Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-07-10
By REQUEST.
Speech of George w. Brent, esq,

Attic Doryie,s Ratification Meetinyi" Washington.
CONCLUDED.
Stephen A. Douglas for short period of
time separated himself from his Northern
associates and the sympathies of his North
ern friends, and he has placed himself in
antagonism and hostility to his Southern
friends. But notwithstanding this position,
Notwithstanding disaster threatened to over
whem him, yet boldly, III defence of the
constitutional rights of the South and this
Union, he stood forward the bold champion
of his brethren of the South. Look ut the
fearless stand which he assumed upon that
neculiar measure of the compromise Of 1880,
the fugitive slave law. The North, IA short
pcrod prior to that, had become so aggres
sye upon the rights of the South that they
had refused to carry out in good faith that
clause of the Constitution which renders it
obligatory upon them to return fugltlves
from labor, and it became necessary that a
new act of Congress should be passed in or
der to enforce that constitutional obligation
of duty. Stephen A. Douglas, in the dis
charge of his duty as u Senator. supported
that measure; and look at the result.
1t awakened storm of Indignation and
| fury against him in his own home III the
| Northwest: and it was said that upon his re-
turn there the Indignation was 80 great that
burning efigies Of himself illumiEed his
pathway home, and his own city Chicago,
had passed resolutions condemnatory of his
course. But Notwithstanding this furious
opposition against him in his own city, he
breasted to storm of public Indignation, even
at the hazard of his own life; and such was
the ability and eloquence with which he
maintained the constitutionaltY and pro-
priety of that measure, the City Councils OF
! Chicago, by "A large vote upon the ensuing
day, rescinded their resolutions Of condem-
nation. Great applause
Thus, my fclow-citlzens the whole career
Of Stephen A. Doug las has shown that he Is
an intrepid and fearless champion Of the
rights Of the States of this Union, without
regard 10 section. He has known no North,
no South, no East, in his Congressional ca
reer: and a. the past is a sufficient guarantee
| for what his future will be, you may rest as
! sured that if he is elevated to the Presiden-
! tial chair by the suftrages of the American
| people in the administration Of this govern.
| ment, he will administer it with equal JUS
tice to all sections, and without being sway
! ed by favor or affection to any. | therefore
| assert that his nomination by the Baltimore
| Convention is not only the triumph OF truth
| and Justice, but it is IL triumph OF the great
principle Of the National Democracy, t"r II
is the triumph of union over discord and
| disunion. 1t is the triumph of the rights Of
! the States. and the union Of the States under
| the Constitution over the di~integrated ele
| ment, Of sectonalism and tanatcsln. Ii is
| the triumph Of traditiopary and time-honor-
cd uSages, and the organization OF the old
| Democratic party over protest and rebellion
against their authority. (Applause.)
say this action was rebellion against the
organization of the party. For what are
parties established? Not in order to carry
out, as party, the mere behests OF the par
ty: they are established for the purpose ot
solving great national questions, OF laying
down important principles, and carrying out
and perpctuating those principles. They
are essential To the government: they are cN-
| sentia to society: and if when conventions
are fairly and soienny organized for the
purposc Of carrying out the great principles
Of the party, we permit members Of the con
vcntion 10 scccde and overthrow our parry
organization. say farewell 10 the suvccs>
and efficacy OF all party organizations.
W
| that our seeding brethren in Baltimore
| should undertake to sit in judgment upon
| the national Democracy? Upon what grounc
! did they sacede from the convention, 50 rs t.
! DESTROY It's efficiency? Was it upon Il qQcs-
ton oil principle? We find that at Charles
ton four States procssed to Withdraw from
| the convention upon prlncple---becao>e "a"
protection plank of slavery WAS not IL cor
puru,e in the platform, and therefore they
could not affiliate any longer with the mDin-
! hers Of the National Convention. But We
| find that party, Or we fad The most OF II, ut
any rate returning Ia Baltimore, and >eeE-
ing utilization and corporation with the verE
same convention from which they had Sec'-
! dcd; and when assembled at Baltimore, We
find that the great secession til2re took place,
not upon any question Of principle, but upon
!, question OF mere organization, or 10 tn"
admission CT certain delegates TO member
| ship in that body: thus, gentlemen. by rhe!r
own solemn admissions, condemnlnS them
selves, since they undertook to array theG'-
selves in rebellion against that convention
because that convention undertook 10 exrr-
else Il constitutions! right and power which
belongs to every deliberatiye body upon the
face Of the civilized globe, to determine for
itself the qualifications o! it's own members.
Not only were they, by this action AT
tempting the Reorganization of the party.
but they were at the same time attempting to
overthrow the bestcstablished and settled
principles Of parliamentary organization
that ever existed. Ii has not only the effect
Of destroying our party organization, bat the
effect of it is also TO disrupt the very party
itself ii threatens it with political annihla
ton; it strikes ut the very existence of the
Democratic party. For il upon such groni,ls
as this the South are justified iii seeding
from the convention, in sustaining the noAl
nation OF John {. Breckenridge, aud thereby
regulating the nomination OF Stephen \.
Douglas as the regularly nominated cand
date of his own party III convention assem-
biei, | say that very moment the bond Of
union between the Democracy North and,thc |
Democracy South is severed. 1t is not the
mere defeat OF the party, bat the very back
bone of the party is destroyed: the silver cord
is oosed and the golden bond broken, and the
party dies. Its result will be to sectonalizc |
nos issues alone, but parties in this country.
What mast be the result when wc become
organized in this country upon :. mere sec
tional basis alone. when we shall talk alone
IF a northern party and a southern party
One Of two things must inevitably result; |
.r tl, c,,,tbor- ,.ill