Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-06-02
poll UGAL.
Address to the National DemOcrac cv


The undersigned, members of the National
Dcm"cr't'I party supporters of It's prin-
c!iples, and deeply anxious by promoting
its harmony, to preserve unimpircl the
efficiency of its Organization, desire to ioin
III counsel with their Democratic brethren
throughout the Uuitcd States.
The proceeding Of the Convention recently
assembled III Charleston have developed i,
divergence Of opinion between the delegations
or the different States in relation to the
principles which form the basis of our Union.
The National Democracy platform adopted
ut Cincinnati in 1856 met the cordial appro-
val OF all who believe these United States to
be, which their very name imports, union
OF States equal, sovereign, and endowed in
all respects with equal rights This uppro-
val Was based on what seemed to lis to be the
plain meaning of the resolutions embraced in
that platform.
During the four years, however, which
have since imtcrvcncd, it has become pain
fully apparent that the construction deemed
by us so maniieStly ii hit is controvortcd by
many members of our party; that other prin-
ciplcs arc supposed to find countcnaace ia that
platorm-principics, in cur Judgment, sub
vorsive Of tho true theory of the Government
and Of the Constitution to which our. Union
owes It's birth, and on whose preservation its
permanent existence depends
What is tho history of the recent Convcn-
ton at Charleston
Seventeen States, forming majority OF
the whole, adopted with remarkable unanim.
lty platform of principles so wortlcd as to
avoid the possibility Of niisconshuction--
principles deemed political axoms by all
who uphold the equal rights of the States as
the very basis of the Confrdemcy. Many
delegates from the remaining sixteen States
coucurrcd in opinion with this majority, con
spcuous amongst whom were delegates from
Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The, States which adopted this platform
give electoral votes which can be relied ON
with absolute certainty In f,yor Of dcmooptic
nominees, and well grounded confidence is
entertained Of n like result in Pennsylvania
and. New jersey, These seventeen States
united with Pennsylvania alone comprise a
majority of the entire electoral vote OF the
United States, able to elect the democratic
nominees against tho combined opposition OF
all the remaining States. -
This platform was deliberately rejected by
combination composed of small fraction
of the delegates from the seventeen demo
cratic States and avery large majority of the
delegates of the remaining sixteen States (;
and a resolution was adopted in its stead
simply reailirming the principles of tho. Gin
cinnati platform, without explanation or in
depreciation, of its disputed meaning This
was done with the openly-avowed purpose of
enabling the democratic party to wage battle
with somo chance of success in certain North
ern and Western States by presenting to the
people as its doctrines principles openly aud
expressly repudiated by majority of the
democratic State delegations, and by a ma
'ority approaching unanimity of the demos
tic electoral vote of the Union
0'T Tho delegations of eight States, together
,;.hao no Aor, IN. OF that Of Delaware, faithful
sdSarepts @IS"~ t Of ou, party and ayq Supporters
* ias pplaeipeg, yerr thus by sa share force
eof votes past by delegqtcs from states that that,
will certainly Vote TOP the iepobislosan ss eau a.
didates, compelled to YithdIaW ITO" 'ns