Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-07-20
BUCHANAN on THE STUMP.

The President Of the United States made
a speech to a crowd Of Washington demo-
Gratis last week on Monday, in favor Of the
Breckenridge & Lane ticket. lie said the
old Congressional Caucus, in which no one
was admitted to a seat except the democratic
members Of the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatiyes, ''mado it impossible that those
states which could not give an electoral vote
for the candidate when nominated. should
control the nomination and dictate to the
democratic States who should be their NOM
inee.'
That system was abandoned and the Ma
tional Convention substituted for it, one evil
of which was that "If a majority of the Ma
tional Convention thus composed could nom
mate a candidate, he might be nominated
mainly by the anti-democratic states against
the will Of large majority Of the democratic
states. Thus the nominating power would
be separated from the electing power, which
could not fail to be destructive to the strength
and harmony of the democratic party"
Hence the two-thirds rule was enacted
"a main Pillar in the edIfce Of national conven-
tons Remove it and the whole must become
ruin. This sustaining pillar was broken to pieces
at Baltimore by the Convention which nominated
Mr.. Douglas After this the body was no longer
a national convention; and no democrat, however
devoted to regular nominations,w was bound to give
the nominee his support; he was free to act ac
a. oh ulrr ept md
conscience.
If the Convention which nominated Mr.Douglas
was not a regular democratic convention, 1t must
be confessed that Breckenridge is in the same con-
dition in that respect. The Cow ention that NOM
iuated him, although it was composed Of nearly
all the certain democratic states, did not contain
the two-thirds; and therefore every democrat is
at perfect liberty to vote he thinks proper,
without running counter to any regular nomina-
ton Of the party"
Mr.. BucLanan's doctrine and practice are
like that OF the officer who told his file Of
men that they were perfectly free to so or
not to go on desperate enterprise: bit II
he saw one hang back he wouldinstantly run
him through the body. All are free to 60
for whom they like, but catch a federal Office
holder going for Douglas and see if his head
don't come off
Mr.. B. gave the lie to all who said that in
accepting Office on the Cincinnati platform
he endorsed the doctrine of squatter sover-
eighty. His doctrine is he says that all have
equally a right to carry their "property"
into 81, Il. Zee. f,o NNrtn
his oxen and his horse-the STAKEHOLDER his
slayes-thus they all live together in peace
and harmony" The question of slavery
will become a foregone conclusion before
they have inhabitants enough to enter the
Union as a state "
No doubt of it. c., that the question
of slavery will be ga foregone conclusion" in
such case
Il most cheerfully admit that Congress has no
right to pass any law to establish, impair or abol
sh slavery in the territories Let the principle
Of non-interventon be extended to the territorial
legislatures, and let it be declared that they in
like manner have power to establish, impair,o
destroy slavery, and then the controversy IS ended
"What would I. as a Pennsylvasian say or do,
supposing anybody was to contend that the legis.
lature of any territory could outlaw iron and coal
within the territory?
Of course human beings called slaves are
on the same fOoting,in the eyes of the Q. P.
F., as iron and coal
With the Supreme Court Of the United States,
I hold that neither Congress the territorial
legislature has any power to establish, impair, or
abolish slavery in the territories.