Des Arc citizen., 1860-08-08
Reception of Major Breckinridge at
 Frankfort. Kentucky.

Major Breckinridge reached his home, at Frankfort, on the 18th ut. As soon as his friends heard of his arrival, they greet ed him, Tn large numbers, at the Capitol Hotel, when he responded in the follow ing language:
 FELLow-CITIzENs: thank you out of the fullness of grateful heart, for this cordial welcome to my home. I feel, fel- low-citizens, the impropriety, upon an oc- casion like this, of. doing much more than returning to you my cordial and grateful acknowledgement for your kindness Perhaps, however, 1 may be allowed, here
 in the midst of my old district, and sur rounded by my neighbors and friends, on the soil of Kentucky, to make one or two explanatory statements, and forbear, on this occasion, to enter into any statement or argument in reference to the circum- stances that occurred at Baltimore, and which resulted, unexpectedly to me, in placing me before the country for the of- flee of President. But think it due to you. and to myself, to say, that being css, nizant of all those facts, having observed all those transactions, having pondered carefully over them, having consulted with my friends, unconscious altogether of be- ing animated or sustained by hot ambi- ton, feel that the position which I occu- py to-day, is right. Great cheering. J. l feel that I could not have shrunk from it without being false to my country, false to my friends, and false to myself, Conse- quently, 1 accepted the nomination with all its responsibilities. To those who take advantage of the position of silent man, to heap upon him generations, say pour on, l can endure. (Applause.)
 l leave 1t to others to explain more full ly the facts and circumstancrs of this nom- ination. Perhaps, also, may be allowed to say that the claim, that 1 stand before the country as sectional candidate, can- not be true, whether reference be had to the number of the States which cooperated in the nomination, or to the character of the principles which animated them When you find the Democratic organiza- ton aided by large, conservative elements of other parties in all the Southern States, and in those two States upon the Pacific ocean which have been so far removed from the contests of the Atlantic and Mis- sissippi valleys, that their judgment as to what is sectional ought to be conclusive !; and when you find the Democratic organ ization of the State of Pennsylvania, and a supposed majority of New Jersey, Con- necticut and Massachusetts, with large and imposing organizations in all the oth- CT States, cooperating, how can such a nomination as that be properly called sec- tional2 A majority of the States of the Union sectional and at war with the prin- ciples upon which the Union itself is found- ed! Fellow citizens, as to the charge that the Convention to which owe my nomi- nation or that supported, or that myself, am tainted with spirit of Disunion, how absurd to make response 10 Kentucky audience, and in this old District, too! l am an American ci,izen-a Kentuckian- who never did an act or cherished a thought that was not full of devotion to the Constitution and to the Union-who feels as you do upon this subject. But perhaps it would have been better, both in your behalf, and in mine, if had refused to respond to the sentiment!
 Fellow citizens, this is perhaps the last time that Il will have an oportunity to say anything to my neighbors and friends, dur
 ing the pendency of this canvass. While, therefore, shall enter into no argument upon the particular topics of the day, per- haps you will pardon me for making two or three observations, which, 1t seems to me, should command themselves to all par- ties, everywhere. Fellow.ctizens, we live under the best Government on earth We are the only country in the world where the experiment is demonstrated, that free institutions may be established over great population and large ex- tent of territory, and be consistent with pub lie order. It has been demonstrated, in our case, for the first lime in the history of the world. How are we to preserve these institutions How are we to preserve
 intact that double form of government, State and Federal, that has been handed down to us by our forefathers. My an- swer is, that we can only do it by clingng with unfaltering fidelity, unwavered by policy to the Constitution they bequeathed to us. hold that fidelity to the Constitu- ton of the United States, in all It's parts, and in all its obligations, is the condition of the American Union, and of its perpet- uation. That Constitution was framed and transmitted by the wisest generation of men that ever lived in the tide of times. It may be called an inspired instrument. I; answered them at an early day. It has answered our purpose. Iii good enough for our posterity to keep it pure.
 KEEP IT BEFORE THE PEOPLE ?-To show how thoroughly MT. Douglas is com- mitted against the decision of the Supreme Court, on the question involving the pow