The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-08-22

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS,
Montgomery county, Va, July IA, 1905
My DEAR SIR: Your note of July 9Th was
forwarded to Inc at this place from Washing
ton, and was read this morning You and
my other friends are quite right in discredit-
! ing and contradicting the rumor which you
tell me is afioat that | am "favoring the
| Northern Democracy and intend to support
Judge Douglas. | supposed that my course
had been so open, straightforward and undis
| guiSed ''that even a wayfaring man, though a
! fool" could not mistake it.
1t IS certainly true-aS you and all others
| familiar with my antecedents may already
have inferred, that am not altogether salts
| fed with the Charleston Baltimore platform
as laid down by our friends. 1t is equally
| true that have objections to both the letters
of Breckenridge and Lane accepting their re-
| spective nominations. But have not for a
moment thought of doing otherwise than
casting my vote in their favor.
To save all cavil now, and all dispute in the
future, as to my true position, / will briefly
| point out my objections to the platform, and
to the letters of our candidates accepting their
respective nominations This do mainly to
secure myself against misinterpretation here
! after.
The second in the series of resolutions
that constitute our platform, as find it pub
lished in the Constitution newspaper of the
10th of July inst, is in these words: THAT
lit is the duty of the Federal Government in
all its departments to protect aohep necessary,
the rights Of persons and property in the
Territories and wherever else its Constitu-
tional authority extends
! WOuid have mazda tho resolutions more
explicit in several particulars-for instance, l
would have inserted "slaves included after
the word property" and the words con the
high seas after the word Territories.
But my main objections to the resolution
consist in the intersection Of the words "aohe'l
necessary" They seem to me to be sadly out
of place. Of course no one wants protection
when or where it is not necessary. These
words as they stand in the resolution before
me imply that there is no present existing
necessity for protection. You, and all other
men who have done me the honor tn read my
speeches, know that l think otherwise. L
the resolution read, cit is the duty Of the
Federal Government, in all its departments
now and at all times, to protect the rights Of
persons and property, slaves included, in the
Territories, on the high seas, and wherever
else its Constitutional authority extends"
should have liked it better"
1t is noteworthy that the resolution which
offers protection to foreigners at home and
abroad, does not offer it "when necessary,
but it offers protection absolutely. To say
do not like the directness in the one case and
the lack Of it in the other. is the mildest form
in which / can express my dissent.
Mr. Breckipridgein his letter Of acceptance
says: ''The friends of Constitutional equality
do not and never did demand "Congres
sional slave CODE" nor any other 'code," IL
regard to property in the Territories. They
hold the doctrine Of non-intervention by
Congress or bya Territorial Legislature eithel
to establish or prohibit slavery" &c, &c. de
not see the use of such language If Congress
is in any contingency to pass laws protecting
slavery in the Territories, and if this is never
to DO done, then, in my opinion, the contro-
versy is t'much ado about nothing
Gen. Lane uses much the same language
in his letter of acceptance. Neither he mol
Mr.. Breckenridge gives that distinct assur
ance which l should like to hear, that thu
whole power of the Government, in all it
departments, is to be used, so soon as we ge
control of it, to protect our slave property il
the Territories and on the high seas, in thu
same way and to the same extent that othe
| huiuo VI PAOPSASy 10 PAOUSNNSN' 'AthAONe SNA~A
assurance, my past record shows that | can
not as an honest man say II am satisfied"
repeat again, shall vote for Breckinridgt
and Lane. The objections have stated ar
as dust in the balance when weighed agains
the formidable array which rise up agains
Lincoln, Bell and Douglas. Some of my
friends may think it out of place for me t.
make known my objections to the platform
and the candidates, as | intend to stand oil
one and vote for the other. To all such
can only say in kindness, have been misun
derstood before, and in future desire not Il
be.
I have said nothing of my objections b
Lincoln, Bell and Douglas. If these are no
sufficiently known or understood, / will max
them so before the election.
With great respect.
: Your friend, &C.,