The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-09-21
SAINT PAUL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER p, 1860


Douglas in Pennsylvania.
HIS SPEECH AT READING-ANoTHER REVIEW
Z OF Observation-Disclosures OF DIsUNI0N
AND FUSION.
READING, Penn, Sept 8, 1860.
Mr.. Douglas speech, today, was one of
his happiest efforts. Annexed are given
the points made with reference to Breckin.
ridge, disunion and fusion. In noticing
some remarks made by MIR. Hester, who in.
troduced him to the meeting, Judge Doug-
las said v" wish to God we had a Gen.
Jackson at this day, in order that he might
grapple with Northern Abolitionism and
Southern Secessionism, trample them under
foot, and bury both in a common grave"
In referring to the Convention at Baltimore
be said: 81 received majority of the whole
number of the convention on large num-
Der of successive ballots. | cunfess, after
having withdrawn my name from before the
convention in the years when Pierce, in
1852, and Buchanan, in 1856, received the
support of the majority, l expected that the
candidates before the Charleston and Balti.
more conventions would feel bound in honor
to treat me as treated them on a former
occasion. Inasmuch as l had given j. G.
Breckinridge the nomination in 1856, by
Withdrawing my name, had right to ex-
pect that under precisely similar circum.
stances he would have felt himself bound to
be as generous towards me as had been to-
wards him. Inasmuch as my conduct had
made j. g. Breckenridge Vice President of
the United States, I expected he, as gene
tleman, would have felt bound to pursue a
similar line of conduct towards me as that
| sdopted voluntarily towards him. If that
course had been pursued there would be no
division of the party to-day. And why
had it not been pursued? Ithappened that
l received more votes in the convention than
all the other candidates put together-al-
most two-thirds of the whole number but
when it was found that the large majority
supporting me could not be compelled to
succumb to the minority, the defeated can
didates formed a combination to break up
the party rather than permit the majority
to govern, under the two-thirds rule, as in
former cases. What excuse does Breckin-
ridge make for breaking up the convention?
Mr. Breckenridge, three days ago, made a
stump speech; il which he tried to Justify
the breaking up of the Democratic party
on the ground that the convention which
nominated me insisted on a dogma in its
platform. Foster was nominated in Read
ing for Governor of the State on identically.
the same principles that l was nominated at
Baltimore. Foster is thus pledged, by his
nomination, to the Identical principles to
which l am irrevpcably committed. How
can man vote for the one without support
ing the other, if he processes to be governed
by principle? I trust every Democrat in
Pennsylvania will rally zealously, cordially
and heartily round the banner of Foster and
non-intervention. Cheers. And when
you shall have done that, how can you re-
fuse to sustain me on the same platform in
the national convention ? Cries of I'VE
cannot'-'that's it, It is true that Breck-
inridge tells you that the national conven-
ton adopted dogma contrary to reason
and the Constitution. If that be true, you
of Reading, when you nominated Foster,
adopted similar dogma, equally hostile to
reason and the Constitution. am free to
say that the national convention and the
Pennsylvania State platform are both in
harmony with reason and the Constitution.
But Breckinridge has declared, in his late
stump speech, that was not nominated ac-
cording to the usages of the Democratic
party. Cries of you were.'] I suppose
Breckenridge thinks so, or I suppose he
would not have said 80. But it only shows
bis ignorance of Democratic usages when
be makes that declaration. Ireceiveda two
thirds vote in the convention after the bolt,
but less than two.tAirds vote of the whole
convention hence was nominated in the
same way that Cass was, according to the
uniform usages OF the party. But suppose
Breckinridge will excuse himself for not re-
garding the nomination of Cass as regular
on the ground that at the time be did not
belong to the Democratic party, and hence
be was not bound by its usages. You all
know that in l847 Breckenridge. at meet
ing in Lexington where he made speech,
denounced the Democratic party as a cor.
rupt faction, and came out in favor OF Gen.
Taylor for the. Presidency. Now, l suppose,
be will exause himself for not being bound
by the regularity OF the Cass nomination on
the ground that he went hunting on election
day and would not vote. Cheers and
laughter. But my friend Breckenridge, in
bis Kentucky stump speech, while be &C
knowledges that he was in favor of Taylor
in 1874, went hunting in l848, and thus
could not vote for Cass; yet be asserts that
be made speeches for, because Cass then
represented bis principles. A voice-"the
Nicholson letter."] Yes, my friend, you hit
it exactly. Cass asserted that Congress had
no power to interfere with the slavery ques.
tion in the territories, and Breckinridge tells
US that he made speeches for Cass, although
up to the publication of that letter be had
been for Taylor but then it was he found
out that Cass presented his principles. Here
we find Breckinridge again boiling. Cheers
and laughter. My friends, l never yet
bolted the regular ticket Of my party-nev-