The Van Buren press., 1860-08-03
Douglas and Breckeny-i e.

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democrat North as well as South could
vote for him. And i, is very likely that
they would do so. as he stood up to that
time, square on the doctrines of the party
that had been set forth repeatedly for the
last twelve years in the various platforms
upon which we had achieved repeated tri-
umphs. But the misei able endorsement
given him with hIs recorded popular sover
eighty doctrines, by faction who had pre-
matureIy seceedei from the Convention on
the express ground that this alleged hcresy
had not been stricken from the Charleston
platform and intervention OF Congress in
the Territories, adopted instead, places Mr..
Breckenridge in position that it will be
hard for any National Democrat now to
reach him with their consistent support.
Although the supporters Of Mr.. Douglas
in this State, as well. perhaps as elsewhere,
believed him the safest, most reliable AMI
certainly most available national candidate
to insure the defeat of the sectional party
candidat of the North than any other mem
ber of the party, in case of his nomination
under the rule yet failing on the old plat
form, his friends, to a man, in the South,
and generally in the North. wonli not have
hesitate,l to throw their support to Mr..
Breckenridge.
But such hai been the apparent danger OF
the harmonious nomination of MIR. Dong as
on the Cincinnati platform, that cautiously
stealthly and finally it was openly deman-
ded by prominent dem mocratic leaders In the
South that the principles of the party as
avouched and acted on for the last dozen
wears, should be ignored. and that in place
of non intervention the South should de-
mand intervention
The formation OF the southern league.
some three years past, had for while at
tracted public attention. The publication
| of a private letter from its author and the
authors subsequent avowal and eXplana-
ton placed the public in possession of a
| deep and dangerous plot disguised under
this innocent leagne of using democratic
power in the establishment: of southern
confederacy, which was to DC formed by Sc
ceeding from the Union. All the cotton
growing States. under certain contingen-
cv, to-wit the election of Black -Repubii-
candidate, whose avowed object being to car
~ out in action the creed Of the irrepressi-
bic conflict between free and slave States.
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the formation Of Southern Republic or
Confederacy But knowle1gc Of the
workings Of these enemies of the continu
ell Union of the StaJes-had not been in
trusted to the people. The leaders, appear
to have had several prominent southern
newspaper presses engaged in their secret
servicc-thesc with the powerful influence
Of federal power in all its ramltications foI
two or three years in advance of the meet
ing of the Charleston Convention basely
ami boistevously engaged in poisoning tho
public mind throughout the South against
the great champion of democracy in the
Northern States, were prepared by raising
the question of revising the principles o.
io, of Tho Denocra; Z ;is5si8n 5a,fv il \ C9nven
only NATIONAL party. It's division would pre-
cipitate the objects Of their desires by
insurng Mr.. Lincoln's election, thereby
iustifying the cotton States in seeding a.
it had been threatened \ trial Of secess
ion was male at Charleston, ani again a
Baltimore with some little encouragement
to their dark scheme.
The nomination OF Mr.. Yancey or Mr.
Davis or any other distinguished secec!c
would have resulted as they, themselves. be
level, in disgracciul defeat in their who'll
scheme but in selecting Mr. Breckenridg
whose opinions IN tn, proposed difference
entertained by proicssc,. Membcrs of th'
/ party was known to be Identical with thos'
entertained by M Douglas, and his recor-
although not so brilliant, was considered 10y
all we'll informed persons. as sounl on1hi:
subject as was Nj. Douglas Or any othel
member Of the party these secelers hop,
through the use of his name, not SO muel
20 elect him as to divide and disrupt The
democratic party, and to prevent its ma
tional services in defeating the Black Re
publican candidates. insuring to themselve,
under the excitement they are prepared Il
stimulate. the support of the southern
presses in carrying their unholy designs o
destroying this Union in the vain hope o
aggrandizing the South.
i In this grand Southern movement wha
will be the position of the border States o
Missouri, Kentucky. Virginia, and Mary
land And how stands the case with Ar
kansas, Tennessee and North Carolina l,
either of these States willing tina, thci
fields shsll be voluntarily rendered up a
battle fields, that two great sectional par
ties may be encouraged by own act to NEE
anu trampio uOWu tuclf odt, CoIu, "Hcd
and tobacco crops, simply to give a color
ing to the aggrandizement Of the cottor
States Is there any sane man alive tha
}. believes that such rupture would end il
the peaceful and quiet settlement OF the re
spective officers of these two or more Re
lpublies? We can judge Of the future only
/ by the past. History has furnished u
with all the important examples under thu
head. The Grecian Republic. in her de
cline, is full of wholesome instruction
Rome, with power surprising all nations uI
to the time of her dissolution, has left fo
our instruction-the effects not only upor
the country, but on the downward tenden
cy Of her civilization and ultimate demor
alization of her people. The natural con
sequence of a premeditated disruption c
this Union would precipitate our whole
people into civil war, that when consid
f! cring the pride and courtesy men born FIRE,
in the full acceptance of the term, in full
! possession of wealth, and all the most ap
proved appliances of war, the contes
between States would prove doubtful al
times but the certainty of renewal ant
/ continuance of such war would not hav.
its parallel for duration or sa,Suinary char
acter in the twenty years Revolution o
| France.
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