The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1860-03-02
The Opposition Convention.

The Opposition State Convention terminated
its abors by designating Simon Cameron as the
choice of the Peoples party OF Pennsylvania
for President of the United States, and by
nominating Andrew g. Curtin as its candidate
for Governor. The Convention was charac-
terIzed by great disorder throughout, and at
times presented more the appearance OF a mass
meeting or mob than grave and digElfied
representative body. This arose, in great
measure, from the ncongrnous nature OF the
material COLLECTED together. Every shade,
stripe and hue of Opposition to the Democratic
party were met together, with no other bond
of sympathy than a common hatred OF the
principles of the great national party, and
common desire for the spoils ofvctory. There
were men who had been Wings, men who bad
been KnoW-Nothings, men who bad voted for
Fillmore, men who voted TOR Fremont, ana
men who had been Democrats. There were
also men who had in turn espoused and aban-
doned nearly every party, and were first Wings
or Democrats, then Know-Noihings, then Re-
publicanS, then Opposition, and finally Peoples
party. There were men who have abused
Cameron without stint and Iauded him without
reason-men who in 1888 slgnet the celebIa-
ted "BuzzaFds' Feast" protest, denouncIug him
as the worst and most corrupt of mortals, un-
fitted for the United States Senate, met in
1860 to present him with acclamations as the
most worthy statesman, qualified to adorn the
Presidency. 1t was, in truth, an assemblage
of men who had, in the course OF few ears,
affirmed and denied almost every political
principle thing of shreGs and patches-an
incongFuous jumbe of political inconsistencies.
This was the character OF the Convention
which met in this place in the pretended name
OF the people, to designate candidates for Presi-
dent and Governor and to purify the politics of
the State.
Ex-Gov. Pollock was very happily selected
to provide over this aSsembage, he being the
living representative of the dangerous and
ephemeral nature of what the Opposition dig
nifty with the name of principle. Once cleo
ted Governor by an overwhelming majority of
the people misled by momentary excitement,
his administration proved signal failure, and
he retired from office marked with popular
dIsapprova, after the most unsuccessful and
odous administration which the State ever
witnessed. On the present occasion he appear
ed again on the surface to inaugurate another
movement more disgraCeful and dangerous than
the one with which his name is unhappiy
associated.
The person designated as the choice OF this
Convention Tor President was aSsailed on the
floor of tie Convention with the utmost power
of intense hatred. If half that was said against
him by party friends is true, then his party
enemies have but 20 repeat their statements to
show that the Convention presented, as ifs
candidate, one who ought not to be President
of the Unite States. This war upon the candi-
date OF the majority was so fierce and determin-
ed, that they were compelled to abandon the
original programme OF selecting all the dele
gates to Chicago, and to accede to demands
which must result in a divided delegation
The result will be to admit some OF Gen.
Cameron's most decided enemies from this
State into the Chicago Convention, and thus
far TO damage his prospects. The plan of a
united delegation was not full carried.
Andrew G. Curtin, the candidate for Cover
nor, was Secretary OF State under the Pollock
administration. We have ample tins to ex-
amide his claims hereafter. At present we
can oily say tia: if the charges brought against
him by members of his own party, of acts
performed while in connection with that ad-
minisTation, can be substantiated, he is destin-
ed to suffer a defat more overwhelming than
that once administered by the people 10 his
grandfather, Andrew Gregg.