Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-07-25
How. J. C. BREcKlNRIDGE.

Washington City, June 26, 1860.
DEAR SIR Il have your letter of the
23d inst, 10y which | am officially inform-
ed of my nomination for the office of Pres
ident of the United States by the Demo-
cratic National Convention, lately asseme
bled at Baltimore.
| The circumstances of this nomination
will justify me in referring to its personal
aspect.
! have not sought nor desired to be
placed before the country for the Office of
President When my nsme was presen-
ted to the Convention at Charleston, it
was Withdrawn by friend in obedience
to my expressed wishes. My views had
not changed when the Convention reas~
sembied al Baltimore and when heard
of the differences which occurred there,
my indsposition to be connected promi.
nently with the canvass was confirmed
and expressed to many friends.
Without discussing the occurrences
which preceded the nominations, and
which are or soon will be well understood
by the country. have only to say that
| approve, as just, and necessary to the
preservation of tho national organization,
and the sacred right of representation,
the action of the Convention over which
you continued to preside; and thus APP
proving it, and having resolved TO sustain
! it, feel that it does not become me to
select the position | shall occupy, nor to
shrink from the responsibilities of the
| post to which have been assigned. Ac>
cordingly, accept the nomination from
a sense of public duty and, as ! think,
uninhuenced in any degree by the allure
ments OF faHbition.
avail myself of this occasion to say
that the confidence in my personal and
public character, implied by the action Of
the Convention, will always be gratefully
remembered and it is but just, also. to
my own feelings, to express my gratitica-
ton at the association of my name with
that Of my friend Gen eral Lane, a patriot
and a soldier, whose great services in the
field and in council entitle him to the
gratitude and confidence of his country
men.
The resolutions adopted by the Conven-
ton have my cordial approval. Dlley are
Just to all parts of the Union-to all our
citizens, native and naturalized and they
form a noble policy for any Administra-
ton. The questions touching the rights
Of person and property, which have of
late been much discussed, find in these
resolutions a constitutional solution. Our
Union is confederacy Of equal sovereign
States, for the purposes enumerated in
the Federal Constitution. Whatever the
common Government holds in trust for
all the States, must be enjoyed equally by
each. |. controls the Territories in trust
for all the States. Nothing less than SOW
ereignty can destroy or impair the rights
of persons or property. The Territorial
Governments are subordinate and tempo.
rary, and not sovereign hence they cans
not destroy or impair the rights of persons
or property. While they continue to be
Territories they are under the control of
Congress, but the Constitution nowhere
confers on any branch of the Federal Gov.
ernment the power to discriminate a.
gainst the rights of the States, or the
property of their citizens in the Terrific
ries. 1t follows that the citizens of all
the States may center the Territories of
the Union with their property Of whatev.
er kind, and enjoy it during the territo'
rial condition, without let or hinderance,
either by Congress or by the subordinate
Territorial Governments.
These principles flow directly from the
absence of sovereignty in the Territorial
Governments, and from the equality oG
the States. Indeed, they are essential to
that equality which is, and ever has been,
the vital psinciple Of our constitutional
Union. They have been settled legisla-
lively settled judicially, and are sustained
by right reason. They rest on the rock
of the Constitution. They will preserve
the Constitution-they will preserve the
Union.
1t is idle to attempt TO smother these
great issues, or to misrepresent them by
the use Of partiz,n phrases, which are mis-
leading and decisive. Tnc people will
look beneath such expressions as "inter-
vnntion," Congressional slave CODE" and
the like, and will penetrate to the real
questions involved The frien Ia of equal.
ity do not, and never did demand Con
gressionol slave CODE" nor any other code
in regard to properly in the Territories.
Thay hold the doctrine of nonintaryo,,