Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-08-03


Roger A. Pryor ana stephen A. BodAgna-
| From DE Atlanta (ee.,) confodefasy, Juiy =.
In the month Of March, 1858, Roger A.
Pryor issued the first number Of the Rich,
mond South. From Mr.. Pryor's high posi-
ton, socially and politically, and from his
recognised ability both as speaker and
writer and from his known devotion to the
rights Of his native section, The South took
the front rank as a leading political Journal.
This position Of lofty eminence and proud
leadership in American journalism SO early
attained by Mr.. Pryor, made him very soon
the just and earnest exponent Of southern
sentiment.
During the Kansas embroglio, and the
difficulties arising iherefrom, between the
Administration and Judge Douglas, il is
only necessary to say that Mr. Pryor, through
the columns Of the South, strongly reprobst-
ed the policy Of the Administration in It's
mad efforts to defeat Judge Douglas for tho
Senatorship by the election Of Lincoln.
After the Illinois Senatorial contest was
decided, and after The rejection of Kansas
under the Lccompton constitution, and af-
ter the decision Of the Supreme Court in
the case of Dred Scott, Mr. Pryor, in the
early part of November, 1858, took the
strongest possible positions through the col
umns Of the South, why Judge Douglas
should be the nominee of the Democratic
party in 1860 for the Presidency. Mr.. Pry-
or gave eleven reasons, as follows:
l. Judge Douglas affirms the original and
essential inferiority Of the negro.
2. He denies that the negro was intend
ed to be embraced within the distractions
of the Declaration of Independence, and as
serts that the right of freedom and eqality
was predcated only Of the dominent race
of white men.
g. He denies the privileges of citizenship
to negroes.
A. He afirms the compatibility of con-
federacy of free and slave states, and the
possibility of their harmonious co-existence
under a common constitution.
5. He affirms the absolute sovereignty of
the states in respect to their domestic in
stitutions, and denies the authority of the
federal government to discriminate against
the interests of slavery.
6. He inculcates the policy of non-inter-
vention, as between the free and slavehold-
ing states as well as between the latter and
the federal government.
7. He supports the decision Of the Su-
preme Court, and asserts for slavery the
right of colonization in the territories.
8. He upholds the guarantees of the fed
eral constitution in respect to the rights Of
the south.
9. He maintains the dignity and inde-
pendence of the senatorial function against
the encroachments of Executive usurpation.
10. He protests his opposition to Black
Republicanism tevery point and upon ev-
cry principle.
IL. He pledges himself to fidelity to the
Organization, principles and nominees Of the
Democratic party.
Shortly after the appearance Of the elev-
en- foregoing reasons in the Richmond South,
which were er cathedra by this southern
rights organ, for the purpose of substantial
ling the orthodoxy Of Judge Douglas, the
New York Tribune said:
"If South Carolina should object to can
didate for President who plants himself up
on that platform she must be fastidious in
deed"
Such then, was the opinion entertained
OF Judge Douglas in November 1858, by
Hon. Roger A. Pryor, the editor Of tho
Richmond South, and justly styled, since
the death of the elder Richie, the Napoleon
of southern journalism.
Mr.. Pryor went even farther, and ANAL
gamated the South with the Washington
States, aud became the solo editor Of that
strong Douglas organ, until about three
months previous to his election to Congress
from the Petersburg district Mr.. Pryor
up to the nomination of John G. Brecken-
ridge for the Presidency, was regarded as
the warm adhercnt of Judge Douglas, hav-
ing never publicly recanted the sound ortho-
dox position he had assigned the distinguish
ed Illinoisian in his article of November,
1858, containing the eleven celebrated arti-
cles of democratic faith.
To-day we find Mr.. Pryor the supporter
Of John G. Breckenridge for the Presidency.