Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-07-19
speech of President Buchanan,

" A'''' '"'0' P. NJ. EDMONtsTON, President.
5 jas: > B. s a0DHns Secretaries.
Speech of President Buchanan.
The Farce of Reason and Common Sense-The History aud
Value of the T 400 birds Rule.
1t has already stated that the President on being
of the great Breckenridge and Lane
meeng made quite long speech expressing ms Ifs be
ton with those nominations The annexed Is report VI ne
speech from the Washington Star
PRESIDENT BUCH ANAN S SPEECH.
After thanking them for their kindness IN calling upon
him. he alluded in the most complimentary terms to their
candidates, Breckenridge and Lane, and they had olst-
gushed themselves both in the civil and military depart
of the government and in his opinion no better seec
ton of standard could have been made to lead their
party victory than those whose banner they mad injured
that evening ,
speaking OF the mets Oh theAe olsns n'"' n
said: ~
they of the equality of the sovereign States OF
this Union in the common territory OF the country should
especially you give them your earnest support
[Ces OF Good! 'l They will stand by that prlncipe-
and who should not? Equality equality Every citizen
Of the United States equal before the ana
of the United States and why should not the sover
egn States of this Union and ENJOY tnar
enjoys? Applause This is sound democratic docflne.
Liberty and equality the birthrg ht of every American
citizen and just as certain as the day succeeds tne
certain will this principle CT democratic justice al
last [Appausel 1t must prevail: But before .ba SPEAK d
tain you ong wish to remove one stumbling block cut OF
the have ever been friend OF regular nominees;
have never struck political ticket IN my me. now, was
there anything done at Baltimore to bind the political con-
science of sound democrat and to prevent him from
sup porting Breckenridge and Lane [No and applause
cotemporary with the abandonment of the Gid con-
gressiona convention or rather caucus system 1t was
while ago. probably but few of remember
it But under the old congressional rule no
admitted except democratic members OF the Senate and
House Unde that system there dang that
members outside Of the democratic party could impose
candidate upon the States which were democratic, and
which could alone elect him after he proposed. There
danger that kind because there being no persons
in the except democratic members of Congress- that
afforded perfect that the nominee OF the party
would at least be agreeable to the democratic Sates ms
congressional convention 81 stem was broken up The
Ona convention succeeded Whether 1t wisely broken
up not shall not pretend to say But upon the
gaDization of the national enton which admitted all
the States OF the Union according to the number OF Their
Senators and Representatives, it at discovered
possible the anti democratic the
tCnaI convention combined with very Jew of the demo
ones, impose candidate upon the party at any
time who Objectionable to the States that would be call
ed upon to eli ct him. And that it forseen would weak
the strength and destroy the energy OF the party 1t
substitute for the rule observed IN the congressional
caucus which have referred, and of the effect
1t believed at the time, for part and parcel of
the movement that in the twothrds rule there would al
ways be majority of democratic States satisfied with the
nominations and ready to rush into the contest to elect the
candidate The twohrds rule, then the main pillar
of the national convention. has been destroyed at Bat
and the rational convention has stumbled into ruin
national convention. The wisdom of the twothrd rule
however, manifest from the present condition of the a
of the country If it had prevailed candidate could
have been nominated against the expressed will of every
democratic State the Union against the expressed views
nearly every democratic Senator in the Union and
three tourths of the democratic Representatives. This two
thirds them has been prosrated add there nothing
in the way of any democrat voting for Breckenridge and
Lane in the proceedings of the assembage at baltimore 1t
must be confessed however, that Breckenridge the
condition with Douglas in this respect The convention
that nominated him. although was composed OF nearly all
the democratic States did not contain twOthirds and
therefore every democrat perfect liberty to
thinks proper without running counter to any regular
nation OF the party.
Three enthusiastic cheers here given for the nomi-
nees.]
from all responsibility, will now make few remarks
you stating the why prefer Breckenridge and Lane
to any all candidates field Loud ap-
! VaAt
partnership The Territories ale acquired by the common
blood aid the common treasure Of them all. Each State,
and each citizen of each State has the right the
itories that other State What the dem
mOCraCy is that all shall enjoy the rights and all
shall be subject to the usages. MIR. Breckenridge
holds that this was formed for the protection OF
te liberty aud property They the objects for the pro
lection OF which all governments established but it
sought now to place the property of the citizen under
what called properly squater sovereignty in the
Of The Territorial Legislature be cOnscated their
will and pleasure That the principle sought be estab
shed at present and there to be entire mistake
and misunderstanding in portion of the public mind
RI e s IS ever to the
property individual you hold independent of Con
gress, Of the State Legislature or of the Territorial Legsa
ect your private property against assaults of legislative
powers t. Good and applause.l
set of principles which will deprive of the perfect
troll OF property wrong This right your
government Deprive you of this and you become
slave; for the man who has your property
And yet is commended that although the Constitution of
the United States confers such power yet few
called the Territorial Legislature, their extremity
of the country conscate property and you
away deprived OF it. Cant do it'll There is but one
mode, aud alone by which the citizen be deprived
OF his slave property the Territories. That mode is
pointed out ID the Cincinnati PLATFORM which has been
know greatly msrePresented That platform declares
that when sufficient number of residents located in
Territory in order to form State the Union
and when the people frame constitution, then they ma
decide for themselves the question whether they will hav
slavery There Territorial Legislature men
TONED in the Cincinnati platform. There squatter
sovereignty there presents the clear principle that
The time the people form their constitution they then
decide whether they will have slavery And vet il
has been stated and again that accepting the
nomination under that platform endorsed doctrine of
squatter sovereignty suppose you have heard it all over
the country has been repeated in thousand newspa
pers.
A voice-We knew they lied.
The President am glad you knew it. Laughter /
Now, low well this plain principle of constitutional law
responds with the best interests of the people Under
emgants from the North and the South the East and
the West receive their benefit They carry with them that
property which they suppose will best promote their ma
The question of slavery will become foregone concusion
before they have population sufficient to ask for admission
into the Union There will be bleeding Kansas in
the territores the people there will all live together in
and harmony promoting peace in the territory and
their own prosperity until the time arrives when it
necessary to form State constitution. Then the whole
question Will be decided to the satisfaction of every one
But upon The other principle what do you find in the ter
! W. are hnhfi fbo