The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-07-18


of the resolutions adopted by the Convcn
. tion as the political platform on which tho
party stands. | have the honor to be, very
respectfully,
C. CUSHING, president.
WAsnINGroN CRY, July 6, 1860.
DEAR SIR: have your letter of the 23d
ultimo, by which am officially informed OF
my nomination for the office Of President OF
the United States by the Democratic Nation
al Convention lately assembled at Baltimore.
The circumstances of this nomination will
Justify me in referring to its personal aspect.
have not sought nor desired TO be placed
before the country for the Office of President.
When my name was presented to the Con-
vention at Charleston, it was withdrawn by
friend in obedience to my expressed wishes.
My views had not changed when the Con-
ventioD rc-asscmbled at Baltimore, and when
heard of the differences, which occurred
there, my indispositon to be connected
prominently with the canvass was confirmed
and expressed to many friends.
Without discussing the occurrences which
preceded the nominations, and which are or
soon will be understood by the country
have only to say that approved, as just and
necessary to the preservation of the National
organization, and the sacred right of repre-
scntation, the action of the Convention over
which you continued to preside; and thus
approving it, and having resolved TO sustain
! it, feel that it does not become me to select
the position shall occupy, nor to shrink
from the responsibilities of the post to which
| have been assigned. Accordingly accept
the nomination from sense of public duty,
and, as think, uninflucuccd in any way by
the allurcmcnts Of ambition.
! avail myself of this occasion to say, that
the confidence in my personal and public
character implied by the action of the Con-
vcntion, will always be gratefully remember
ed; and it is but just, also, to my own feel
ings to express my qualification at the asso-
citation Of my name with that Of my friend,
Gen. Lane, n patriot and a soldier, whose
great services in the field and in council en-
title him to the gratitude and confidence of
his countrymcn.
The resolutions adopted by the Convention
have my cor'lial approval. They are just to
all parts of our Union, to all our citizens, ma
tive and naturalizcI, and they form noble
policy for any administration.
The question touching the rights of per-
sons aud property, which have of late been
much discussed, find in these constitutions
al solution. Our Union is Confcderacy of
equal sovereign States, for the purposes emu
mcratcd in the Federal Constitution. What
ever the common Government holds in trust
for all the States must hc enjoyed equally /
10y each. il controls the Territories in trust
for all the States. Nothing less than sovcr- .
eighty can destroy or impair the rights of .
persons or property The Territorial Gov
ernments are subordinate and temporary, and
not sovereign; hence they cannot destroy or
impair the rights of persons or property
While they continue to be Territories they
are under the control of Congress but the
Constitution nowhere confcrs on any branch
Of the Federal Government the power TO dis
criminatc against the rights of the States or
the property of the States or the property of
their citizens in the Territories 1t follows
that the citizens OF all the States, may enter
the Territories Of the Union with their prop
erty, Of whatever kind, and enjoy it during
the Territorial condition without let or him
dranee, either by Congress or by subordi-
nate Territorial Governments
These principles flow directly from the alb
scnce of sovereignty in the Territorial Gov
erments, and from the equality of the States.
Indeed, they are essential to that equality.
which is, and ever has been. the vital princi-
pie Of our Constitutional Union. They have
been settled lcgislatively-settled iudiciallv,
and are sustained by right reason. They rest
on the rock Of the Constituiisn-they will
preserve the Union.
1t is idle to attempt to smother these great
issues, or to mi>reprcsent them by the use
of partizan phrases, which are misleading the
delusive. The people will look beneath such
as q Intervention Congress ,
ional Slave Code and the like, and viii pen ,
citrate TO the real question involved. The !
friends Of Constitutional equality do not and
never did demand Congressional Slave 7
Code" nor any other code in regard to prop !
Prty in the Territories. They hold the doc
trines Of non-intervention by Congress or bv ,
= Territorial Legislature, either to establish '
or prohibit slavery; but they assert Fortified (
BY the highest Judicial tribunal in the Union,) '
Inc plain duty Of the Federal Government, in c
Ill its departments, to secure, when necessa- Z
Y, to the citizens of all the States, the enjoy
nent Of their property in the common Terri
Ories, as everywhere else within its iurisdic-
ion. The only logical answer to this would ?
'eem to be to claim Sovereign power for the 9
Territories, or to deny that the Constitution I