Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-08-09
=, June 3Gth, 1860.


Dear Str - am IN receipt
of yours of the 28th, asking my views in ref
erenee to the duty of National Democrats IL
Pennsylvania at this time My attitude In
the Democratic party is humiliating indeed,
Every lover of Union to Office and the contin,
ued prosperity and perpetuity of his own
chances IN, must feel for me. It is not my
purpose TO take the responsibility for this
state Of things. Reproaches would furnish
no remedy for any errors Of our party. Pec-
sonal ambition and alterations about the
spoils, have produced the evil. Having
stranded the vessel of democracy, however.
nothing remains for US now but to try ana
save the pieces. | now hasten to define my
position. 1t is due for myself to say that /
never had any fixed principle in reference 10.
any subject, as nay whole life abundantly tes-
titles.
My own views, for myself, are decided with
Mr.. Douglas on one side, and Mr.. Breekiu-,
ridge on the other, As it is now morallg
certain that Mr.. Breckenridge will receive
more electoral votes than Mr.. Douglas, am
now in favor Of him and his doctrine. As ]
remarked before, | have no principle to sec
riGce in any course | may see TT 10 take
However, ! am, and have been from the start
in favor Of the noninteryention Of the terri:
tories with the Federal Executive and the
reference of the constitutional rights Of all
the States to the Sanitary Committee Of the.
Board of Aldermen. | recognize that slaves
in this country are usually black were they
white, the difference would perhaps be essen
tial. | was in favor of an open declaration
of this principle by the late Democratic Ma
tional Convention, and if had been dele
gate | should have voted unanimously in
spots for such platform. should also have
voted for the candidate who held them. But
in an evil hour that convention failed TO give
such an open declaration Of its principles az
| now have, and the action of the committee
which you have honored to preside over
should be to remedy that emission and set
me comfortably upon both the political hors-
es now ruuning-that should command your
first attention. s..'
As / before remarked, for myself would
rather ride in a Douglas carriage but ana
sufficiently patriotic to ride both, and as
Breckenridge gives promise of making the
longest race, | am perfectly willing to be pla-
ced on his back. My own notion is that if
you can prepare saddle that will co3er both
horses, had better place myself in that po.
sition. As matters now stand upon the Pres-
idential question, it is not possible to prevent
Lincoln's election, and ] am free to confess
that my own private opinion is that Curtin's
election is a sure thing Yet we know not
what day may bring forth, and do not be
liege that the day of miracles is forever gone;
therefore, however dark my prospects for
election are, yet by singing na,tna on the ques-
tions that scattered and peeled our party, and
being on both sides of all questions,
might be elected. If you can fix Hp.
an electoral ticket that will have a show Of
fairness, and thus blindfold the rank and file
of our party, and secure their votes, we car
transfer the rabid Douglas men to Breekeu-
ridge. IT'S true that in our section of the
State, the people who have voted with us in
times past. are divided between Douglas and
Breckenridge, the former has decided ma.
jority yet they are too simple to understand
things cr too anxious for little Offices to make
any fuss, so that, with few exceptions,
(such as an old fiery editor and q noisy law
yer, with more zeal than influence, and their
followers who are honest in their views we
can induce them to give in to Breckenridge
and to Congressional legislation Of slavery
into the territories. Be sure and act for my
election. Principle we all know is not now
to be thought of yet we must make the poor
silly clodhoppers believe that our country ie
in danger, and the Constitution and the I'm
ion cannot survive unless | am elected Gov
ernor and somebody else President.
Yours, in much trihulation,
~ #**##+
P. S.-If two electoral tickets are run in
this State, / will be willing to run 1oih
both of them while they run, and run
away from them when they stop.