Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-03-14

cred by my brethren. Ifmaterial errors can
be detected in my calculations and state
ments, shall be most prompt to abandon
them.
lst. assume that the Republican party
can only be beaten by combination u the
other parties.
That to rely on the Democratic party alone
to effect its defeat is the merest folly in the
world, the very madness Of the moon. 50
that the practical question before u i, what
sort of a combination is most likely to be
successful.
As wise men we should meet this issue
promptly, and decide it in time; and not like
Congress, at its present session, waste half
the winter in adopting rational policy, and
finally coming to it just day too late
am not weak enough d waste breath
upon the foolish question whether the mum
bers of the Democratic party, assumed to be
more numerous-but falsely assumed to be
so-entitle it to insist upon union and CO.
operation Of all the elements Of opposition to
Republicanism, based upon principles Of
Irish reciprocity: that is, all on one side,
namely, that the whole power Of the public
administration be placed in their hands.
don't care who has the administration
for the particular occasion-whether ne be
a Wing native American or Democrat
so that he is a sound Union man, and at
the same time sound ana reliable advocate
Of all the constitutional rights OF the South
cru States, and Of all the States.
The practical question i ! single one, and
a sufficient one to engage all the attention
and anxiety Of every man in every section 81
the Union, who is patriotic enough and hon
est enough 10 prefer the salvation 81 the pub
lie to the triumph Of party.
The question isis there to be found in
the United States any one man answering
the description, and who can be supposed
by any fair reasoning, to have the capacity
| to he elected.
Ny first proposition Is, that there j. no
member Of the Democratic party in America,
whether he come from the North, or South,
East or West, that has the remotest chance
Of being elected, nor whose chances can be
bettered one title by conceding to him the
unanimous vote Of the fifteen slave States.-
| concede them all to him, for he will com,
mand them, and that unanimously, against
Republican, and il he did not, il would
| make no difference il the result.
| come now, Mr.. President and gentle
men, to far the most important part Of the
/ contribution which you require me - make
to your deliberations-the only part which
1 have considered well and d which ask
your earnest attention. III time permitted,
\ | would endeayur u multiply the dcmonstra-
\ tons Of my proposition: that the idea 81
| eecting any Democrat il simple nonsense
| But | will not De induced 10 take more than
a reasonable time-trying to speak, Is near
a. possible, under 'the hour rule.
shall dispose in few words, ot the til,
teen slave States
The contest for the coming Presidential
election 30 far a. it is a question existing
among and within themselves, is, practically,
q very unimportGnt one. We are all agreed
that the question Of slavery j. the question 81
this one coming contest, ir Of no more. We
\ have common feeling and common inter.
est in respect to il, and you might start
twenty different tickets III opposition to the
Republican party, and 0nc tor that p0j2y
and the latter would not make i respectable
/ fight, with the lowest Of the twenty tickets
il any district IN any State South If Mason
and Dixons line-unless, possibly, IN tile
vi
/ the probable result Of the votes Of the States
I in question, will refer to il merely to show
| thar our Democratic friends, in claiming, a.
they habitually claim that they have, or that
they usually have had, an irresistible and
complete control Of the slave States are
most grossly mistaken; for believe that
many Of them really think il il 50, especial
| ly that large portion of them not particularly
we'll informed
I! have examined With much care, and
| have now before ne the exact returns III
the last five Presidential elections. fhc last
Of those Mr.. buchanan's) is well known ~
every man who knows anything, not to have
| been 4 contest between the Wings aud Dem
Gratis. Mr.. Fillmore was not recognized rs =
| Wing candidate IN any Southern STATE, and
there is not one If those who now say he
was, that did not then swear he IRIS not.
Take, for example, the vote Of irgnia in
1855. Governor Wise carried the State By
about ten thousand 100000 IN 1889 Gov
ernor Letcher BY about halt that number, Or
little more. Mr. Buchanan, il 1886, took il
hy thirty thousand 100000; and 40 man in
Virginia will pretend to believe suppose,
that either Mr. Wise OF Mr. Lotcher il less,
or was less able, to unite his party IN Fir-
GINA, than Mr. Buchanan Mr.. Wise re-
ceiyed, as was admitted by all parties, a
large number of old line Wing yotes-given
in opposition to the Native American party
and Mr.. Letcher received, in the strongest
voting section Of the State, almost section
al vote,
50 that there can be really ~ doubt what
ever that the Democrats, il they have las
against the old line Wings any majority at
all in Virginia, have it merely by the skin
Of their teeth 50 with all the Southern
States. But, going step back to consult the
authentic indications, We cOmeto 1852, when
Mr.. Pierce, Democratic candidate, carried
the fifteen Southern States by IN aggregate
majority Of 8,i33-the whole vote being
SO7, 797. One step further back, t. 1878;
when Gen. Taylor carried eight OF the fifteen
States with an aggregate popular majority
OFFS 500, on vote OF $40 100, and BY an
electoral vote il much larger disProPortion,
carrying, in fact, all the large States except
Virginia Another step back, ami you come
to the election Of 1871, when Polk beat Clay
III tie kttsen St&tes tTenty-iour thousand
and twenty nine a, 02J, On an entir6 vote
of795, 375; and, ia 1910, Gen Harrison,
Northern Wing candidate, carried the same
fifteen States BY majority Of -, i50 votes,
o. total vote Of six hundred and ninety
three thousand fsur h.,ndced and twenty-four
1898, 424 FLORIDA, Texas and South Caro-.
lima silent
Ga,,ar.i IL rr;..4., ra.at,.cJ ,ka cin,t,r.l