, 1860-06-27
BALTIMORE CONVENTION.
Report OF the Minority of the Commit
lee on Credentials.

who desire to justify the action Of their leaders
in kicking against the non: admission Of the
delegations spoken Of below:
10 fh< P +sident Of Ae Demoeatsc National Con-
cention:
Re,erving to the closing portion Of this re-
port the cases Of contested seats in the Massa-
chu.etis and Missouri delegations, we come at
once to th9cas Of the delegates who withdrew
from the Charleston Convention. This Con-
vention, on the ere Of its adjournment nj
Charleston, aud in tue great cause OF the re-
storation Of harmony to our. distracted party,
"respectfuly recommended to The Democratic
party Of the several States to make provision
for supplying ali vacancies in their respective
delegations 10 this Convention when it shall re-
assemble" We call particular attention to the
wording of the resolution. Certain delegates
had withdrawn. They had placed on the Con-
venticn the reasons other withdrawal.
They still, however, were the representatives
Of the Democratic party Of their several States
Their Withdrawal was not resignation. 1t
was not 60 considered BY the Convention. The
vacancies referred to had r. ference to the con
,iugency Of vacancies at the tsme Of rt-dsse1a-
btiag, and the resolutions proposed 10 provide
for supplyiug then. The Convention did not
presume 10 touch the one tion as to whether
The Withdrawal Of the delegates constituted
Resignation, nor had it auY right to Interfere in
The matter. i resignation must be tnane to the
appointing powtr, aud to be complete and fnal
must be accepted by the appointing power. 1t
was well known on the adjournment Of the Con-
yeution at Charleston that the withdrawing
delegates desired the instruction Of their aev-
sro1 constituencies before deciding on their fu-
ure course.
oach was the spirit and purpose Of their
deliberations ut C5asfenton. They consulted
their respective constituencies. In every
l. # IT,
constituencies directed or au uhor,zed tbem-the
vacancies beng h1Isd as contemplated in the
resolution of the Conventiop-to repair to BAL
.iuore, aud there, iu earnest Efforts vii their
brethren Of the Convention, to endeavor once
more to unite their party and promote harmony
aud peace in the great cause Of their country.
The resolution Of the Convention did not pre-
judge The question, since so rennousay Faieed,
thai their withdrawal was resi4naiion. but
left the whole question to the sni1 de!egotes ard
their respective co"stituebciea, to the end that
every State Of this Union might be represented
In Baltimore.
The committee has passed reso!utiors dec1ar-
ing oy a vote Of 16 to > hat the delegation from
Louisiana heaoed by Pierre Soute, By vote Of
l4to II that the delegation from Alabama
headed by Parsonp, and By Tote Of Is to 10
,hst half each delee a'ion claiming seatn from
Georgla are entitled to teats iu the Cohventlon.
he Resolutions recommended By the under.
signed to the Convention declare the right Of
the delegations elected TO Chnr1est0r,- with
vacancies supple d, ss contemplated in the re-
soju lou Of tie Convention to u hich reference
has been made and accredited to Baltimore, to
said eeuts. The committee which thus r. Cum
menaed the irregular de,egates from lbe>e three
States have rejected the irrfg u'ar delegates
from n-'aware, uud admitted the Charleston
d.fega!es.
Ithas admitted irregular delegates from Ar
kaness, and rejected portion Of the Charles.
ton delegates a. mod fed bv the filing of va.
cancies 1t has dn,tted tue (Cbarleston) dt1.
ezates from Mississippi BIZ a v0fc nt o3 TO 2, and
the {Charles ou) deles ates from Trxas by yote
Ut Ii to 8. THE fact that Delegations are not
CO testet does not establish the right to seats
10 the Convention. There may be 'Fie4ular
delegates Ef1hout contest, and there mar be
contest between tw1 eets Of irregular delegates.
The right Of persons to seats a. dele ;ates is 10
he determined by the tact as 10 whether thes
were aop'lrted By the constituency which they
claim to represent. and appointed scc:rd'ng 10
the usa2es Of said constituency. Wautit G these
essential prerequisites, they are not entitled TO
seats, ersn if taere be no contestants; and hav-
ing these their ii kht to seats is not impaired or
adec'ed BY contestants.
The committee. in deciding by vote Of % to
2, that the Charleston delegates from Misslssip-
pi are entitled to teats in the Baltimore Con.
vention, have decided rightly, Just because they
we're duly accs edited to ChuIlrston, have never
since resigned, and have received instructions
from the State Of Mississippi, through q con-
veDtion called Of the Democratic Executive
Committee of the ate, to return to Baltimore.
