The Constitutional. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1860-1861, 1860-09-22
IOua q. ERECKINRlDGE.

tinc1tishcd "Fugitivc" JOHN I. BREckiN-
pIpGr, delivered an address. The circum-
.,orccs that led TO the gathering ale these; -,
-Inm,diatclv after the great election III
I;.,,uckv. Mr.. breckenridge and his friends
assembled in consultation for two or three
davs ppon the propricty Of Withdrawing
from the contest, finally they resolved upon
one desperate effort To coralrrac' n'"' '"o''
.,;,,y,orous defeat and restore hope 10
the dcsponding leart Of their party 1t
I,,,.,,n;,,.d thct Mr.. breckenridge
.l,,rlJ came ont frou retirement and plead
Li. own case hrforrinc people ON il' stump |
whcrcuron letter l. addressed I" HI"
with the request to air"'r r'rs"""''! !"
the field and rcludiatr the charges brought
against himself and party, particularly the
one of dismion.
This was done to make IT appear thai
IA. demand was made by the country, out
side Of his immediate circle. whereas the
.u,his it was resolved upon by Mr. Brock
;pr;drc himself and few friends together
in consult. ton. The announcement took
the country by surprise, a. 1t was SOME
thing entirely new in o'r political history
doing that which public opinion had come
to regard as disgracciul for candidate Tor
the Presidency, and rather lowering the
: dignity oflhe office which oP'nl"" Ia"
made it customary for the candidate t"
= e,,nd oloof while his electors, his numerous
friends throughout the country, speaking
from the stump and through th" WcSS
should defend and maintain his cause
Moreover this announcement was made a
the same time that their numerous organ
and public speakers were violently d'n'"'
cling Mr.. Douglas for doing what they were
pleased to style his great improperly.
Though no ono had ever charged Nj
Of Breckinridgc with bcilg statesman o
I'd. guilty of any originality, vet having had
to superior education ..and possessed Of I'm
:, oratorical powers, the country looked I"
something above the ordinary stump speak
IN or. some addition to our National Literature
es hence photographic reporters were Gale
into requisition. Telcgraphic wires WEI
nut in order, and every thing made read
in order to crafty the wide spead publ
nal curiosity.
on On the day and place named MIR. Brecl
in' inridgr came forward and delivered hrnS'
e.. of a laborcd speech, which after carct
be- perusal, Justice compcls MS to say Is mo
re- magnificent failure, sigually disappointll
CO. not only his opponents, but even his iii"n'
II has not the arglmcntatiyc fore" and c
mic ouence of Mr.. Crittcudcn, neither t
My straight forward boldncss and cand"r tn
ain have distinguished Mr.. Douglass clor
ure Mr.. Breckenridge meets and attempts
a. refute some Of the minor charges viii
ty." have been brought against him, but in
80 effort sadly damages his own charac'
This however we reserve for future oc
sr it sion, it is to the charge of diSunion
.on' would now call attention. This cha
na'i had never been made against him indiv
made ually anywhere by anybody, it was oil
attic as the candidate of disunion party,
|; ex- this he rather apologies than reproba
Mr.. Breckenridge may loudly procl'
c Nv LOYALTY to the Union, and deny that Ia
W a disunionist, or that the platform u
MT which he stands contains disunion Sc
OR ment, but such Is not the question at Isl
M no one had ever doubted his loyalty
-" questioned his integrity. This is but do
ing the case, evading the responsibility
On mere trriRing with the honest convict
INA of his countrymcn, and most sad tan
, " ~, : to meet the avowcd object OF is sp'
led which was to define the position Of
OF party upon the charge of disunion.
JES Eight months ago Mr.. Breckenridge
;ED. licly announced that the Cotton -
I'VE, were "ready at any moment for sep'
Ekl organization" and that the desire for a
w a solution of the Union was "the true fe'
of the people" there. And these, rel
Der are the very States which sec
from the regular Democratic CONVEX
Of the and in separate convention nornl
,ntion Mr.. Breckenridge, and these remembe
wn of are the very States wherein the
strength of his party is. The true fee
of whose people Mr.. Breckenridge ack
ssolvc edges to be for a dissolution of the |
j. T. Is not this an actual acceptance of tn
didacy for dis,mion Certainly no
liking, Ill l., moro co
Gen. 'o"''' -
But further. 4 Breckenridge elccto
death pounded to Mr.. Douglas during his :
want at Norfolk the two questions, wheth