The semi-weekly mountain Democrat., 1860-10-24
A WORD with the UnIon.


upon the high and imprcgnsble ground Of
principle, the Sacramento Onion Of the
18th inst, like the rest Of the shrieking
sheets of the Opposition, falls back upon
the old dodge OF regularity, and essays to
take US to task because Of the declaration
that neither Mr.. Douglas nor Mr.. Breck-
inridge twas regularly nominated by o
two thirds vote Of the whole Convention,
in accordance with the time-honorcd
usagcs Of the Democratic party" The
Union implicitly admits that Mr.. Douglas
did not get two.third vote Of the whole
Convention, but takes issue solely on the
assertion that the rcquisitiOn Of two
third vote of the rhoLe Convention has
been the usage Of the party in times past.
In this connection the Union says:
"will the DEMOcRAr furnish its readers with
| the evidence upon which il fOunds its assertion
| that "it takes q two thirds vote Of the whole
| Convention, in accordance with the time hOnOred
| usages Of the Democratic party" to nominate
candidate for President. Some three weeks
since we published full extracts from the pro-
ccedings uf past Democratic INVENTIONS,
which proved cOncluSively that the usages Of
the Democratic party only require twO.ihirds
vote of the delegates present and voting, tn
regularly nominate a candidate for President.
But that record our Breckinridge c0tempora-
rieS have taken good care not IL produce, aud
We presume the DENocRAT will not prove an
exception to the general rule"
..c.,n he, bnrn mot V,r0duroA
the record which "provcd concluSively
that the usagcS Of the Democratic party
only require two. thirds vote to regularly
nominate candidate for President" is
simply because no such record exists
The "full extracts" to which the Union
alludcs as having published, if they went
to prove any such thing as that paper con-
tends, could not have been genuine. They
were certainly bogus extracts, palmed off
upon the editor of the Union by some
wag Of fellow by way Of a joke. We
have searched the record carefully and
find nothing to make us recant the decla-
tion to which uur cotrmporury takes cx.
ccptiuns. We do not intend to cumbcr
our columns, nor impose upon our read.
crS voluminouS extracts from the record.
Our pages are not as ponderous as those
Of our ncighbor; but this we know and
assert, aud this the EnioM should know,
that the original two.thiris rule was
adopted by the Democratic party in 1882
when Mr.. Van Buren, was chosen for the
Vice Presidency, for the very purpose Of
preventing what was attempted at Charles.
ton and Baltimore, the sitting a free ex-
preston Of the sentiment Of a majority Of
Democratic States. That rule after re.
solving that leach State shall be entitled
to a number Of votes equal to the num-
her that they will be entitled to in the
Electoral College" holds this language
" And that two.thiriS Of the whole mum.
Der Of votes in the Convention shall be-
necessary to constitute choice" Before
balloting for candidates at Charleston, the
meaning and construction of this Ian.
guagc became the subject of discussion,
whereupon formal vote Of the Convcn.
ticn was taken upon the question, and it
was decided by l4l to ll2 that two-thirds
Of the whole Electoral vote (2p2 Of the
303) were required for nomination.
A great many Of Mr.. Douglass friends
and supporters voted for the majority
construction, and yet we are now told by
the sagaciOus organ Of Mr.. Douglas,
the Sacramento Union, that such con.
struction was wrong one. The Union
thus virtually admits that many of Mr..
Douglass friends at Charleston, did not
know what was Democratic usage. That
fact We always knew, but did not expect
TO find the Union admitting it.
Prior to the action Of the Conventions
at Charleston AMI Bllt,more, Mr.. Douglas
repeatedly declared that he would not ac-
ccpt nomination, unless obtained in ac.
cordance with this time honorcd usage
a two-third vote Of the Convention. Not
withStandinS these solemn declarations,
we find him to-day the nominee Of fac
tion Of that Convention that faction be-
ing composed OF less than wo-thirds Of
the whole, being. according to the Unions
own showing, only l94f votes, Of which
Mr.. Douglas only obtained 1911. Even
Of that number, a great many were bo-
gus delegates, acting by no legitimate au-
horiiy-unauthorized by any portion of
the Democratic voters Of the country.
But as We have before asserted, we care
not straw whether Mr.. Breckenridge was
regularly nominated or not, or whether
Mr.. Douglas was or not. Mr.. Breckin-
ridge stands the exponent and representa-
tive of great, just, and constitutional
Democratic principles principle above,
higher and far beyond all minor consider
ations of regularity or party usage. 1t is
vital principle, affecting the safety and
harmony of the confederacy. 1t is prin
ciple upon the recognizance or ignoring
of which in the administration of the ac-
fairs of this Government, fifteen States OF
this Union remain in it upon a perfect
equality with the rest, or are to be re-
duced TO the condition Of denendant nrov.