Des Arc citizen., 1860-07-18
stiil had more votes than enough to nominate

tious. The rule adopted requiring the sue cessful candidate to obtain a. majority of all ! the votes cast wasin accordance with the pro 'ceedings of every previous State Democratic Convention. The same rule was adopted in the first Democratic convention ever held 2 in the State, and has continued through all successive conventions down to the present , day It wasthe rule adopted in the conyen- tions that atnominated candida atesi for Governor in 1874, 1S4S, ls52, and l856- The same rule was adopted at the recent convention, and un- der it's operation, Ireceived the nolnination on the second ballot, and was then. by d vote taken, made the unanimous nominee Of the con
 vention. t-.sls..l .,,,.i rr., ...l.t, 5..use.| i 1 have thus shown that no usage or custom of the party was violated, as has been charged. Over three-fourths of the counties were pres Il dent-nore than qnorum-and by vote of over three to one, the majority rule in making nominations was adopted. That the majority of qaornm shal do business is a prihci pie that lies at the very foundation of our State government, and princi pie that has been re- cognised and established in!eyery State Demo- cratic Convention ever held in Arkansas. The recent State Convention. following the prece- dent set also recognised and adopted it, and as the principle that the majority shall rule has been acceptable to the Democracy hereto- fore, it was thought it would prove acceptabe c lnow Principles never change, eithAr with
 
 the same everywhere and always. That the majority shall rule Tn ,Arkansas IS principle lso well established, that to alter it would be to after the very nature of the State govern Iment itsef.niTIo a Wou d#H' si4e24
 The State Democratic Convention, in all leases. was. exceedingly liberal to those who opposed my nomination. It permitted the votes of Jackson and Srott couhdes to be cast and counted against me- though neith of the counties was represented ip7 thebconvention. In the bill of indictment preferred against the convention. I think this fact should be set down to it's credit. It was not acaptioas body by any means It was conposeth of liberal and intelligent gentlemen who sincerely desired to ascertain the wish of a majority of the Dem ocfatic party of the State and to act accord Tinsly They acted geIefonsly on'a II occasions, rand were farfrom meri ing heaopprob idm sought to be cast upon them, haslai4ns aars
 The Democratic State Convention adopted a platform that colntnands my cordial app oval. quote the resolution on the great issue that tnow divides she North and South the qaes- ton in regard to thesprotectloa of slave prop | erty in the teGrjtofie3 ,4.tsaz r .
 sResoved, mt we e atfi .rn the political tprinciples enaneiated in the Cincinaati plat form byGhea De noceacy of the Uaised States in June, 1856, and assert, as illustrative there l of that ne ther Congress nor territorial leg islatufe whether by direct fegi latfon, or by legislation of an indirect and unfriendy char acter. possess power to annul or impair the constitutional rights of any citizen of the Uni ted States to take his slave property into the common territories, and there hold and enjoy the same, and that if experience should at any j time prove that the Judiciary and executive powers do not possess the means to insure pro- ltection to constitutional ri9hts in territory --and if the territorial government should fail to provide the necessary remedies for that purpose, it will be the duty of Congress to supply the deficiency" zi9H 1AN
 These views have the indorsement of a sol- emn decision of the Supreme. Court of the United States. That court held that ''the right of property in slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution.'' That 'no word can be found in the Consultation which gives Congress greater power oyer slave property, or which entities property of that Kind to less protection, than property of any other description, The only power, con l ferred is the power coupled with the duty of guarding and protecting the owner in his rightsl' The Supreme Court held that the Iterritories, whether organized or unorganized, are the common property of the States, and that they are held and governed by the Federal 1 Government as the representative and trustee Eof the people of the United States. All citi- zens of the United States have the right, under the Constitution, to enter any of the terrjto- IIlB5, WlLu JutAf plOpei v lHCluuitf, SuCli slaves, and when there, have the right to pro- tectionsinathe possession and enjoyment of their propertyr9 Such is: the decision of the Supreme Court, Such, too, are the views of oar present able and patriotic President. Mir. Buchanan used the following explicit language in his message: o8 egW 9a gfH -fil1ais u 'sThe right has been established of every citizen to take his property of every kind, in clnding slaves, into the common territories fc cf,If %ba Al A,. tederacy, md to have it protected there ander the Consultation ''sllL 9gu99ia 4G bsafes9
 Congress neither has the power to establish l or prohibit slavery in the territories, This far non-intervention in the domestic concerns of territory is the sound doctrine But if citizen ofthe U ited States takes his slave into a territory, he does so under the anthori- ty of. the Copstitutiop, and Is entitled to pro- tection in the possession of that slave and t is the imperative duty of Congress to afford such Drotection whenever i51sneededsH
 k.i If Congress cannot establish or epfohibit slavery in territory, neither can 1t confer such power upon territorial legislature. = That power rests solely with the people of the iteInitofy, when they numberfeuoaghsto toentitle them, under the apportloninent law, to rep sentative ns Congress, and when. after test ing the adaptability of the soil and climate to ageAaboi,,they come to form constitution, peeparatoryto zidnissionas "a Slate into the Union nsApd # the legislature of a territory cannot Hprohbit slavery by direct meats, neither can it do so by indirect means. The indirect means, such as s. atf,ieAdty Aegisa- .rion by mean- of discfiminstIng taxatioRsp is Jas palpabIY inavolati9a of the Fed9fah Consll- tution as the direct, and morally Tar more obf noxious to censare,
 The doctrine f D rotection to slaVery.in the territories is one that may be dspied by@ por- tioniof the Dsnpcrtcy in the No thern States
 but it is d doctrine based lpoa 'nch so'ii foanr ,riatiops that by iuqhry and diseSssioa, II will soon obtain as the practice of the F7iels Coy ernment. All that, is necessary QPoa the pdrt of the Snnth is frmness and tenacit9 oe pnr- pose Weneed not fear discussion. Discus sion is the very life oe tn einittntioa of slave ". The more he institution F inquired into, and the nor that is known of 1t. the mofe fxed and popular it becomes in the popGlar mind. The past demonstrates this fact.- Twenty years ago nearly the whole Southern people were apologists for slavery as neces- ssry evil, bat now not only the southern, but a respectable portion of the Northern people, think and belive the institution of slavery to ne a common blessing to both the white and black races. This has been brought abont by discussion. The proposition to repeal the Missouri restriction, had 1t been made twenty k-... rultr sba ttttAi-