The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-04-11
The Charleston Convention.

I0LnuIhS Ludt THIS uOoyB "HeH usse"utCuj
will present one of the greatest spectacles
ever exhibited in any country. The chosen
representatives of over thirty millions of
people, will meet on the twenty.third of this
month, to perform the highest duty of free
people-to select one man from the body OF
the nation to be a candidate for its chief
msgistracy. In monurches no parallel act
of popular power like this can ever occur.
The head of the government exists by the
right of succession, broken only by ware and
revolutions. There dynasties may change,
but the king never dies. In our confedera.
ted, constitutional republic, the dynasty OF
the people never changes. They delegate
their highest power to national head, for
definite period OF time, and when that period
of time has expired, receive it back. to again
delegate it to whomsoever they will. Ever
responsible to the people who elect him for
the manner in which he administers the
government, the position of chief magistrate
of this republic is not one for the acquisition
Of personal power, or for the qualification Of
purely personal ambition. The highest
honor of a President is to act for the
good of the people. The Office is national
one, and from it the interests of the whole
nation must be regarded with an eye Of cqui
ty and justice.
Since the formation Of this confederation
Of States, the policy Of the Democratic par.
ty, as possessing more entirely the elements
of nationality snd progress, than any other,
has maintained the control of the Govern
ment. Those who have opposed the policy
Of the Democratic party, have generally
been regarded by the people as the enemies
of the Republic. At the present time the
national party of the country is opposed by
one more purely sectional in its character
than ever before. The tendency of its poll.
cy is to array one section of the Union
against another. 1t boldly announces as its
issue, an "irrepressible conflict" between the
North and the South on the question of sla-
very.
The National Democratic Convention Of
1860, in the present condition of the politi-
cal affairs of the nation, will be, beyond
doubt, the most imports mt assemblage which
this country has ever witnessed. The future
welfare and prosperity of the country,-per-
haps the very existence of our present form
of GovernmeDt,-will depend greatly upon
the wisdom, and justice, and harmony of the
Democratic delegates at Charleston, now
soon to meet. In their hands has been pla.
ced the fate of the Democratic party, and
probably the fate Of the country, for under
Republican rule, it is manifest that one half !
OF the country would be restricted in its
constitutional rights and privileges to an un-
just and most dangerous extent. The De-
mocratic Convention will be composed of
men representing a great diversity Of inter.
ests and opinions. Each State has its inter.
ests-each Democrat his opinions upon
public questions. These must not clash.-
The Convention must consider and Judge Of
all things pertaining 10 the welfare Of the
party ard of the country, and must "hold
fast to that which is good" The individual
preferences of men or of States, must be
yielded for the general good. No partisan.
ship for men must be permitted to disturb
the action of the great Democratic parity
1t must be one Democracy, centered upon
one candidate from the hour that the Con-
vention shall have decided who the Demo-
cratic leader in the coming campaign is TO
be. Now the North has her preferences,
and the South hers, as to the man who shall
be chosen TO lead US in campaign which
will be the most difficult. as we'll as the most
important, which the country has ever expe-
rienced. The representatives OF the party
at the Charleston Convention are selected
from The best men of the party with very
few exceptions. 1t will be their high duty
calmly to consider, ard wisely to decide,
who is the man, of all others in the party,
whose nomination will best insure the cor
rying out our great principles and who can
carry the votes of the united Democracy OF
the country.
We believe Stephen A. Douglas to be
that man. The great North West has spo.
ken for him in a voice which ia entitled tc
the highest consideration. He can carry for
the Democracy, in the coming campaign,
States which no other statesman In the
country can carry, and States which are ne.
cessary to a Democratic triumph. In his
hands, the great principles of the party, and
the rights and constitutional privileges OF
every section Of the country, will be sacred
ly regarded. 1t may be that the individual
preferences of many OF the Southern States
are for Hunter, for Breckenridge, or some
other equally high. minded De Democratic states.
man; but when the council meets, and the
strength of the great statesman from ILL
nois, is fully presented to the Democratic
representatives of the country, we believe
that the conservative Democracy of the
North and North. West will be able to give
their brethren of the South good and sub
I" "etantial Democratic reasons why he should
Ravenna,ted as a leader, before all others.
Te every confidence in the men who
- ose the Charleston Convention. -
nS .aot fear that their action will be
E..s9a'Iss thss for the safety and success Of
fYROT