The Charleston delegates, botb from Alabama
and Georgia, sand precisely in the same 'si.
ton. They were all duly accredited to Charles.
"a They withdrew and never resign d. They
returned 10 their respective constituencies.
Tha Executive Committees in these States, as
in the case Of Mississippi, called Conv ention
Of the partv. The Conventions met. The del
-oatea. as il the ca.e Of M,sstssinn; submitted
heir action to the Convention. and 1heae Con.
veutious approved their course continued their
powers, and accredited thin 10 baltimore.
Their RIGHTS stand on preciselr the same basia.
and are sustu;ned by tbe same authority as in
Mississjpui. The contestants were annninted
hr m hndv authorized tn meet acccrdino to III "a
usagcs If The party tn these States. and are mt
entitled to anF Consideration wh.teyer.
In tic case Of Alabama, the Convention aq-
semb'ed On the call Of the Democrztic Execu
tive Committee addressed to the Depocroev nj
the S utc. J was very largely atsenoed. nearly
every county in the State having brcu repre.
ssnted. 4 ANAL pumber Of persons, however,
issu. d uotice. Which WIS published in orlv
thrte new.papcrs ri ,he State-in Two pa,,eia
the notice WIS without siguers, and II The third
naner fMobiIe E1;s'er.> it was signed hy Iohn
Fnrspth and thi1fy. othprs. The notira il
ofher s1o.s: in The second naner uoon Demo.
Gratis and nN cowerratir4s. Gno IN tbs third m,
mr. fM ubjfe r oisftr.} upnn the necn{, ~ Ii,
6ama. 10 hold county meetings ned send dele-
ra3es to State Convention. 10 be held in Mnnt,
nomery Or Selma, the 4,h day OF June. tn an-
po.ut delegates 10 B.ltimorc. Trcnty.eirkt
counties onty out Of fifty two were represented.
It was lhe coning ,ose,her Of persops rom
ali parties outside of the regular organi.a,irD
tn strike down. the Democracy O. the S.aie IT
~as a cali without any cti:ia, authority What
soever. We thus lind the democracy Of tic
State resembling in convention according to
he u.scrs Of the party, and We ind at the eaooe
o1ized ipdiyiduals. IN the former casc The
whole 6tate was represented, In the latter
about half Of Tue Suite Yet the mainrity nj tha
committee have endorsed 1be action Of the .nt,c~
"a The action Of The democracy Of A. ALBANIA. and
have repud ated, contrary to all precedent.
usage. right. aud ias,ic., thc action ot tle for
mef, moi on,y this, they hare renudiated tha
pr,ocipIes Of 1he,r own action in The case of the
Missi .sinti die ,ation.
Bnt The action ot the rnainr;tx If 4b;, on.,,>:.
tee in the cuse of Genr,ia hns oora 80 ".s.
further in it, disregard OF tie aeknow,adaoJ
nr,nc,nles or The uar,y. The conren,ion = III
he c.,inu,ttee nut on an eoual,,v u III 1bo Nv.
u,ariy authoriz ID convention eons,.t.d j., ores.
uart Of persons Who lust partc,nn,ed r. H.
regular deuoc1 a,ic couvention al the Sta,s
The repufar caI,ed cnarpn,;on cons;.t,J e
nearly fur hundred dtle,a.es. ren,esen,;no
uear,y ali The counties Of ,Le S:s,o. 1he r.aI
I,t,nn. of The convention hayinr hcon odontoa
hv a vote of ays TO II. thesa 1atIfr w;,hJ 80
f:cm tha ronrrnt;nn and oroonix.d s,ow Th,'.
,he m s;,v Of xour conn,ttre hars e1a,,sd a'u
tbs rrs,ensions of iess linn me e;1bth - ~
rIeya,es Of H. State convention tn an eono';'. i
viii he rirhts IF .eyen eiphths If tha ae1an9,
racr of ria s;tnte:
r. ,he ease II 1.ou;s;ana. ,ha o,d t,orran,;o,
VII ch originally appointed the delsea,es to
rb,riastnn ,rss "a ars.an,hisd as ~ ths III ee.1
E4ecn,;Se i,omm;ttee NJ 1he State ,nd ~, " .!se a
.;e;,s -. ;or;., ano.sd;,.J - ~ f,.-1o.,o5