee DR.
Cottman. The following the usage of Delaware bv the
Executive Committee of louisiana though manifestly
necessity for the stated has weight prece
dent with this majority Concedns their ground of its
being irregular seats delegates should be given
body called by the regular authority and the body
assembled by responsible authority whatever and
peciay when the former epresened the great body OF
the party and the latter did not All these consdera
tons, however, have been dsregarded by majority
the committee who have persisted by sixteen to
nine to award the seats delegates the
OF the disorganizing minority Convention.
In the case of Arkansas, the majority of the committee
propose TO divide out the to all applicants In this
State the Democratic party were about assembling in
their district conventions, consisting of delegates
the several counties of the State for the nomination
members OF Congress, when their delegates returned
from Charleston As in Texas, there time for the
assembling of State Convention. In these district
venons, delegates selected to represent the party
at Baltimore. A call was, however, issued in Memphis
paper without any signature whatever calling upon the
people of the northern district to assemble
ing at Madison to elect delegates to Baltimore.
Some four or five hundred men, from 10 to II counties
thus assembled and appointed three delegates
The majority of the committee propose to allow
these to vote in the Convention. There are twenty
seven counties and $4,000 voters in the district. Col
Hndmana delegate elected by the district convention
Baltimore was elected to Congress in 1858
Jority, and was unanimously re-nomnated by the Con
yenton which selected him a delegate to Baltimore
These facts show the significance of the action
representing truly the sentiment of Democratic party
the district and they exhibit the nsgnifcance
the anonymously called Convention it will borne
in mind that held at the central point the
ern terminus of the railroad from Memphis, and where
several stage and routes meet They elected
as delegates generally from the State to the National
Convention with the hope that they might get in without
any definite claim.
Massachusetts, Missouri the contests
principals holding their and substitutes who
held their places Charleston In each the princi
pal was detained at home by sickness in his family In
each case the principal notice to his substitute
he should take his seat Baltimore The majority of the
Committee hold that the principals, elected such by
the proper conventions, entitled their seats and
have reported accordingly We hold that substitute is
appointed simply to act in the absence of the principal
and that his authority whenever the principal
makes his appearance and takes his seat. We emphati
caly declare that such has been the nvarabe usage
all conventions of the party whether National State
and that is based and the representative
principle
All of which is respectfully submitted
ISAAC I. STEVENS, Oregon,
A. r. SPEER, New JERSEY
H. NJ. North, Pennsylvania,
JNo. ii. BEwLEY, Delaware,