The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-07-13
A Candid and Truthful Article,

NONE OF Our BUsINEss.-It is none of
our business to determine who is the regular
Democratic nominee for the Presidency; but
as many of our leading Republican cotem-
poraries are devoting their columns to the
investigation of this quest ton, and seem to
consider settlement of the matter import
ant to our cause, we suppose it to be also
our duty to express an opinion. To be sure,
we can't see how procaiming the Boilers
ticket the regular national Democratic tick
ct, has anything to do with electing Mr..
Lincoln. 10 be sure, we can't see how the
various results which may be arrived at,
from the discussion of the relative merits of
the two Baltimore nominees, is to contribute
to the success of Republican principles.
But that's not for US to settle. The Mime
Sotsan leads off with daily assurances that
breckenridge is the regular Democratic can
dldate, and entitled to the support of all
| good Democrats. To be sure, it is none of
our business that Breckenridge stands upon
a SlaUe Code platform, and is pledged to
force slavery into the territories. whether
| the people want it or not 1t is none of our
business that the Minnesotian, claiming to
be an anti-slavery paper, yet feels itself
called upon to devote its time to showing
that this candidate of the extreme slavery
extensionists, is the regular candidate, and
therefore deserving the support of the party
Its soft and pleasant words of that ticket
may indeed excite our silent surprise-but
it is not for US to dictate to any man, and
we shall not do it. We wonder naturally
enough how an earnest anti>slavery man can
prefer a platform which congress has the
right under the Constitution to force slavery
in the Federal territory, and protect it there,
by the bayonet if necessary, against the vote
| Of the peOple-to another which declares
no such power exists in Congress, and cam
not be so exercised without violation of
| the Constitution. We say we may be per
mitted to wonder at this, if nothing more
| 1t is we'll known the Breckenridge plat
form is the former, and the Douglas platform
is the latter; yet we find the Minnesotian
daily lauding Breckenridge and denouncing
Douglas-calling upon all the world to put
its foot on Douglas-at the same time ma
king smooth speeches with an unusually
up, nominated, applauded and supported By
the Southern fire-eaters-the extreme, RAM
pant, disunion, pro.slavery Southern faction.
We don't know not being much of polit-
clan, but this is the proper way to save the
territories to freedom. In the more earnest
advocacy of free soil and freedom, it may be
german to the subject and quite logical,
although altogether incomprehensible to us.
1t may have much to do in aid of the elecs
tion of Lincoln and the success of Republi-
can principles-and yet we know nothing of
it. Taking side in favor of Breckenridge
and Yancey's slave code platform, as against
Douglas, which repudiates the slave code,
may be very shrewd way Of accomplishing
the restriction of slavery, but it seems to
US, with all due Difference, a very unusual
one; and our private opinion is, that it will
never do.
We don't see that our going in among
our Democratic friends to help settle their
difficulties, by any possible means can help
the Republican cause; and so we had in.
tended to abstain from taking any part in
their affairs. But the Minnesotian, and
other of our leading Republican journals,
taking different view, appear to hold it
necessary to first settle their difficulties De-
fore attending to our own. As in duty
bound, we bow to the dictum of our leaders,
and add our opinion to theirs. 1t being
like or unlike theirs, of course, is of no i'm
portance. The expression of an opinion is
what appears to be regarded, as prelimi-
nary to the full entrance upon the advocacy
of the claims of our candidate, Mr.. Lincoln.
REGULAR NoM1NArIoN.-Thus promising,
we are prepared to say that, in our opinion,
Douglas is the regularly nominated candidate
the Democratic party, and that any Demo.
crat voting for Breckenridge and Lane will
vote boiling ticket. Douglas had clear
majority of delegates at Charleston, before
Yancey seeded. The Douglas men had it
in their power to have nominated him, but
with the view to possible Cancellation of
parties, adjourned to Baltimore. Here
again the Douglas men had clear MAORI
ty before the stampede of Russell, of Vir-
GINA, occasioned by the admission into the
convention by fair majority vote, of the
Louisiana delegates. The New York dele
cation voted for their admission, upon
which the Virginia delegation, through Mr..
Russell, announced that they would no
longer sit in the Convention. They went
out. Others from the Southern States fol.
lowed. Caleb Cushing, President of the
Convention. announced the vote on the Lou
| loloud uCICSdVLOu, do 1co III AoNOi3 anu W
against. Yet, with this very large majority
against them, the slave code party are claim
ing that they ought to have been allowed to
rule the action of the convention. Not be-
ing permitted to do so, they bolted, leaving
the hall, and organizing in another room, in
another part of the city, where they put up
Breckenridge and Lane as their choice for
the Presidency, and now claim them as the
regularly nominated candidates of the Dem
ocratic party. Meanwhile the National
Democratic Convention continued its ses-
sion, where it commenced, and duly nomi
mated Stephen A.. Douglas, as the choice of
the party there represented.
To say, under such circumstances, that
the seceders candidates are the candidates
of the party, is to say that the voice of the
minority shall stife that of the majority,
and that clearly expressed preference of a
convention, duly called, to represent the
wish of party, may be repudiated and an
nulled with impuuity.
This is all we have to say. Our readers
will understand that we do not regard this
discussion as in any manner helping along
Honest Old Abe" We fail to see that it
has ANYTHING to do with it. The Minmeso-
finn insists that Breckenridge is the regular