The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-07-25
Prom, tie Washington Constitution.
Address Of the President Of the Uni
ted States to the Friends of Brock
inridge and Lane, July 9th.

ted States to the Friends OF breel
! inridge and Lane, July 9th.
q The great ratification meeting OF Monda
e evening last, the 9th, having adjourned to tn
e Executive Mansion and paid their respects
the Chief Magistrate, Mr.. Buchanan appeare
: and spoke as follows:
r FRIENDs AND Fellow CITIzESs:--l than
: you from my heart for the honor of this visit
: [ cordially congratulate you on the preference
f which you have expressed for Major Breck
inridge and Gen. Lane as candidates for tn
pres 1ency and vice presidency of the UniteC
States over all competitors. Applause. +
They are men whose names are known to thu
country; they need no eulogy from me. They
have served their country in peace and in war
They are statesmen as well as soldiers, and in
the day and hour of danger they will ever be
at their post. They are conservative men;
and in the course of their administration they
will be equally just to the North and to the
South, to the East and to the West. APP
plause. Above all, and first of all, they are
friends of the Constitution and of the Union,
tcheers, and they will stand by them to the
death. Renewed cheers. But we ought
not to forget that they are also friends to the
equality of the sovereign States of this Union
| SSAA1AANAA
[Cries of GOOD ~ They will maintain that
principle, which should receive the cordial APP
probation of US all. Equality is equity. Ey-
cry citizen of the United States is equal be-
fore the Constitution and the laws; and why
should not the equality of the sovereign States
composing this Union be held in like rever-
ence This is good democratic doctrine
Liberty and equality are the birthright Of ev-
cry American citizen; and just as certainly as
the day succeeds the night so certain will this
principle of democratic justice eventually pre-
vail over all opposition. Cheers. But, be-
fore | speak further upon this suhject-and l
shall not detain you very long-I wish to re-
move one stumbling block out Of the way.
have ever been the friend of regular nom
nations. / have never struck political tick
ct in my life. Now, was there anything done
at Baltimore to bind the political conscience of
any sound democrat, or to prevent him from
supporting Breckenridge and Lane "No
Mop was contemporary with the ADAM
donment of the old congressional convention
or caucus. This occurred long time ago.
very few, if any, of you rememberit Under
the old congressional convention system, no
person was admitted to a seat except the de-
mocratlc members of the Senate and House
of Representatives. This rule rendered it alb
solutely certain that the nominee, whoever he
might be, would be sustained at the election
by the democratic States of the Union. By
this means it was rendered impossible that
those States which could not give an electoral
vote for the candidate when nominated should
control the nomination and dictate to the
democratic States who should be their NOM
inee.
This system was abandoned-whetherw wise
ly or not | shall express no opinion The
National Convention was substituted in its
stead. All the States, whether democratic or
not, were equally to send delegates to this
Convention according to the number of their
senators and representatives in Congress.
difficulty at once arose which never could |
have arisen under the congressional conven-
vention system. If bare majority Of the |
National Convention thus composed could |
nominate candidate, he might be nominated |
mainly by the ani-democratic States against |
the will of large majority of the democratic |
States. Thus the nominating power would |
be separated from the electing power, which
could not fail to be destructive to the strength |
and harmony of the democratic party.
To obviate this serious difficulty in the Or
ganization of a National Convention and at
the same time to leave all the States their full
vote, the two-thirds rule was adopted 1t
was believed that under this rule no candidate
could ever be nominated without embracing
within the two-thirds the votes of decided
majority of the democratic States. This was
the substitute adopted to retain, at least in
great degree, the power to the democratic
States which they would have lost by aban-
doning the congressional convention system
This rule was main pillar in the edifice of
whole must become ruin This sustaining
pillar was broken to pieces at Baltimore by
the Convention which nominated Mr.. Doug
las. After this the body was no longer a ma
tional convention; and no democrat, however
devoted to regular nominations. was bound to
give the nominee his support; he was left free
to act according to the dictates of his own
Judgment and conscience. And here, in pass
ing, | may observe that the wisdom of the
two-thirds rule is justified by the events pass
ing around Had it been faithfully OBJ
served no candidate could have been nominal
ted against the Will and wishes of almost ev-
cry certain democratic State in the Union,
against nearly all the democratic senator's and
more than three-fourths of the democratic
Representatives. Congress- Cheers -
purposely avoid entering upon any discus
sion respecting the exclusion from the Con-
vention of regularly elected delegates from
different democratic States. II the Convcn-
ton which nominated Mr. Douglas was not
regular democratic Convention, it must be
that Breckenridge is in the same
condition in that respect. The Convention
that nominated him, although it was composed
Of nearly all the certain democratic States, did
not contain the two-thirds; and therefore ev-
cry democrat is at perfect liberty to vote as
he thinks proper, without running counter to
any regular nomination Of the party. IAp-
plause and cries Of ''three cheers for Breckin-
ridge and Lane."l Holding this position, |
shall present some of the reasons why pre-
fer Mr. Breckenridge to Mr.. Douglas This |
shall do without attempting to interfere with
any individual democrat or any State demo-
cratic organization holding different opinions
from myself The main object of all good
democrats, whether belonging to the one or
the other wing Of our unfortunate division is
to defeat the election of the republican candi-
dates; and | shall never oppose any honest
and honorable course calculated to accomplish
this object.
To return to the point from which / have
am in favor of Mr.. Breckenridge
because he sanctions and sustains the perfect
equality of all the States within their common
territories, and the opinion of the Supreme
Court of the United States establishing this
equality. The sovereign States of this Union
are one vast partnership. The Territories
were acquired by the common blood and COM
mon treasure of them all. Each State, and
each citizen of each State, has the same right
in the Territories as any other State and the |
citizens of anyother State possess. Now /
what is sought for at present is, that por-
ton of these States should turn around to
their sister States and say, ave are holier
than you arc, and while we will take our
property to the Territories and have it pro-
tected there, you shall not place your proper
ty in the same position" That is precisely
what is contended for. What the democrat
ic party maintain and what is the true prin-
ciple of democracy is, that all shall be subject
to the same duties. Property--this Govern
ment was framed for the protection of life lib
erty, and property. They are the objects for
the protection of which all enlightened gov
ernments were established. But it is sought
now to place the property of the citizen, un-
der what is called the principle of squatter
sovereignty, in the power of the territorial
legislature to confscate it at their will and |
pleasure. That is the principle sought to be |
established at present and there seems to
be an entire mistake and misunderstanding
among portion OF the public upon this SUBJ I
ject. When was property ever submitted to
the will of the majority? ["Never."1 If
you hold property as an individual you hold |
it independent of Congress or of the State |
legislature, or of the territorial Legislature
it is yours; and your Consultation was made |
to protect your private property against the
assaults of Legislative power. [Cheers. l. |
Well, now, any set of principles which will |
deprive you of your property is against the
very essence of republican government and |
to that extent makes you slave; for the man
who has power over your property to ccnfis- |
cate it has power over your means of subsis- |
tence; and yet it is commended that although |
the Constitution Of the United States confers |
no such power-although no State legislature |
has any such power, yet territorial iegsia-
ture, in the remote extremities of the coun- |
try can confscate your property
A Voice. "They can't do it they amt
going to do it."