Gazette and sentinel., 1860-08-25
~PLAQUEMINE:
-.~N~ss-
Saturday, August rs, 1S6o.
BIOGRAPHICAL ShEICU
OF
John C. Breckinridge,
OF KENTUCKY.
LcoXTINuED rRoM LAST WEEK.

When it was subsequently insinuatcd
in Congress that he owed his election
10 foreign aid, NO, SIR said Mr..
Breckenridge, Il came not here by the
aid of money, but i'll spite Of it. have
10 say that | represent a district III
which the money power Of the Com
monwealth is concentrated, and that
monCy-power is in the hands Of my op-
p7nents. 1t was loudly proclaimed in
The streets of the city where | live, that
| should be defeated, if it cost $4,000
u do it; and, l can tell the member
from New York that at least $4,000
were spent for that purpose, and, as the
result shows, in vain"
The Opposition were defeated, but
not conquered they determined to
make another desperate struggle TO
rescue the district from the grasp Of
The Democracy. They cast carefully
about for the strongest Of their cham
pions !; and decided in convention to call
Governor Letcher to the conflict Of
1858. He was a strong nun he had
reached the highest hOnOrs his State
could confer on him in his hands the
Wing banner had never lost a victory
or suffered a defeat and his friends
deemed him invincible. The nomina-
ton of this gentleman was announced
with shouts, which reached the ears of
his youthful competitor as he lay
stretched upon a bed Of sickness 4: his
courteous competitor called to tender
him a short respite from the tolls Of the
canvass, but the shouts of his opponents
had aroused the indomitable spirit of
the gallant invalid, when, after return
ing his thanks to Gov. Letcher for his
courtesy, he replied, "No, sir, do not
delay your canvass ON my account /;
take the stump, and | will meet you as
soon as my strength will allow. He
did SO ; the contest was long, fierce and
bitter again was the ~invincible Brock
inridgc triumphantly reelected by a
majority as decisive as that over his
first competitor-his invincibility prov,
cd, the prestige of success stamped
upon his brow, and his district, which
for the first time was rescued by him
from the Wings, nov lost to the OppO'
%sition, in all probability, forever.
His brilliant career in Congress for
four years is fresh in the recollection of
all. While he was the faithful and eff,
cicnt representative of all the interests
of his immediate constituents, he was
the bold, manly and fearless advocate
of Democratic principles and measures,
and was universally acknowledged as
the leader of his party by his friends
and foes.
Indeed, his power to combine a pro.
pei attention to the minutcst wants of
his constituents and to the details of
the public business, with a steady and
powerful grasp of the great political
and public questions of the day, %.evince
a breadth of capacity and systematic
habits of business which fit him for the
first place in the Republic. Thus, al
indemnity for the widow and orphans
of the gallant Mckee, relief for certain
constituents whohad made expenditures
by order and OF account of the Govern
ment, reimbursement Of losses to q con
tractor for the discontinuance of a mai
service of great Importance to Ken
lucky, the removal of restrictions upon
the location of military land warrants
the getting an appropriation for the
purchase of an American cemetery neal
the city of Mexico, where the remains
of u gallant soldiers were gathered
under the protection of their country,
flag, were, among others, objects t.
which he gave his exertions, and in al
of which he was successful, except il
the case Of removing restrictions upoi
the location of military land warrants
As an evidence of his great judg
ment and capacity in conducting meas
ures through the House, we refer to tn,
Deficiency Bill of 1858. 1t had beer
rejected by the House, and recommitteC
to the Ways and Means Committee
The committee reported back the same
bill, and entrusted Mr.. Breckinridgt
with its management il the House. Il