The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1860-08-14

DfGcElnrlugc u aplicCI"'N S'"i, "''A
him as cloquently and truly as he did. lie
had but to spell; from lis own heart. The
same remark my be made OF his noble de-
scrip,ion Of General But!cr-"Al the hcrcdlti1-
ry instincts OF his race spurm conccaImcnt or
evasion 'lIe is Il man pure and incorrnptl-
bic, "A Democrat of the Jackson temper; a states
man without guile, sir, why, the very Bayard
of his country the Knight without fear and
without rcproach." Those who know Brock
inridgc will scarcely need to be told that these
grand descriptions Of noble qualities arc but
the indcx OF his own sterling character.
The wonderful success Of Mr. Brcckinrdgc
has been already referred to, simply as an cX,
istng fact, but some reference to It's ca'lsc ana
character, and to its co-rclative-his popularI'
TVS necessary to complete even this hasty
sketch. Ills first election to Congress was
wonderful achievement. The district for which
he was returned was the district and home OF
Henry Clay. 1t was Wing 10y a majority OF
sixteen hundred. His competitor, General
Leslie Coomis, WAS one Of the shrewdest tao
ticia:s and ablcst dchatcrs i'll Kentucky. ct,
MIR. breckenridge, beating down this heavy
majority, and this strong antagonist, was elect
ed jy a majority Of more than five hundred
The result was a subject o remark IN all lo-
Iitical circles. In his second canvass the
Whies evlnced resolute purpose 10 reGGENS7r
the district, and brought Into lhe It'd Cover
nor Lcchcr-an cxpcricIESScd campaigner-of
great ability and csIt4hGshcl rpntatiol,, and
altogether, the stFoN gest Wing in the State
The canrass was !i the hottest kind, anu man.
will remcmber>'thc interest and excitement
spread over Tic whole country. But the sec
ond victory Of the rising young Democrat was
even more signal than the irst.
Following this came the pTo!frrc'l missions TO
Spain &lid its modest dcc!iucatnre. IiIen the
spontn.cous call to the Vice Presidency, then
his election to tic Senate, and HOW the deep
and strong undcrcurrcnt Of popul liar feeling III
siayor for the Presidency. Such unparalleled
sycccss- especial in oar country, and for so
,,oung man--Gocs not of course pass without
emphatic remark. 1t is debated sometimes Ill
poppar style and sometimes with philosophical
gravity. Some dispose of the matter IN a sum
lnary way, OH the simple theory Of luck" This
argument ccrtainl; cannot BE- logically dlSprov-
ed. Others say it's because he Is Il fine, gal
lant, genial, high-spi'itcd fellow bnt there are
huldrc,Is OF ncn OF that character who are
never heard Of beyond the small circ!: III which
they movc.-Thcrc are those again who refer
his popularity ard success; 10 lis bi!Ii'iS talents;
but there are many merely brilliant men who
live unsuccessful aid die obscure. There are
still others WHO dcGuce his intellectual or
nlysical powc? as necessary physiological Or
psrec.y.: "a! results of the 5!o5d that is iii him.
rhey argue that not only his ta;nel, mo sTan9-
father, and all his l;insmen oa Tic Hrccki@ridg5t
side were mcn CT might and high SENSE o:
honor, but that so were lis ancestors OH the
maternal. side beginning with tic old join!
WitHclspooil. Of the Dcc!arti'n Of lndrpea;
dcncc, AID coming DOWN to!As present; tina!
/ + N, A., In; ~ hTtH srit he
has run such splcSid career. But all this is
wide of the mark 1Ac true source Of it all is
in the man himself, atld in, the common sense
OF the people. 1t is sl Ger impossIbility TO ac'
count for it on any 9th or grounds lie may
be aptly described in luis own words applied to
Butler and Clay Tor ,hc possesses the great
qualities OF both He is n man 'piTc and incor-
rlptibIr a Democrat of the jackson temper, Il
statesman without gul ic-a!l the hereditary
instinct of his race spl;2niM@ conccaimch; or
evasion; aud in him lnt1 icct, person, c'oqncncc
and courage unite to t1rn character tit to
command If he. wcrcl not such a nIan he
would have met with nQ such uninterrupted
sncccs<, and had 10 sucli surprising ro2nla;i-
tv.
Bit few Of Or conventional great men bear
Il 7. i. sIl,i,ct of
coipmon remark that nearly all Of them are
dwarfcd into the mercst mc&iocrity by close
and familiar observation. In Snosu cases it is
essentially the fact that "diStSncc lends Gu
chantnept to the view." Eut Nrcckinrid@c is
proof ag:.inst this scvcrcst Of M test. The
closer you see him, the better and greater he
looks. This is the experience Of the tpcop!c OF
all parties ard especially the ReprcsSntativcs
who % annually to Washington; and wh"ii
thry 80 homc-pcnctratGg rs lhay }do, all
paris Of the country-thcy relate it tot their
friends and ncighbor*, and it becomes the, Hxcc
sentiments Of the people. Here is the, true
groundwork of Breckinrdge's great pop} }Ilar-
ty. 1t pcrvadcs the entire body OF the Dgmo-
cratic party 1t is in the peoples hearts. No
forced, hot-hoaSc growth, bat Indigenous Yhe
difference btFweyn it and the Fictitious polpu-
larity worked n to order, by small party 9ca-
dcrs, is the same rs tic difference between \ Shc
applause Of paid ctcq"crs at theatre, l5An
t&at ;.2oatAneous, irroprcssib!c, electric sh3E''
that goes lip shaking the very walls, when tpe
hearts OF the people arc truly to"chcd.
Thus far Mr.. Breckinridge has been co2Si-
lcrcl chiefly with reference T. the causcst has
have entered upon him SO large Siiar( OF
public attention and favor, and not AL III his
relation to the Presidency, As, i'll 10 usual sfnsc
of the term, is hc candidate for that OF Fee.
1t is true that quite IL number of Delegates TO
the Charleston Convention have dccar(3l Il
marked preference for him. above all otlAHrS,
but such expressions come from no pTocu'|en
OF his they are the simple and Natural RI suits
of the high esteem III which hg is Yield.
Enough, however, has been TO show that A;r.
Braclinridgc is, in every respect, charac&r
worthy be President OF the United StateS
If the qualifications that We're regarded IA
essential in the Chief Magistrate in thc'caricr
and purcr days of the Republic arc still held
to be important, then he is most worthy OF aIl
that arc likely to be considered at Charleston.
lie presents Il reputation without Flemish,
great intellectual ability, intimate knowledge
OF public affairs, integrity that 10 mah woAld
dare approach with corrupt or questionable
proposition, commanding force ol character,
fidelity to his party organization, controlled 10y
that high sense OF public duty which holds
right and Justice 10 bc superior to party onII-
rations; and with all these he presents the