The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-05-08
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.


Baltimore ON the 18th of June. No nomination
made.
Deeming it unnecessary to fill up our columns
with the discussions which took place 10 the Con-
vention, we will endeavor to give plain state
ment and correct report Of the proceedings:
AS was seen by paper last week, the COM
mittee of from each State to prepare plat
form, could not agree, and two reports were made,
one by the slave States together with California
and Oregon, and the other by the free States
After a long discussion, the Convention adopted
the report submitted by the free States known as
the minority report, which is follows
l. Resolved, That we, the Democracy of the Union
in Convention assembled, hereby declare affirm
of the resolutions unanimously adopted and decar
ed as Platform of Principles by the Democratic Con-
venton at Cincinnati in the 1856, believing that
Democratic principles interchangeable in their nature
when applied to the subject matters; and we
recommend as the only further resolutions the follow
ing:
Resolved, That it is the duty of the United States
to afford ample and complete protection to all its citi
Zens, whether home at abroad, and whether native
foreign born.
Resolved, That of the necessities of the age
in military, commercial, and postal point of view, is
speedy communication between the Atlantic and Paci
c States and the Democratic party pledge such Con-
stitutional Government aid will insure the
ton of Railroad to the Pacific coast, the earliest
practicable rerod.
f. Resolved. That the Democratic party are in ia
vcr Of the acquisition OF the Island of Cuba, such
terms will be honorable 10 ourselves and just to
Spain
5. Resolved That the enactments of State Legisla-
lures defeat the faithful execution of the Fugitive
Slave Law, hostile in character. subversve of the
Constitution and revolutionary in their effect.
Against this report North Carolina and all the
other Southern States voted. But it was adopted
by l65 yeas to 1873 nays, whereupon the Alabama,
Florida, Mississippi Georgia, Texas South Caro-
lima and Louisiana delegates withdrew from the
Convention-a few of the delegates remained from
Georgia, S. c., and some other Southern States,
but the vote of these States was not cast after the
main portion of the delegates withdrew. The
delegations from the States of Virginia. North
Carolina. Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland, Della
ware, Arkansas and Missouri remained and con-
tinued to act with the Western and Northern
States. The Delaware and Arkansas delegations
divided-part remained and part withdrew. The
main objection to the resolutions was, that they
do not explicitly deny the ri ght of teri itorial
Legislature to Interfere with slavery in the terri
tories. The States that withdrew, organized n
other Convention, an account of which will be
elsewhere One delegate from Virginia NJ
Fisher) went with the seeding delegations
When first submitted, the above platform con-
tained resolution pledging acquiesence in the de-
cisions of the Supreme Court in regard to property
in the Terrirries, but it was stricken out at the
instance of Southern States because it pledged ac-
quiescnce in future decisions.
On Monday, the It'll day, the first ballot was
had in the Convention for nominee The vote
stood thus: Douglas l45! Guthrie 80, Hunter AZ,
II Tuf D.yi I
Pearce, of Nd, l. The whole number of cleo
toral votes being 303, it required 202 to nominate
(two-thirds).
On this first vote, Douglas received the entire
vote of New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island,
New York, Ohio, Indiana Illinois, Michigan,
Wisconsin, Iowa Minnesota, and five votes from
Maine S! from Massachusetts,, 81 from Connecti-
cut, 9 from Pennsylvania, A. from Missouri, and
from North Carolina (the 9th District) Vir-
ginia Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, and
parts of Penn, Mass, and S. G., went for Hunter.
The balloting continued up to Wednesday with
out much change, except that the vote of North
Carolina was cast several times for Gen. Lane
The 18th ballot stood as follows: Total number of
votes cast, 252. Necessary to a choice, 202.-
Douglas, 1909; Guthrie, 39!; Dickinson 4; Hun
ter, 50; johnson, ~ Lane &; Davis, II.
The 57th and last ballot stood thus: Douglas
1513, Guthrie 653, Lane II, Hunter IT, Dickinson
4, Davis l. This ballot took place Wednesday,
and the Convention then adjourned till Thursday
We give the proceedings of Thursday-the last
day-as follows:
Tenth Day-Moraing Session.
THURSDAY, May g.
The Convention to order to-day at 10 o'clock.
Hon. Andrew Ewing of Tennessee and claimed the
floor. Mr. Russell of Virginia said he had the floor
he hair nc tn he gentleman from,
gnia
Mercury that Virginia had agreed to the resolution
proposed by Mr. Howard of Tenn, said that the resolu
ton not properly printed in that paper.
He read the resolution agreed upon by alb the
Southern delegations who remained in the Convention
and the New York delegation. He informed that
there was strength enough to pass it when in order
The resolution is follows
Resolved That the citizens of the United States have
equal right settle with their property in the Ter
rtories of the United States; and that under the deci
sion of the Supreme Court of the United States, which
ton of the United States neither the right of persons
nor property be destroyed or impaired by Con-
greSsional Territorial legislation
Mr. RUSSELL after this explanation, said he had been
instructed to offer resolution for adjournment, to
meet Baltimore the 18th of June, and that the
Democracy of the States where there vacancies in
the delegation be requested to fill the same.
Mr. Montgomery, of Pennsy lyania, moved the pre-
vious qneStian.
Mr. Mason, of Kentucky, raised a point against the
resolution.
The Chair said there pending order to proceed
to ballot.
Mr. Russell moved to Law the pending order on the