Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-03-07
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION.

that Mr.. Foster did not want to be candl-
date, and that his nomination was a spontane
Gus outburst of popular feeling and enthusiasm
for man pre-eminently qualified for the po-
sition. This is not the case. We know Mr..
Foster well, and will give him all the credit
he deserves. As citizen, he enjoys good
reputation as lawyer, he has gained some
celebrity; as politician, he is wishy-washy
as business man he has never displayed SUI
ficient tact to keep his financial affairs in
healthy condition. He is good speaker, and
yet, last fall, when he ran for Congress against
John Covode, who stumped the district with
| him, he was beaten 1892 votes in district
which, six years ago, gave over $500 Demo-
cratic majority. When Col. Forney was a
| candidate for U. S. Senator, he voted against
him; but as soon as the result was declared
adverse to Forney, he asked leave to change
his vote for him, which request, as matter OF
course, was not granted. 1t was happy hit
OF the Convention to place such a candidate
| on the Cincinnati platform, for when he meets
| Lecomptonite, he can say he adopts the plat
form according to Buchanan's construction,
and to the Douglas men he can declare that he
| adopts it as the sslittle giant' defines it.
The nomination of Mr.. Foster was doubtless
a pre-arranged matter. The Administration
cared little what became of Mr.. Witte or any
other aspirant, so that it secured delegation
to Charleston, after its own heart. This ac-
complished, and regarding the coming contest
as hopeless to them, the wire-pullers of the
Convention had nothing to lose by sacrificing
the Administration candidate, and nominating
another who may possibly unite most of the
shattered fragments of the party. The fellow
| ing extract of a letter from Reading TO the
Philadelphia Bulletin, will give our readers
some idea of how the affair was managed:
SIT is well understood here that Witte was
sold out-and- out (; no one is SO verdant as to
believe that the nomination of Foster was the
sudden inspiration that is pretended-not ex-
actly. There were parties in Reading ten days
ago, who knew of the dodge, and who told
their friends, privately, that Foster would be
the man. 1t is true, that large portion of
the delegates were outsiders as to the mea-
sure but there was g party fully posted up
large enough, with the help of the outside hur-
rah, to carry the hurrah and rush the vote
through. Those who watched the proceedings
of the Convention closely, were aware that
| some plot was forming. Thus-although GER
| tain members took every occasion to speak of
| the popularity of Foster, and to express their
regret that he would not consent to have his
| name used, and when he was proposed for a
delegate at large, he got but 20 votes-next
| ballot, none. For Senatorial elector he re-
ceived but four votes, when it was said that
| he was not a candidate, and it was asked that
his name and votes be withdrawn. Nothing
was said about Withdrawing the names and
votes Of some others. Why was Fosters vote,
| on these occasi ons, so small, and why the pa
rade about his being before the Convention
Why did not his friends vote for him They
were keeping him back for Governor, and
ready to vote for him when the time came.
Those not in the ring voted for him. Had
| time l could give you many incidents all point
| ing the same way. Mr.. Witte, when, after
some considerable trouble, was induced to
come into and address the Convention, evident
| ly felt that he had been victimized, and re-
marked that the time would come, perhaps,
when the secret history of the last three days
| would be written. If SO, it will be curious
chapter on the subject of political Conventions.
The coup detat was bold but successful
| THE READING PLATFORM.
| The first resolution of the platform adopted,
declares an urshaken confidence in the prnc-
pies of the Democratic party as proclaimed at
the Conventions held at Baltimore and Cincin-
natl. The second deprecateS the agitation
| of slavery in and out of Congress as tending
to weaken the bonds of union, excite animosi
| ty, and thus create heart-burnings, and accom-
/
| that Congress has no power to legislate on the
subject of slavery in the territories. The
fourth says the question of the right of citizens
to hold slaves in territories is a Judicial queS-
tion and not a legislative one. Its decision
| is committed exclusively to the courts. The
fifth declares that the whole power belongs to
Congress to legislate and enact laws and exc
cute them. 1t belongs to the Judiciary to in
| terpret them, and their decision is final and
conclusive, and should be cheerfully acqueS-
ced in. Sixth, the doctrines of irrepresslbe
conflict between the North and South is fraught
with danger to the best interests and dearest
rights of the people of the confederacy. Sew
enth, the Union of the States is above and be-
yond all price, and the duty of patriots to
frown Indignantly on any attempt to ALLEVIATE
one portion of the Union from the rest
Eighth that treason is deprecated as an attempt
of sectional parties. Every effort of such
parties is to be resisted. Formed as the gov
ernment is for the common good of the whole
country, all sovereignty rests with the people,
who hold power to conduct the government
through their representatives. The govern
ment only exists as Union of the States,
| sovereign and independent within their own
limits, in the r own domestic concerns, but
bound together as people by the general gov
ernment. Ninth, in the adoption OF the Fed
eral CONSTITUTION, the States acted generally
as free and Independent soyereignties, dele
eating portion of their powers to the Feder-
al Government as security against dangers,
domestic or foreign, and any intermeddling of
one or more States with the domestic institu-
tions OF another, is a subyersion and violation
of the constitution, serving to weaken and de-
stroy the Union. The acts of State legisa-
lures to defeat the purposes OF the fugitive
slave law are subversive of the Constitution
and revolutionary in effect. Eleventh the do
mestic and foreign policy of Mr.. Buchanan has
been eminently pure, patriotic, conservative
] | and inst and wa look upon the Success crown.