Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-08-17
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING AUGUST H. $780,

| sion or prejudice, or desire to obtain votes
| through his intense wish to get seat in the
Senate again, he had abandoned principle and
fallen upon course of argument in order
simply to adapt himself to the abolition feel
| ing in the State of Illinois. We all know
that Mr.. Douglas is n gentleman of many high
qualities-arman of great eloquence, man
of great will, man of fine social qualities, a
man who attaches friends to him, a man of
infinite perseverance and resource. He had
fought many valiant battles for the Democra-
cy; he had borne their standard through
| fierce conflicts he had led them on to victo-
ry, and those friends could not easily desert
him, and honor them for it. But when this
gentlemen found that in the Senate he had
but one supporter; when he found that in the
House of Representatives he only had from
six to twelve; when he found that nearly
every Democratic State was against him, in
Guiding all the Southern States, and the
States on the western coast; when he found
also that the President of the United States,
and his Cabinet, were against him, why could
he not have paused? Why could not his
friends have paused and said, "Let time pass
away we will waive his claims for the pre-
sent we will go into the ranks and fight as
good soldiers; we will vindicate our Demo-
crazy by the heavy blows we will strike for
you in the coming contest, among the rank
but an appeal was made to all persons in the
country. The most assiduous efforts were made
to organize Douglas party. The press was
subsidized the telegraph was Employed; let
| ter-writers were sending missives in all di-
rections, and the most herculean efforts were
made to manufacture public opinion, with a
view to secure his nomination at Charleston.
In the cars, in the hotels, in all your towns
in the saloons of your cities, the whole talk
/ d.
of talking to the old farmers. You were
minding your own business you were en-
gagged in tilling your soil, and raising those
great staples upon which, to such an extent
our prosperity as nation depends. No ac-
count was taken of you; but in the saloons
and public places Of your cities, and ON the
cars and steamboats,, the friends of Mr. Doug
las were busily engaged in advocating his
claims; and in the estimation of many gentle
men, they were looked upon as the great mouth
pieces of public opinion. Very many good
men, very many able men, who did not know
the process by which this thing was done,
were deceived. They conceived from all this,
that Mr.. Mr. Douglas was the fayoritc of the
American Democracy. They conceived that
while in all possibility he had done wrong in
leaving the Democratic party, and lending his
aid to the propagation of heresies, yet the
leaders of that Democratic party, and espe-
cially the President of the United States, had
treated him with great disdain. 1t was said
that they had prosecuted him that was the
cry and his friends went to Charleston with
a ranking feeling, and determination to OBJ
tain control of the convention SO that they
could nominate him--that whatever the conse-
quences might be, Stephen A.. Douglas should
be the nominee of the Democratic party. They
knew that looking to the great South, t
those fifteen Southern States where the Demo
cratic banner was floating proudly In victo
ry-they knew that not one Of those State
, was in favor of the nomination of this gentle
man. They knew, looking across the ROCKY
mountains and those mighty wildernesses
that neither of those two States on the Pacif
coast was in favor of the nomination of thi
gentleman. They knew, too, that the oil
Keystone of the arch, as well as New Jersey
the State of the battle fields, where was SPILLED
some of the best blood Of the revolution, wa
, against his nomination (; and they knew tina
in order to win, in this contest, we music epenS
on the votes of Pennsylvania and New Jer
sey. They went there determined that can
didate whose principal strength was to b
found in hopelcssly Republican States, SHOULD
, be thrust down the throats of the States upoi
! whom mainly we must depend for the cleo
ton of our President. And they Shove,
great determination, fellow-citzens in floi
E purpose. They never relaxed their object TO
/ a moment. They pressed forward in the rae
2 as st. Paul did and would to God it hat
E been race as holy as st. Paul's was. If the,
, had come to Charleston with feeling of self
r sacrifice, with feeling that no man was 4
e be nominated who could not command Tn
! confidence and receive the votes of the entir
Democratic party in the South, we would hav
had some great statesmen now nominated
7 either our own candidates, Breckenridge ans
Lane, or some other good men who woult
have united the entire party, and il woult
have been comparatively easy TO annihilate O.
drive into obscurity the Black Republican
G hordes. [Cheers.]
l But wish to detain you few moInent
: while dwell upon the proceedings at Charles
i ton. 1t was melancholy event in the histo
ny of parties; it was a melancholy event II
, the history of the workings Of human nature
II shows how men who have done good ser
5 vice, sometimes allow themselves TO be in
fiiienccd and carried away by personal feelings
: and are led to do gross wrongs to their party
} and their cou.itry. will refer briefly TO thu
unit rule, by means of which the apparen
5 strength of Mr.. Douglas was increased SOM
( twenty odd votes; so that while his rea
r strength was 125 votes, he actually got 1921
The unit rule which was adopted at Charles
ton declared that where, by the State eonyen
ton, no particular mode of voting had beer
! provided for or directed, each delegate should
be allowed to vote according TO his own pre-
fcrences. The former rule had been that III,
delegation of each State should determine how
. its vote should be cast, rs uniform rule
/ This has been departed from at Charleston
and it was done by disreputable trick, fol
!, when the committee met, this rule was pro
posed, and it was voted down by aconsidera-
BILE majority. The business Of the committed
was finished, and nothing was to be done but
the signing of the proceedings by the chair
man Of the meeting, for which an informal
meeting was TO be held. But contrary TO this
understanding, formal meeting was called
4 and notice thereof was given TO all the gen.
tlemen who were in favor of the rule, but to
only portion Of those opposed TO the rule.
In consequence of which some six or eight
members opposed TO the rulewere not present;
and thus by partial meeting Of the commit
tee, the proceedings of the full meeting were
oyerruled, and this obnoxious rule was intro
duced. The effect Of IL was this: There were
| seventy delegates from New York; thirty
| ty-three were against him. Their State con-
yention had instructed them TO vote as unit
they did vote as n unit, every vote being given
for Mr. Douglas, and thus the thirty-three
anti-Douglas delegates, casting sixteen and a
| half votes, actually voted for Mr.. Douglas,
1 though they were against him. In Ohio, by
the same rule, the twelve delegates opposed 20
him cast six votes, every vote being cast for
Mr.. Douglas. IN Indiana there were nine dele
gates casting four votes and half, whose votes
were cast for Mr.. Douglas, although they were
opposed TO him--making twenty-seven votes
which were actually against him, and yet were
compelled 70 be cast for him by this tyrannical
unit rule. There was also one delegate from
~ mn boI