East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-06-07
What Will tise Convention dO at
baltimore!

readers. The Democratic party has ev-
erything to gain by conciiatory action in
the Baltimore Convention, and if wise
counsels prevail there, and principles,
not men, is the governing political AK
ION, a candidate will be put in nomina-
ton who will "waik the tra,k" in Mo-
vember next, Notwithstanding the tor
rent of disgusting "clap trap" which the
black republican sheets disgorge in sup
port of their 'rail splitter" nominee
The opposition papers are profuse in
their announcements that the Demo
cratic Party of the Nation has made q
shipwreck, and that the National Con-
vention, on re-assemblng at Baltimore;
will be unable TO progress one step be-
You'd where it stood on its adjournment
at Charleston. We trust and believe
that the result will show that these Re
publican seers are mistaken, and that it
may be replied to them, as it was to an
other,
We see no reason why the efforts OF
the Democratic party should be consid-
cred as having approached crisis, and
as presenting in any Of the issues before
/ it, the alternative of the dissolution of
the only political organization which
binds the Union together Two points
of difficulty presented themselves at
/ Chareston--onc relating to the Platform
and the other to tho Candidate. AS we
view the subject, neither involved issues
which are vital to the National Demo
cratic party, or which, on any fair prin
ciples of action, ought to endanger its
existence, OF even its success in single
campaign. Let us refer to both these
points more particularly.
l. THE Phtform-It is not pretended
in any quarter, so far as we know, and
we presume it will not be alleged, that
the Convention, in its Platform, so far a.
relates to the subject of Slavery, asserted
any political heresy. 1t simply re-at-
frmed the Cincinnati Platform. No
Democrat, North or Sonth, repudiatcs
that. They all stood on it in 1896, and
!
1t is true there is a difference of opinion
in relation to the Interpretation of por-
ton of it. But the recent Convention
did not attempt to give it an interpreta-
ton. 1t left all democrats free to eNer
else their own opinions and their own
liberty in that respect. 1t simply de-
cined to give it the Interpretation which
portion of the delegates urged, and
that refusal does not even imply that the
Convention thought that Interpretation
wrong. All that can be legitimately
drawn from it is that the Convention
did not deem it wise to enter upon the
work of settling disputed interpreta'
ton.
The Convention does not therefore
stand obnoxious to the charge of having
adopted unsound doctrine, or Of having
set up an unsouud platform. Those who
complain of Its action cannot truly charge
it with political heresy-even if it be
conceded that their Interpretation of The
Cincinnati Platform is the true one, anC
, that their resolutions urged at Charles
l. ton were sound. They can only-whil'
; admitting that the Convention was or
thodox in its creed as far as it went
. complain in that for prudential reasons /
y declined to 90 farther and to adopt the al
e ditional resolutions which they urged
This refusal, it seems to us, constitute
no legitimate ground for repudiating tn
action of the Convention, or secedin!
from it, And we cannot believe tina
II Southern men will, on reflection, so re
: gard it.
. 2. Tie Candidate. The idea that
mere contest about a candidate can b
inflated into such dimensions as to over
c throw great National party is repug
/ naut to every principle which has char
:. acterized the Democracy of the Union
"Principles, not men, has been a pc
;, litical axiom which Democrats have a
&c ways recognized, and it is not to be cree
q tied that this rule is TO be reversed an
that the man is now to be the great poin
on which the fortunes of the party are t
turn. We fully concede the importonc
of always selecting suitable candidate
! for oflice-nay more, we recognize tn
= sagacity and wisdom that should prom
party to avail itself of the man adapte
!" to the hour and the emergency, an
u most likely to win popular favor an
y achieve success. But we think that III
=, Importance of particular individual
)" any department of the world is frequen
ic " over estimated. No cause, or bushes
y depends on single name. The mo-
A. A. important and apparently indispensab
III individual upon whose life vast interes
. seem to hang, suddenly sinks and Il
. waves close over him with but just a ri
Y pie, and the world moves on little di
turbed by his loss. So insignificant
!, man in his individual capacity
4. We are not, therefore, prepared
20 concede that the fate of the Democrat
h. party is involved in the selection Of
Al Presidential candidate. We apprecia
Il. the ardor and admire tho devotion Of q
nj respective friends Of distinguished state
be men. We can understand why Illino
no and the northwest stand by gallaI
q. leader-why Virginia is true to a trit
90 and accomplished statesman--why Ike
Of lucky, Tennessee, New York, Oregc
nd and other States are devoted to favori
10 sons, whom they would delight to hone
Ia. But the salvation of the National Dem
- ,vo.;o Dortx, or Of tho TTuion 1oos N