Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-03-02

[Corrsspondence Of the Muscatins Josrnal,]
Democratic State Conventien.
DEsxo1nss, Feb. %, 1860.
The representative men Of Iowa Democracy
assembled at Sherman Hall, yesterday, at IL
o'clock in the forenoon, to choose, according
to the terms Of Nahonsy's advertisement,
delegates to the Charleston Convention. As
matter of course, "Old Timber" was on
hands, with bat in his hat, at least. The
profound Judge Mcfarland saw him, and
went brick or two better. Col. Bill Thomp.
son was never more eloquent or more sober,
whilst "Our Glorious Ben" never shook his
"ambrosial locks" SO gracefully, or wore his
blushing honors more modestly. Col. Sharp
was here, too, representing "ths barren and
sterile hills" of Mills county, and cooking his
game eye as adroitly as ever. In short, except
the redoubtable Caesar and the far-famsd
Lysander, every oft-dsfsatsd Locofoco in the
State was here, yesterday, either as a delegate
or an expectant. But I must proceed to
business.
The Convention was called to order by tho
choice of Senator A. o. Patterson, of Ausca-
tine, as temporary Chairman, and j. B. Dorr,
of the Dubuque Herald, as Secretary pro tom.
Amid considerable ''noise and confusion" the
usual committees on credentials and perma-
nent organization were appointed.
The attendance was quite large. I think
there must have been three hundred delegates
present. There were but twenty counties in
the State which were not represented at all
four more, if I remember correctly, than were
without representation at the late Republican
State Convention.
The report of the committee on credentials
was read by one Jas. A. Sesvers-the same
individual, l believe, who, in 1868, was a
candidate before the Republican Convention
of the Sixth Judicial District for nomination
to the office of District Attorney, and whose
merits were charitably appreciated, do not
doubt, in his getting two or three scattering
votes. Shortly afterwards, he left his party
for his party's good, but did not know before
that it was Democratic policy to reward
traitors so sooD after their treachery. As will
be seen, this young man received the honor
Of being an alternate delegate to the Conven-
ton Of the National Democracy which is to
be held in the State of Notification!
The delegates, with their alternatss, are
these:
DELEGATES. ALTERNATls.
! A. O. Dodge, VIM. Thompson,
D. O. Finch, Jas. A. Sewers,
Ben. NJ. Samuels, j. B. Dorr,
N. B. Baker w. H. Merritt.
FIRST DISTRICT.
T. W. Clagget, j. A. Goodrich,
W. H. NJ. Pusey. Cyrus Bussey.
SECOND DISTRICT.
J. W. Bosler, @. G. Shelter,
E. H. Thaysr, Sam. Douglass.
Between the appointment of the delegates
and the alternates, the committee on resolu-
tons reported platform, which l enclose.
1t may be briefly summed up as follows:
| l. The American spread-eagle is lovely
fowl.
2. We unanimously send John Brown to
| the Devil.
3. Do, d., do, with the Black Republicans.
4. Stephen A. Douglas is trump.
5. Stephen A. Douglas is right bower.
g. Stephen A. Douglas holds lone hand.
7. We don't care continental what the
Charleston Convention does-we Ego
in lemons"
Such is brief but not unfair epitome of
the Democratic Platform adopted yesterday
| by an unanimous vote. Not word is said,
pro or con, about poor could Misther Buchan-
egan''-not = word about the Supreme Court,
even, which the Democracy of Iowa were
once in such hot haste to endorse, and then
to repudiate. 1t is platform consisting, in
its essential parts, of slavish alteration Of the
"Little Giant" and slavish submission to
whatever may be demanded at Charleston.
1t is platform which a statesman would
scorn-which no man can endorse without
having first sacrificed his independence and
his manhood on the altar of party. In the
opinion of the Iowa Democracy, the Charles
ton Convention can do no wrong
The committee not having said word about
Homestead Law in their platform, some
gentleman introduced a resolution in favor
thereof, which was carried. So Mr.. Redding-
ton, very timber delegate from Lee county,
introduced a resolution about foreign. born
citizens being entitled to the same protection
as native born citizens. Perhaps it was
designed, but the resolution was expressed in
overwhelmingly bad English. The same gen
tleman also introduced resolution endorsing
Douglas proposed Sedition Law. suppose,
if Judge Douglas were to take castor oil, these
gentlemen would consider it their duty, under
the Constitution and the Union, to purge.
The Convention adjourned, sine die, about
ten o'clock at night, the most of the delegates,
so far as l notice, being very nearly, if not
altogether, sober. The fact is, the weather
had been such as to keep folk within doors.
MARION.
~ Our Democratic contemporary at DAY.
export, laboring under the delusion that
Buchanan still lives, is indignant that the late
Convention at Desmoines passed over his
administration in silence-"a condemnation
far bitterer," he says, 1--WE copy his decidedly
original syntax, also,) ethan any that the
Republicans or John W. Forney and his
myrmidons have ever passed upon President