The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-07-19
Acceptance of the Hon. John G. Rreck.
inridge. =
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
BALTIMORE, Nd. June "a 1880

SIR Il am directed by vote of the
Democratic National Convention to in
form you that you have been this day
unanimously nominated by it as the
candidate Of the Democratic party for
the office of President of the United
States, and in their behalf to request
you to accept the nomination. / beg
leave at the same time to enclose you
copy of the resolutions adopted by
the Convention as the political platform
on which the party stands. Ihave the
honor to be,
Very respectfully,
&. CUSHING, President.
Hon. j. G. BRECKENRIDGE.
WASHINGTON CRY, July 6, 1860.
DEAR SIR:-I have your letter of
23d ult., by which / am officially in
formed of my nomination for the Office
of President of the United States by
the Democratic National Convention
lately assembled at Baltimore.
The circumstances of this nomina-
ton 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 name was
presented to the Convention at Charles
ton, it was Withdrawn by a friend in
obedience to my expressed wishes.
My views had not changed when the
Convention re-assembled at Baltimore,
and when ] heard of the differences,
which occnrred there, my indisposition
to be connected prominently with the
canvass was confirmed and expressed
to many friends. -
Without discussing the occurrences
which preceded the nomination, and
which are or will be well understood
by the country, have only to say that
| approved, as just and necessary to
the preservation of the National organ
ization and the sacred right of repre-
sentation, the Convention over which
you continued to preside and thus
approving 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 l have been as
signed. Accordingly, | accept the
nomination from sense of public du
ty, and, as | think, uninfluenced in any
degree by the allurements of ambi
ton.
avail myself of this occasion to say
that the confidence in my personal and
puclic character implied by the action
of the Convention, will always be CRATE
fully remembered; and it is but just
also, to my own feelings to express my
qualification at the association of my
name with that of my friend Gen. Lane
a patriot and soldier whose great ser
vices in the field and in the council en-
title him to the gratitude and conf
dence of his countrymen. - If eu
The resolutions adopted by the Con
vention have my cordial approval
They are just to all parts of the Union
to all our citizens, native and natural
lied, and they form noble policy fol
any Administration. -
The questions touching the rights O
person and property, which have o
late been much discussed, find in thes,
resolutions a constitutional solution
Our Union is Confederacy of equa
sovereign States, for the purposes emu
! merated in the Federal Constitution
t Whatever the common Governmen
holds in trust for all the States must b,
, enjoyed equally by each. 1t control.
, the Territories in trust for all tb,
) States. Nothing less than soyereignt,
: can destroy or impair the rights ofper
, sons or property. The Territoria
} Governments are subordinate and tenn
porary, and not sovereign hence the,
!, cannot destroy or impair the rights o
} persons or property. While they con
tinue to be Territories they are under
the control of Congress, but the Con
stitution nowhere confers on any brancl
of the Federal Government the powe
, to discriminate against the rights of tn,
, States or the property of their citizen
l of all Territories. 1t follows that the
, citizens of all the States may enter tn,
: Territories of the Union with thei
t property, of whatever kind, and enjo,
, it during the territorial condition with
| out let or hindrance, either by Congress
t or by the subordinate Territorial Gov
! ernnents.
| These principles flow directly from
t the absence of sovereignty in the Ter
a ritorial Governments, and from tn
] equality of the States. Indeed, the.
/, are essential to that equality, which is
E and ever has been, the vital principl
of our constitutional Union. The,
y have been settled legislatively-settle,
S judicially, and are sustained by righ
a reason. They rest on the rock of tn
, Constitution-they will preserve tn
e Union. f eet q isioe =
, 1t is idle to attempt to smother thes
j great issues, or to misrepresent then
: by the use of partisan phrases, whicl
r are misleading and delusive. The pee
: pie will look beneath such expression
!, as Intervention, "Congressiona
0 Slave Code" and the like, ant
S will penetrate to the real questions In
4 volved. The friends of Constitutions
a equality do not and never did demant
a Congressional Slave Code" nor an,
q other code in regard to property in tn
E Territories. They hold the doctrine o
e non-intervention by Congress or by
{ Territorial Legislature, either to estab
j. lish or prohibit Slavery; but they as
| - /f<.~x.c<.I