Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-03-21
WM. c. DIXON, Sec'y.
Prairie County Democratic Mass Con-
 vention,
BROWNSVILLE, March 12, 1860.

VentI0n.
 BROWNSVILLE, March 12, 1860
 According to previous notice, the demo- cracy assembled at the courthouse in Brownsville, when,
 On motion of Hon. R. s. Can't, Dr. J. $ Pearson was called to the chair, and J. C. Morrill, appointed secretary.
 The chairman stated that the convention had assembled for the purpose of appoint ing delegates to the democratic state con. yention, to be held at Little Rock on the 2d of April, to nominate candidate for governor, and appoint delegates to the democratic national convention, to be held at Charleston, on the 23d of April. That it would be the duty of this mass conven- tion to appoint delegates to the district convention which assemblies at Arkadel- phia, on the 14th May, to nominate can ddate for Congress from this district; also, to define the time for holding democratic county convention, to select suitable can didate for the legislature from Prairie county, and, if deemed necessary, for the various county offices.
 On motion of Col. A. A. Pittman, a committee of five was appointed by the chair to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of this meeting, as follows: Messrs. J. l.. Gatewood, D. W. Davis, H. Key holds, A. A. Pittman, and R. $. Can't.
 The committee, after retiring, reported the following, which was adopted:
 The committee, to whom has been referred the objects of this meeting, and upon whom has de volved the duty of preparing such expression views may seem right and proper, beg leave t. report the following resolutions, expressive the views of the democracy of Prairie county:
 l. Resotred, That we do most cordially indOrse the well known principles and policy of our party and regarding that ancient and well known usage, the convention system, as the only means ot con centrating party strength, do appoint the 4th Monday in April, as suitable time, and Browns vile, suitable place, for the democracy Prairie county to meet in convention for the pur- pose of nominating candidate for representative, and, if necessary, for the various county offices and that we request the various townships to hold primary meetings, and to send up delegates to said convention.
 9 That we approve the proposition to hold convention of the democracy of the State at Lit tie Rock, on the 2d day of April next, and that this convention appoint twenty delegates from this county for the purpose of representing in said convention.
 B. That in view of his long tried and patriotic devotion to the best interests of his party and country, and his eminent fitness and capacity for the position, instruct said delegates to cast the vote of Prairie county, in said convention, for our distinguished fellow citizen, Hon. E. c. Totten, for governor and further urge them to use every honorable means to secure his nomination.
 f. That ten delegates be appointed to represent us in the congressional convention, to be held at Philadelphia on the 2d Monday in May, and that they be instructed to cast the vote of Prairie for Hon. E. w. Can't.
 5. That the democratic party is based upon principle, and organized, not for the purpose of appropratng to its members the spells of office, but for the purpose of perpetuatlng sreat prnci- pies, and that any effort, under the spacious guzc of POLICY, to pure the ancient landmarks Of the party, to lower the standard of party triumph, is thoroughly demoralizing i'll it's effects upon our organization, and should be visited with the eeverest condemnation of every true democrat. '- G. That the efficiency of the democratic party, and it's capacity to do good, depends not upon its numerical strength, but upon its gid adherence to principle, and that we require of our delegates to the Charleston convention, even at the risk 0 suffering defeat, to secure for us platform tha recognizes the equal rights of all the States, anl the citizens thereof; platform that, without any ambiguity, equIvocati0n or evasion, shall declare that neither Congress, senatorial legislature, whether by direct legislation, or legislation of an indirect or unfriendly character, possesses tn, power to annu or impair the constitutional rgh of any citizen of the United States to take hi slave property into the common territory; and tha if experience should at any time demonstrate tn inability of the judiciary to afford the requsit protection, it will then become the duty of Con gress to supply the deficiency.
 !. That it is better to be defeated in an opel issue, than to triumph at a sacrifice of principles; and that, if we cannot succeed on such plain and constitutional principles, it is better that we should be defeated.
 s. That entertaining the views we have just avowed in regard to the power of the territoria legislature, and regarding rigid adherence t. them vitally essential to the protection of tn rights of the south, we cannot refrain from ex paessng our disapprobation of certain doctrines announced by our immediate representative, Hon Albert Rust, in recent speech in the U. 5. Hous of Representative
 9. That we mention, as doctrines particularl obnoxious to us, and worthy the unanimous cen sure of his constituents, the assumption bv Col Rust, that "the people of a territory. througl therrepresentativcs, in legislature assembled have the power to abolish slavery; his further as sumption that it is impotic to extend slavery nort of 36-3O his pledge to vote against the admssio, into the Union of any of the at present organize territories of the United States, with pro slayer constitutions, and his avowal of opposition to th Lecompton policy of Mir. Buchanan's administra tion.
 TO- That Mir. Buchanan's course in regard Kansas. as does the general policy of his admin straton meets our most cordial appreciation, an that if Col. Rust had avowed the sentiments now entertains in the canvass which resulted his election, we would have been compelled r,t, fo Oursalyas tO withhold frn,,,h hin, ou votes.
 II. Thst in view of the alarming increase an arrogant demands of the black republican part, We feel called upon to declare that the election president, by that party, upon an irrepressbl conflict platform, and pledged to use the machiner of the federal government for the destruction O. slavery, would be indicative of a fixed determina ton by the people of the north, to continue a agitation which can only end in the overthrow our social system That whenever sectona party seizes upon the government, for the purpos of administering it in a spirit of hostility to tn other section it will have about it all the quatie of despotism and usurpation. perpetrated, thougl 1t be, under the empty pageantry ols the forms law. The spirit of the Constitution will hay been slain, anu the forms only will hang around dead body; that it will involve violation of tn Constitution, fragrant and palpable, as to iustif the south in s resisting, even to a disruption every tie that binds us to the Union."
 In conformity with the foregoing reso lutions, the chairman appointed the follow. ing delegations:
 STATE CoNvENToN.-Sim. Horne, A. F. Mccain, J. E. Gatewood, w. T. Jones, r. B. Kent, J. c. Bogard, Geo. McIver, R. s.. Can't, John c. Davie, H. Reynolds, w. L. Moore, W. P. Preston, D. Walker Davis,. Dr. c. w. Womaek, R. E. Rives, ,,,ac AI plaI I pa1ss.I Iss