The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-07-25
Gge 4ottags Sentinel,
Wednesday, July 25, 1880.
The Presidents Speech-POIitics
"a New Phase.

OF the United States has entered the arena
as partizan. 1t is true that previous Pres.
dents have, on proper occasions, addressed
the people, but their sentiments have been
expressed only upon national themes, in o
patriotic manner. 1t hos been reserved for
James Buchanan to bring all the power and
prestige and Influence Of the Presidential
position to bear against the decisions of q
clear majority of the representatives of the
people. AS the highest functionary and
chief representative of the great Democratic
organization of the country-an organiz1.
ton to which he has been indebted for oil
the positions which he has ever held, he has
chosen to adhere to his own pride of opinion,
with pertinscity as uHusual as it is iOiuri
Gus in the course of a Democratic states.
man, and has taken ground against the very
greatly Indebted.
On Monday evening last, from the balco.
ny OF the Execu i've mansion of the nation,
its President made partizan address to the
friends OF Breckenridge and Lane. In it he
admits the binding force of party organizl.
tions, and the necessity for sustaining regu
lar nominations. In this we wholly and
| heartily endorse his sentiments. But while
admitting the vital force Of the great Demo
cratic doctrine that majorities should rule,
by system of special pleading, unworthy
| OF the man or of his high position, he places
himself in an antagonism to that rule, and
80 far as he may be regarded as the High
Priest Of Democracy absolves every Demo.
crut from his allegiance to the organization.
To gain surfing place tor his argument,
| MP nhnp HFsf ho p:,1, IL
two thirds rule in nominating Conventions,
in order that o nomination might not take
place against the will of the Democratic
States, and then asserts that this "main pil.
lar in the editice of National Conventions"
was broken at Baltimore in the nomina ton
of Mr.. Doug las. This s a mere begging
of the question. Mr.. Douglas had tpo
thirds OF oil the votes given, and Mr.. Cass
was nominated for TIE Presidency in pre-,
cisely the same wuy. Nay, more, there were
2l2 delegates in the Convention. represent.
ing more than two thirds of the electoral
votes of the Slatesl when he was nominated
unanimously. Mr.. Buchanan claims that
utter the secession, the body which nomna-
ted Mr.. Douglas was no longer a National
Convention. Fortunately the customs and
usages OF the Democratic party, and the &C.
ton of previous Conventions has decided
: that question in advance OF the Presidents
ipSe dict. If Mr.. Douglas is not the regu
lar nominee of the Democratic party ir
1860, neither was DIR. Cass in lS4S.
But the President admits that if Mr.
Douglas was not regularly nominated, nei
ther was Mr.. Breckinrdge. Indeed, this is
generous admission, and coming from q
man OF DIR. Buchanan'S acknowledged Do.
lltical experience and sagaciy, it shows
profound researches in asCertaining the fact
|, Having arrived ut these conclusions in his
speech, Mr. Hucha0an the firm friend o.
regular nominations" proceeds to give hi.
reasons why he prefers the un.nominatet
Mr.. Breckinridge, to the nominated Mr.
Douglas. And here he betrays his depar
ture from all his previous Democratic odhe
sions to party rae and organization. 1t i
not because he prefers Mr.. Breckenridge, a
a man, to Mr.. Douglas. Not at all. 1t i
! because Mr.. Breckenridge favo.s and sup
ports certain political measures, which Dir
Buchanan also tavors and supports, bu
which Mr.. Douglas and msjorty of tn,
people OF the country have refused TO sane
ton. Utterly, and with singular blindness
for so sharp sighted and sagueous a polti
4 clan, the President has overlooked the preg
nant political faCt, that the party organiza
ton has decided against the policy Of ih
measures which he and Mr.. Breckinridst
S support. At the Charleston Convention
before any secession took place, platform
was adopted according to all the ancien
usoges, customs, practices, tenets and bind
ing obligations OF the Democratic organizl
{ tion, by majority of all the votes OF tn
d whole Convention representing all tn
States OF the Union, and this platform is no
> the one which Breckinridge supports. An
yet, Mr.. Buchanan prefers Mr.. BreCkinridg
to MIR. Douglas, for the very reason that tn
q former does not support the National Demo
> cratic platform, sanctioned as such by tn
, votes of a mpj1rity of the Democratic rep
= resentatives Of the nation. Carefully, Mr.
u Buchanan nbstains from alluding to the fact
that the Democratic party has established ,
platform at Charleston which, as tho lrient
Of Democratic usages, he, as we'll as every
v other Democrat, is bound to abide by. De
. feated before the people for his certoin dar
p ling measures, he prefers the man who ap
proves those measures, father than the mar
> who stands upon the regularly constituted
platform of the party. In his advocacy o
s regular nominations, and his support OF ar
i Irregular candidate upon an irregular plat
form, he is as inconsistent as Queen Vlcto
ria, who has recently issued solemn proc
lamation against vicious and immoral prac
=, tices, and especially horse racing, and the!
r went to the Derby with her whole retinue.
1t was hot thus that Mr.. Buchanan llh oug h
Of the Cincinnati platform, upon which h,
was elected President. In his letter of &C
r ceptance of the nomination of that Conven
D ton he said II need scarcely say accep
in the same spirit the resolutions constitu
ting the Platform OF principles erected b,
the Convention. TO this platform l shal
t confine myself throughout the canvass, be
, lieving that HAVE NO RIGHT, as tn,
candidate OF the Democratic party, by an
swering interrogatories, to present new an,
different i,sues."
What right has Mr.. Buchanan now t,
present "new and different issues" from
those which the msjority of the Nationa
Convention have decided upon4 What righ
D has he, as Democratic President, elected
under strict party organization, to take q
, stand against that organization, and in favol
of one whom he admits is not the regular
nominee OF the party Who gave him the
right or the power TO absolve the Democra.
cy from their allegiance and their obligation
, to submit to the will OF the msjority His
pride of opinion, it SCENE, is more powerful
than bis attachment to Democratic usages.
; He 10 right, and the platform of the party
. lie valueless in bis eyes. A, Democratic
President eschews the platform Of bis party,