White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-08-02

nomination for the Presidency.
Nr. Seward occupies, it is true, a high
place in his party, but it is the people
who have put him there. He speaks
from lofty eminence, seat in the Uni
ted States Senate, but it is the Republi-
can party who have advanced him to
that stage, and given him the opportuni-
ty Of having the entire Union for his au-
dience. To the people he owes the long
opportunity which he has had to devote
himself to public affairs, to acquire po-
litical and legislative knowledge, and to
ripen the views which he in turn lays be-
for the people in his letters and speeches.
II, through the favor of the people of
his district. he had not been elected to
the New York Senate-if the citizens Of
New York had not several times chosen
him Governor-if they had not subse-
quently returned him to the Senate Of the
United States, he would have been at
this moment only an able lawyer at the
Auburn bar. 1t is not for his friends to
say-and we are sure he would not say
for himself-that instead of being CRATE.
full for the position to which the people
have raised him, he has a right to COM
plain that his party do not see fit to lift
him to still more commanding eieva-
ton. His friends have not obtained for
him what they desired, but they have no
occasion to say that be was sacrificed
No man in our country has right to the
Presidential Office save he to whoss hands
the people freely commit it. for the con-
'stitutional term. No man owns the Re-
publican party its votes are the proper
ty of no individual, whatever his merits
or qualifications. When we talk of
public man being sacrificed because he
did not succeed in obtaining the object of
his ambition, the highest Office which the
people can bestow, we deny the principle
of popular choice, and make the gov
eminent the heritage of an individual.
The absurdity of this language will be
understood by applying it to the case
of other men. Mr.. Lincoln at the first
ballot had a large vote in the Convention.
If Seward had been nominated, then
Lincoln would have been sacrifced-the
great standard bearer of the party west of
the Wabash would have been deprived
of his right Mr.. Bates had a strong
party. who looked to his nomination as
the only chance for the triumph of the
Republican party-he too, We suppose,
has been sacrificed. Mr.. Chase is enc of
the great fathers Of the Republican party
one who stood by its cradle and kept
watch over its infancy. and has proved
himself one of its boldest, 6rmest, ablest
championship too was sacrifced-more
sacrificed than even Mr.. Seward, since he
received a much smaller vote.
With regard to the threats, perver-
sions and misrepresentation" of which
it is complained that MIR. Seward was
IN ade the victim, we can only say that
the disappointed are very apt to indulge
in such complaints, and often without
much reason. 1t is probable enough that
the friends of each candidate supported
him by arguments that were not much to
the taste Of those who had other favor
ties. 1t is probable. also, that in so
warm a rivalry, objections were made to
the nomination both of Mr.. Seward and
Mr.. Lincoln, which their respective
friends did not deem fair. 1t is not very
likely, however, that the exaggeration, ii
any there was, was all on one side.
In the meantime it is well to state the
true causes of Mr.. Stewards failure to re-
ceive the nomination. One of them ap'
pears on the face of the proceedings
He had so little strength in several Of the
most powerful Republican States that
with all their zeal, his friends could OBJ
tain no votes from them in the Conven'
ton at either of the ballots that were ia
ken. Pennsylvania on the first ballot
gave him but one and half, from hel
numerous delegation, and on the second
ballot two and half, the delegates de-
claring that they could not carry the State
for Seward. From New Jersey the sam'
objection was heard, though she gave Mr.
Seward four of her fourteen votes on tn,
} second ballot, and five on the third and
5 last. Vermont, Ohio, Indiana and LII
, inois steadily refused to give him asin
, gle vote on either ballot, and SO did Con
t necticut until the last ballot, when sh'
t gave him one vote. The majority coult
: not be convinced that in nominating Mr.
! Seward they should have fixed upon
3 candidate sufficiently acceptable to tn
3 Opposition party to carry a majority o
7 the electoral votes-and it must be al
: mitted that this is an important objection
at all events it weighed powerfully wit
9 the Convention. For eur own part "
do not see how the vote Of PennsylTsnl
t could have been hoped for if Dir. Sewar
It had been nominated, and in Illinois ther
. could not have been the slightest chanc
b of his success if Douglas should take tH
9 field as q candidate. Mr.. Seward, fror
the very first, failed to command ma
IS iority of the delegates. and lost his nom
ination, not for want of what the Even
"a ing Journal calls '.loyslty." but becaus
q the larger number of delegates had nev
o er sworn allegiance to him, and though
Il it wiser to nominate some other person
Of But there was another canse OF M
le Stewards failure. which does not aPPe.
e. from any part of the proceedings OF q
IN Convention, and which yet was more p,
tent than any other. 1t deserves to