Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-07-11
For the Standard.
THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS. 4.


have read with surprise bordering good deal
upon indignation the various 2retexts furnished by
many Of the Democratic papers of this State for
their attempt to dictate to the great body OF the
Democracy of the State, for whom they shall cast
their votes in the coming Presidential election.
The position of the press seems not at all to be
understood by those gentlemen. A man who, in n
private station would never have attracted the no
tice of one in hundred, and whose opinion (per-
haps never asked) would have excited only smile
Of pity derision, no sooner gets possession OF
little paper, ink and type, but at once sets himself
up for Sir Oracle and sets about to give form and
direction to the opinions and conduct Of the great
mass of his fellow-cItzens; and, vamplng up his
ignorance with brass and his insigniticance with
auiacious assumption, he not unfrequently forces
upon a community a set Of dogmas, to which a vast
majority are by no means prepared to give their as
sent This thing has already been borne with alto
gether too long IL is quite time that newspaper
editors should understand that although they occu
py a high a very respectable and responsible sta
tion yet they hold this only because they arc pre-
sued to reflect the sentiments of the mass OF their
patrons. They are not (when party papers) the
leaders of the party but only its servants. When,
therefore they presume to dictate, they only make
themselves ridiculous. For example, look at the
course of many of the papers in regard to the ac-
ton of the Democratic convention recently assem-
bled in Baltimore In hot haste, | may say the
very hottest haste they fix to their mast heads the
names of a ticket nominated by small body
of men, and forsooth proclaim that the ticket for
the whole Democratic party Of the State to rally
around And, with modesty truly characteristic,
they denounce the idea of calling convention, to
give expression to the real sentiment of the State
by declaring that their ticket meets undoubtedly
the unanimous approval Of every Democrat in it.
Now, would inform these gentlemen that there
arc a large number of Democrats in this State who
have still desire TO maintain the nationality Of the
party, and who after most painful endeavorS, do
not find that they can do so by giving their support
to the candidates Of a faction; who, while they
would support with cheerfuness such men as Breck-
nridge and Lane for President and Vice President
h properly presented cannot do at the expense of
every principle and usage which have always here
ofore guided the party IN the selection of their
didates
We do not hesitate to say that we are the warm
friends and advocates of that greatest and noblest
and most consistent Of American statesmen, Steph-
A. Douglas; and would prefer him to any and
all others for our candidate; and yet we unhes-
tatngly say that would not support even him
unless he were the regular nominee Of the party
FIVE understand the teaching Of the Democratic
party at al, it has always contended that in gov
eminent constituted like ours the will Of the major
ity should rule in all matters requiring its joint &C
ton. Bnt tender has it regarded the wishes
or prejudices Of the minority that in offering its
nominations for President and Vice President for
the support of the people, it has consented to the
demand that twO-thirds only shall have power to
make them. Now, what is the history Of the action
at Baltimore? A party Of men, headed by design
ing oficeholders, and more especially otfce-seekers
find that there stands in their way to the desired
goal, chieftain. whose noble consistency and pat
riotc selEsacrce for the good Of the hole country
have so endeared him to the hearts of millions of his
fellow-ctizens, ererynhere, that they will not
sent to fight under the banner Of any other in the
stern contest to be waged, against the enemies
Of the Constitution and the country; determined at
all hazards to destroy him wreck the great party
that has so long upheld our institutions with firm
ness beyond praise, and with it the hopes of half
world To do this, everything that ought to char
acterize men who make high professions Of patriot
ism. have been recklessly sacrificed Nothing
dauntS them. Consistency in their hands becomes
weakness, and carrying out the worn out adage
that guem Deus perfere rult, prius dementat, they
embrace with madness only equalled by its folly,
dogma. which, If carried To its legitimate results
(Which it must necessarily he If once introduced)
will result in utter ruin Of the very institutions o:
which they so yauntingy set themselves up the
peculiar defenders. Failing to accomplish their OBJ
ject in any legitimate way, they very pompously
withdraw from the great body of their national al
lies and fall to work to tinker up ticket and pro-
claim IL to the people Of this great Union as the
ticket of the national Democratic party! Who gave
these gentlemen power to forSake the body to which
alone they accredited and set up for themselves
shop for President makings Where in North
Carolina was power given to her delegates, except
in the National Conventionf Were they national?
All the reports of the proceedings in the state
ment that twothirds of the whole delegates remain
ed in the Convention originally constituted and
that these gave their unanimous voice for Stephen
4. Douglas. Who constituted the body that nomi-
mated John c. Breckenridge! Were they delegates
at all? 1t cannot be nationally maintained. Why,
some Of these very men have already declared in
their papers, when speaking of the similar conduct
of those at Charleston that the very moment they
withdrew from the Convention they ceased. ipso
fdctO to be delegates at ALL Are then to suffer
body of men who are nothing more than any other
selfcOnstituted body, made up Gf you please,) by
well meaning men, 20 make a ticket, and then i'm
pudently tell that they have done this by autho-
rity, and we must accept it without murmur? |
for will not submit to it 1t is sectional ticket
nominated authOritatirely only by little forlorn
hope Of firceatcrs assembled at Richmond and am
not willing to give my support to it as the ticket of
North Carolina, at least, until the whole party in
the State has had an opportunity Of canvassng its
merits and gives it the seal Of its endorsement IL
it should do So shall yield readily, though it may
not be with that cheerful aacrity with which
would rally to the support of more national nomi
nation.
Let us have Convention, then, at such time as
the Executive Committee may think best, and all
pledge ourselves to abide its determination In the
mean time, let us show the Opposition. by our ear
nest unbroken support of our worthy leader in the
gubernatorial canvass, and triumphant election of
Democratic Legislature, that democrats may diff
fer, but divide never"
W.