M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-07-12

~ VI hAS w aNSN ~ H. ~ 10 hhO3H ~
many Of you that my name was freely
mentioned in Baltimore in connection
with this nomination and that ! per,
sistcntly refused to countenance it,
but invariably argued that ii Georgia
were to be thus houored, it was due to
another of her sons, most distinguish.
ed for his talents and great public ser.
vices.
This was my earnest desire, aadthe
desire Of the delegation of which
was a member. But the Convention
IN its wisdom deemed it best to nonli.
nate a statesman Of Alabama. twas
entirely satisfactory. Alabama is the
child Of Georgia, and the mother cor.
daily responds to any compliment
bestowed upon her daughter. These
are the circumstances under which !
have been assigned this distinguished
position, and which demand that dis,
crimination should yield to the voice
of duty.
The National Democratic party is
in q peculiar condition. ltis aesailed
in the house Of its proiessed friends,
and threatened with overthrow. The
country is in a peculiar condition.
1t is on the eve OF a sectional conflict,
which rnay sweep down ell political
parties and terminate in q dissolution
Of the Union. 1t is the duty of patri,
OTIS and statesmen to unite in averting
these threatened calamitieO.
Itmay not be inappropriate to refer
to the circumstances which imperil
the National Democracy. The Ala.
bama delegation went to the Conven.
ton at Charleston, instructed to de
mand the incorporation iuto tue plat.
form OF the party the proposition that
Congress should intervene for the
protection of slavery in tho Terrific.
ries, and to withdraw if the demand
should be refused. 1t was refused,
aud | think properly refused. That
delegation did retire, and with them
a large portion OF the delegations from
the cotton Statesg Why should they
have retireds The record elbows that
il they had remained at their post,
they had the power to prevent the
nomination OF any candidate who
might be obnoxious to the South.
Thus reduced by the secession, the
Convention adjourned 10 Baltimore,
and requested the States 10 ill! the
vacancies in their respective delega.
tions. The Convention reassemb!od
on tie 18th. The seeding deloga.
tions were returned-some accredited
to Richmond, and others to Baltimore,
by the way Of Richmond-instructed
to make the same demand, and with.
draw lift be refused. Delegates were
appointed in Louisiana, Alabama and
Georgia, by the National Democrats
OF those States, to fill the vacant seats
OF the sectdcrs. Those OF Alabama
and Louisiana were admitted, end the
seeding delegates rejected, and the
seeding delegates from Georgia were
admitted to seats, ard they all took
umblage at the decisions OF the Con.
vention touching the various contests
for seats. They retired, organized,
and nominated candidates for the
Presidency and Vice Presidency
And they claim TO be the National
Democracy OF the United Statesl
Now, if they were actuatod by prjn.
9iple; if it was their purpose, in good
faith, TO obtain the recognition Of the
principle of Congressional protection
for slavery in the Territories, why
not wait until q proper time to bring
that subject before the Convention,
and then according to their instruc.
tions, Withdraw from the body9 The
reason is palpable; they were wagiug
war against a distinguished man, not
for the maintenance OF principlo.--
They were willing to jeopardiz9 the
integrity orthe Democratic party, and
the triumph of its cherished princi.
pies, rather than see its will proclaim.
ed in tue nomination OF its favorito.
Admitting for the sake OF argument,
MIR. Douglas to be as obnoxious as
they allego he is, YET there never was
a time when the South, united, could
not have defeated his nomination.
Why, then, should they have secededl
Why not remain at their postl Why
seek to dismember and destroy the
partya
question rot tue patriotism of any,
but the people will hold them respon.
Sible sooner or later for all the ills that
may flow from their errors. said
the demand for Congressional inter.
vertion was properly rejected at
Charleston. And why do Isay so?--
Because twas the agreement between
the North and the South that the sla.
very agitation should be removed
from the halls of Congress, and the
people Of the Territories be left per
tectly free to regulate their domestic
institutions in their own way, subject
IN tha Constitution of tho ITniteJ