The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-08-02

tuc nominating power would De separated non
the clecting power, which could not fail TO ha
destructive to the strength and harmony of III,
Democratic party. .g
To ohviate this serious difficulty in the or
ganization Of Il National convention, and at til,
same time to leave all the States their full vote
the two-thirds rule was adopted, 1t was be
lievod that under this rule no candidate coult
ever be nominated without embracing withis
the two-t thirds the votes Of u decided majority
Of the Democratic States. This was the substi
tutc adopted to rctain at least in great dc
gree, the power to the Democratic States Mhicl
they would have lost by abandoning the Con
sressional convention system. This rule VA,
Il main pillar in the cdlIice o! National conven
tions. Remove il and the whole must becom,
Il ruin. This sustaining pillar was broken tc
pieces at Baltimore by the convention which
nominated Mr. Douglas. After this the body
was no longer National convention, and III
Democrat, however devoted to regular nomina-
tons, was bound TO give the nominee his sup.
port he was left free TO act according to the
dictates Of his own judgment and conscience
And here, in passing, may observe that the
wisdom of the two-thirds rule is justified by the
events passing around us. Had it been faith
fully observed no candidate could havel been
nominated against the will and wishes Of almost
every certain Democratic Slate in the Union,
against nearly all the Democratic Senators. and
more than thrce-lourths Of tho Democratic Rep
rescntativcs in Congress. (Cheers,)
purposely avoid entering upon any discus
sion respecting the exclusion from the conven.
ton otregularly elected delegates from differ.
ent Democratic States. II the convention
which nominated Stephen A. Douglas was not
regular Democratic Convention, it must be
confessed that Breckenridge is in tho soulescon-
dition in that respect. The convention that
nominated him, although it was composed Of
nearly allsthc certain Democratic States, did
not contain the two thirds and therefore every
Democrat is at perfect liberty to vote as he
thinks proper, without running counter to my
regular nomination of the party. applause,
and cries of e three cheers for Breckenridge
and Lanc.aO Holding this position, l shall
present some of the reasons why l prefer Mr..
Breckenridge 10 Mr.. Douglas. This shall do
without attempting to interfere with any indi-
vidual Democrat, or any State Democratic or
ganization holding different opinions from my
self 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 candidates; and
| shall never oppose any honest and honorable
course calculated to accomplish this object.
To return TO the point from which have di.
gresscd, am in favor of Mr.. Breckinridgc be-
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 md
each citizen of each State, has the same right
in the Territories as any other State and the
citizens of any State possess. Now what is
sought for at present is, that II portion of these
states should turn around to their sister states
and say, "We are holicr than you arc, and
while we will take our property TO the Terrific
RIGS and have ii protected there, you shall not
place your property in the same po,i.ion.'-~
This is precisely what is con'cndcd for. What
the Democratic party maintain, and whnt is The
true principle of Democracy is, that nll shall
enjoy the same rights, and that all shall be
subject TO the same duties. Property his
Government was framed for the protection Of
life, liberty and property. They are the Objects
for the protection of which all enlightened
Governments were established. But 1t is
sought now to place the property of the citi-
zens, under what is called the principle of
squntter sovereignty, in the power of the Ter
riorial legislature to contiscatc IL 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 pnblic upon this subject. When was
property ever submitted to the will of the ma.
joyity. (Ncvcl) IT, you hold property as an
individual You hold it independent of Congress
or of the State Legislature, or Of the Tcrr'ori
al Legislature is yours; aud your Cons'i'u,
tion was made to protect your private property
against the assault oflceislatiye power (clccrs)
Well. now, any set Of principles which will de-
prive you of your property is against the very
essence Of Republican Government, aud TO that
extent makes you n slave; for the man who
has power over your property TO coniscatc it
has power over your mcana Of subsistence; and
vet it is contcndcd that although the Constitu-
tiou of the Uuitcd States concrs no such power
although no state legislature has any such
power, yet y Territorial legislature, in the re-
mote cxircmities of the country, can coniscate
your property!
"a Voice They can't do it; they ain't go
ing TO do it.')
There is but one mode and one alone, to
abolish slavery in the territories. That mode
is pointcd out in the Cincinnati platform, which
has been as much misrcprcscntcd as anything
! have ever known. The platform declares
that majority of the actual residents in Ter
ritory, whenever their number is sufficient to
cntitle them 10 admission as II state, possesses
tho mower to form a constitution with or with
o,t slavery, 10 be admitted into the Union up
on terms Of perfect equality with the Other
,horo ho rnuatIcr snvprtipnfy In