The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-09-26

SIR: I propose to address to you few
remarks relative to your present attitude
before your country and your party, in which
I shall, in plain and humble way, endea-
vor to present a brief review Of your course
during and preceding this campaign.
| have no apology to offer, save that you
are seeker of Democratic sudrages, aud
that am Democrat of unchanging quail
ty, who believe that the wit Of man never
devised and set up an organization equal to
the Democratic party for the earthly good OF
the human race-a Democrat who has not
sought or shared such exalted lavors as have
been lavished upon you,-but one who will
Weld to no man in his sing gleness OF devotion
to one great party, and its broad and eleva-
ted purposes.
1t is foregone conclusion that you accept,
as sound, the Democratic doctrine of "non-
Intervention" on the slavery question. It
is idle for any national man, much less a
natianal AA~.ssaass.- 1Aipa. sssqaa
7 Stand on any other ground The vitality Of
the Democratic party and its principles, in
regard to State rights, is involved in the idea
of non Intervention by the powers at Wash
ington in the internal affairs of any State or
| L
the Federal Constitution.
If proof were wanting Of the correctness
of this conclusion, would recall 10 your
memory the fact that you stood on the Cln :
cinnati platform, and advocated it-that you
wrote letter Of encouragement for Mr.
Douglas when he was engaged in his great
campaign against Lincoln, IN Illinois, with
"non- intervention" on his banner-that the
cabal lit was nothing else) which give you
the doubtful honor of d nomination at Bal
Il timore, passed resolutions, which, compared
with those df the regular Convention, which
nominated Douglas, showed no more essen
tial difference than there rs between h'J
and dried grassland that your late PAIN
full effort at Lexington was nothing more
nor less than on attempt to show ina
uour plan of non.nterventon was as gooc
effectual as that of Mr.. Douglas.
; We are, then, all non interventlonist
because, if we are not, we must wan
d Congress to interfere for or against SLAYER
. in the territories. IF against slavery, W
v are to Join hands with Giddngs' L'ncol!
n Gerri,t Smith and John Sherman-it
n favor of slavery, then our compeers AT
" Yancey, Keltt, Rhett, &C., SC, But yo
y and me, Mr.. Breckinrdge, are nation'
d men; we despise Aboltionsts, and we i'R
n fire -esters very little better. We ca
is co,lesce with neither, and thus, agreeing 0
e the main question, proceed to sketch IN
l events that have marked the tortuous pa'
n by which you have been led into your pre-
y ent unhappy position.
ID It has been asserted, and have no dpu
IN with truth, that you Qike many petty Fos
g masters, who have whispered their preiel
re ence for Douglas, are now long time
I'd ter the election of 1856, we're under the Of
q of executive displeasure- that the gre
n. and rood Buchanan frowned on your plaui
BILE approaches, often bending upon you
m eve Of stern dspIeusure. This report gal
On credence from the fact that you wrote ie
ur ter in favor OF Douglas, in 1858, conceiv
e. in your usual bold (but guarded) style. \.
er did not then think of being candidate
MS President in 1860! You thought '64 wou
air be early enough, when douglas havll
h his term,) you could come in nicely as
It candidate from the South.
ne Well, sir, under this impression 1t IS 81
n. that YOU arranged with the friends OF D
,te Guthrie that you should 60 to the Sena
ce and that he should be presented by ke
ms tucky for the Presidency. And here
I'VE me pay brief tribute to that staunch
IAN constant Democrat, James Guthrie. |
IN. sided in Kentucky, in 1881, and | well
10 member him, even then, as devoted
10. prominent leader of the Democracy.
his is not recent convert, and was not one
be those who participated in the political .spe
,an lation of bringing out Gen. Taylor for
ss. Presidency And ou, sir, in faithful
nee suance Of that arrangement, was cleo
the u. s. Senator, and Mr.. Guthrie was
sented bv Kentucky for the Presidency
ou You had clearly the best Of the bargain
ion. bird in the hand is worth two in the ous
pa. And do you think, sir, that you could d
rim. beeu chosen Senator il it had not oeen
+ a the a id OF MIR. Guthrie's friends! fou
it know that you could not-aud how nave
fuse reuulted the loyalty Of Mr. Guthi
erv @ Did YOU act in good faith to them by v
'o d.awing vour name from the list of ca
The dates for President at Charleston, and q
# a lntelv forbidding its use in the ConventI
a,v The friends of Mr.. G. say no! You
,bsi have written sort of hollow declina'
code bot did this prevent you from secretly
ther ferring with those who supported you
le Of man sged for you, and while declaring