The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-08-09
Reception Of Major breckenridge
e- = At FRANKFORT, KY.

Major Bteckinridge reached Frankfort on
the 18th inst. As soon as his friends heard Of
bis arrival, they greeted him, in large numbers,
at the Capitol Hotel, when be responded in tue
following Language:
Fsllo,r-C Citizens: l thank yon ont of the f,lness
of q grateful heart. for this cordial welcome
to my home. feel. fellow citizens, the impro-
priety upon an occasion like this Of doing much
more than returning TO you my cordial and
Perhaps however, may he allowed here in the
midst Of my old district and surrounded by my
neighbors and friends, on the soil Of Kentucky
to make one or two explanatory statements.
and for bear on this occasion to enter into any
statement Of argument In reference 10 the cir
cuinttances that occurred at Baltimore. and
which resulted unexpectedly to me iii placing
me before The country for the Office Of presi-
dent. But think 1t due to you. and myself,
to say that being cogcizant Of all those facts.
having observed all those transactions. having
pondered carefully over them. having consulted
with my friends, unconscious altogether Of being
animated or sustainedby hot ambition, feel
that the position which occupy to-day, Ia
right. Great chcering) feel that | could not
have shrunk from it without being false to my
country, false TO my friends. and false tomyselt.
Consequently, accepted the nomination with
all its re- Probabilities. To those who take ad.
vantage Of the position Of silent man to
heap upon him excavations, say pour on, can
endure. (Applause.)
leave it to others to explain more fully the
facts and circumstances oil this nomination.
Perhaps also, I may be allowed to ray that the
claim, that stand before the country as a
sectional candidate, cannot BE- true whether re-
ference be had to the number of the States
which co-opernted IN the nomination Or the char
acter Of the principles which animated them.
When You find the Democratic organization
aided BY large conservative elements of other
parties in ali the Southern States, and In those
TWO States UPON the Pacific ocean. which have
been 20 far removed from the contests Of the
Atlantic and Mississippi valleys, that their
conclusive and when you find the Democratic
organization Of the Stale Of Pennsylvania. aud
supposed majority Of New Jersey, Connect
cut and Massachusetts,, with large aud imposing
organizations III all the other States co.opcra
ting how can aucha nomination as that be pro
perly called sectional? A majority Of the States
Of the Union sectional and at war with the
principles upon which the Union itself Is foun
ded Fellow-citizens, M to The charge that
the convention to which owe my nomination
or that supported, or that myself, am tainted
response to . Kentucky audience, and in thi:
old district, too! am an American citizen
Kentuckan-who never did an act or cherish
ed thought that ives not tuli Of devotion u
the Constitution and to the Unian-wlo feel
as you do upon this subject. But perhaps i
would have been better, both in your hehal
aud In mine If l had refused to respond to the
sentimentl
| Fellow citizens, this is perhaps the last tim
that will have All opportunity to say any
thing to my neighbors and friends, during TIL
tendency Of this canvass. While. therefore,
shall enter into no argument upon the topic
of the day, perhaps you will pardon me 70
making two or three observations. which it seem
to me, should commend themselves to all par
ties every where. Fellow citizens. we live I'LL
der the hest government on earh. We ar
the only country in the world where the ex
pertinent il demonstrated. that free institution
may be established over II great population
and large extent of territory, and be consis
tent with public order 1t has been demon
strated IN our case, for the first time in The his
I'tory Of the world. How are we to prcserv
intact that double form of government, stat
and Federal, that las been banded down to II
Ivy our foretathers. My answeris that we ca
only do it by cl.oging with unfaltcring fil"lit.
to the Constitution of the United States, in al
it's parts and in all its obligations, is the con
dilion of the American Union, and fits per
petuation. That Constitution was framed an
transmitted by the Nisest generation Of me
That ever lived in the tide Of times. 1t may h
called an inspired instrument. 1t answered
them at an early day. 1t has answered on
purpose. It Is good enough for our postcri
10 n hmm IL miro