The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-03-01
Address to the People Of Pennsylvania.

AOulCsS w tu0 coplO VI OhheJ As onAs'
The people of Pennsylvania assembled
in Convention at Harrisburg, on the tirth
pay Of the Father of bis Country, hereby
nominate General SIMON CAMERON for
President Of the United States.
This act is not done hastily, nor with
out careful consideration of all its conse
quences, and of all the issues involved in
the present uomentous struggle for the
highest Office in the gift of this great ma
ton.
The reasons which have Influenced us
in coming to the conclusion We have
reached, We now present to our fellow
citizens:
lst. General CAMERON is the only man,
so far as We can see, of ell those now
mentioned for the Presidency, who can
unite the entire body of people who are
opposed, to the present corrupt aDd dis
graceful Administration. That major
ity of the nation are opposed to it we
fully believe; but there is imminent dan.
ger, from the want, not of strength, but
of Union, of failure to elect any man
who will be an honor to the country 1t
is very clear that any candidate who, on
the one hand, is considered ultra or ex
travagant in bis views, or who, on the
other, would be considered ss untrue to
those principles of liberty which are the
very pulsations Of a freeman's heart, could
not command the sulfrages of the united
Opposition. The man who will be elec-
ted must be able to carry Pennsylvania
and the States which lie, West Of it, while,
at the same time, there must be nothing
in his character or history which will pre-
vent his being received with entire cor
dialty by the Eastern States, by New
York, and by the North West. We are
unable to name any statesman who com
bipes these requisites except the man OF
our choice. For more than half centu
~ no President las been elected without
the vote of Pennsylvania. The loss OF
this State and that of the others to v WhIeh
we have adverted, was the cause ct our
defeat at the lat election. Let Us ioarB
wisdom by experience.
2. That General CAMERON name is a
tower of strength in Pennsylvania ap-
pears from our action to-day. But the
causes of it are not obscure. lie has
been the early and unwaveriug friend Of
every measure calculated to develop the
resources Of the State and to protect its
domestic industry. Not mile of canal
has been dug, nor section of railroad
constructed, in which he has not taken an
interest. In bringing the iron and the
coal from their mines and making the m
productive and useful, he has been con
stantly active, and to no nan more than
to General CAMERON can We confidently
look for the restoration of the cheerful
hum of neglected industry in this old
Commonwealth. by nature so highly fa-
vored. A Peunsylvanian's heart is IN
hin. and no man dare say that he has
not constantly and unswervingly given
bis best energies to her welfare. And
she, as is fitting, now presents him to the
nstion-his faitbfulness to her is pledge
that be will De faithful to the whole coun
try.
3. We present General CEMERoN to
the people as national man in the best
and highest sense. With some persons
national character means only subserv
iency to an aristocracy Who are content
to live in ease on the sweat of the brows
of men, whom they look down upon as
their Interiors, Only made to be perpetu
sllJ servile General CAMERON believes
in no such nationality. He is self u nde
man. lie not only believes 10 free labor
in others, but he has ezemplifed it in bi-
own life. Possessed at first only of an
honest name, derived from virtuous and
not undistinguished ancestry, having on
y strong arm and clear brain, he has
bimself gained by biz own manly exer-
tiODs every step of his way. He can syn
pathise By experience, with all classes OF
bis fellow men. He has shown his abili.
ty to govern others by first governing
himself. He has never sought station
which be has not gained; he has neTer
failed in any undertaking which he Sc
riously essayed. He has been equsl to
every station he has reached. and be
knows himself so thoroughly that be will
accept nothing for which he is not fully
qualified. In regard to that great ques
ton now before the American people, and
on which all men have a right to dem mand
frank expression Of opiniOn-the ezten-
sion of Slavcry-Gencra5 Cameron's re-
cord is clear. Against the earnest plead
ings of personal friends high in power, he
voted for the Wilmot proviso. Every
where and at all times he has been on
this subject thorough Pennsylvania
This State, the first TO abolish slavery, in
her great emancipation law passed in
1850, seven years before the adoption OF
the constitution of the United States use
the following remarkable language
1--WE conceive that it is our duty, and we
rejoice that it is in our power, to extend
portion OF that freedom to others which
hath been extended to US, and release
them from that state ofthradom to which
we ourselves were tyranuically doomed
and from which we have now every pros.
pect of being delivered. We esteem it a