Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-09-22
ISpeech of John .. Breckinridge.
 The Charge of his being Disunionist- the Position of dr. Douglas.
LEXINGTON Ky, sept. 3, IS

The Charge of his being D1sunlon1st-
 the Position of Mr. Douglas.
 LExrNeToN Ky, Sept. 5, 1860. n . Evervthfrg was propitious for the gath -as-. At an early hour to-day tho
 e6hr all directions were crowded with x h. At II o'clock salute of 33 guns .saced the arrival of Mr Breckinridge
 vashailed with enthusiastic demonstra.
 sns. At 11s20 o'clock he arose and said:
 beg you, my neighbors, friends, and
 kld Constituents, to be assured that l feel
 krofoundly grateful for the cordial welcome
 Ion have extended to me. The circum-
 ttancssas slnder which 1 appear before you ! krss L S.ad unusual. Ido it in obedience Ie ..s,,. quest of friends, whose advice l
 sve been accustomed to observe; and fit
 an uncommon thing for person in my
 osition Co address assemblies of people,
 an only say hope to discuss topics m
 Hammer not altogether unworthy che atti-
 nae which l occupy. shall certainly in-
 Iulge m DO language. which. in my opin
 Ion. will fall below the dignity of political
 Iiscussion. The condition of my health
 tnd my position make t impossible to ex-
 tend mg voice over this vast assemblage;
 but trust l will become stronger as l pro-
 beed. have been asked, fellow-citizens,
 to speak at my own home. because l and
 bhe political organization with which l am
 tonReeted, have been assaile1 in an unusual
 band charged with treason to my
 Yk l appear before you to-day for
 Apose of rspelling certain accusations Ml... haan la ~ td industriously circulated through .-F ates of the Union; and next, to show .<ps~sss principles upon whici. l stand, are the principles of both the Constitution and Union of our country, great applause,
 tnd surely if at any time the justification lcould be found by any man for addressing Ithe people in the position which 1 occupy, bt will be found in my case. Anonymous Ngriters and wandering orators have chosen ! o tell the people that l, individually, am A disunionist and a traitor to my country pnd they declare with assurance that have Exhibited treason, that makes by com 3arison with it Burr patriot and the me- Emory of Arnold respectable; but, fellow 4itizens, before l come to these topics de- sire to make and prove 8 comprehensive
 tatement in regard to my position in con Rlcction to the Pre- -idency of the United
 Estates. l have been charged with ntrigu- Eng for the nomination.; have been charg- f,d with leaping before the wishes of the kpeople. and desiring to thrust myself be- kfore them for the highest office in their gilt Fro that answer it is wholly untrue.
 have written 10 nobody soliciting support; have conversed with nobody soliciting Hssuport;I have intrigued with nobody; sk'Fe promised nobody. To these state Hnents l challenge contradiction from any
 human being. Cheers
 A voice-Ihat's so, John c.
 A A voice--Open your mouth wider
 h Mr. B.-l did not seek or desire 10 be placed before the people for the office of President by any convention. When l returned to the State of Kentucky in the | f spring of 1859, and was informed that | some partial friends were presenting my name to the public in that connection, and a certain editor whose presence l see here, < had hoisted my name for the presidency, 1 H sail to him: friend, am not in any sense a E candidate for the presidency, and desire S that my name may be taken down from q the head of your. .columns. It was done. # A very eminent citizen of the common 4 wealth of Kentucky was presented for that # office was gratifel to see it; and as far # ag my own declarations were concerned, 1 united cordially in presenting him for the ~ suffrages of the American people No time Il in or out of the commonwealth of Ken. Htucky, did l do an act or utter word which swould bring my name in conflict with his 4 or any other American citizen who desired or whose friends desired for him that po- sition; and if you will take the trouble to read the proceedings of the Charleston con s vention.yqu will remember when l receiv- | & ed the vote of Arkansas, one of my friends i q arose and withdrew my name, declaring | ! would not allow it to come in conflict with | the gentleman before the convention. When that convention assembled at Bal | timore, my feelings and myeyconduct were still unchanged. Afterthe disruption which took place there, my name was used with out any solicitation upon my part. Not deeming the presentation of my name pos I sible, said l did not desire to be present. cd to the American people. 1 was content ~ with the honors which had been heaped | I upon me by my State and my country, and | l looked forward with pleasure to the pros- peet 1 had of serving my country in the l Senate of the United States for the next | six years. My name however, was pre- sented; and l felt l could not refuse to ac- cept the nomination under the circumstan- ces without abandoning vital principles and betraying my friends. It is said l was not | regularly nominated, and that an eminent citizen of Illinois was regularly nominated | f,z,. tba b,,f hot I have not time to discuss to-day, and it has | already been thoroughly exhibited and dis cussed upon before the people. l refer you s 10 The bold letter of your delegates from | :. this congressional district. 1 refr. you to | T the masterlS and exhaustive speech recently | 8delivered by my honorable friend in whose Sgrounds we are now met. Ican only say stlat the convention which assembled at the | AVioni street Theatre at Baltimore, in my | Judgment, was devoid, not only of the | spirit of justice but of the forms of regu- ldrifv. Cheers. The gentleman whom | it presented never received the vote requir- ell by the rules ol the democratic organiza- ton. Whole States were exclude and dis
 iranchised in that convention, not to speak of individuals. The most fragrant acts of | s1niustice were perpetrated for the purpose | sof forcing particular dogma upon the de- anocratic organization, and the gentleman swho is the representative of that dogma is ' tha representative also of principles which I will be able to show repugnant alike to reason and the constitution A decided | majority of the delegates from your own State withdrew from the convention, declar- ing that 1t was not national convention the real democratic organization. The z f>e delegation from the fifteen southern
 .ates and of California and Oregon, with large minorities from other States, making in whole or in part delegations from almost stwo-thirds of the States of the confederacy, Represented a national democratic con- Mention, depending upon the authority and Royalty of the democratic party But, after Nall, the great question is, what are the prin- ciples which ought to commend themselves