The Van Buren press., 1860-09-21
From the Macon (Ga.,) Teiegraya.
Letter from Col. O. A. Lochranc
Macon, Sept. 8, 1860.

your paper this morning, addressed by Inc
to a Breckenridge and Lane meeting, per-
nit me to say:
In the beginning Of the pending presi
DENTAL contest. promptly deslared in ia
vor Of Breckinridge and Lane. thought
was right, indeed was right. viewing
the field from the position which occupi-
ed. But subsequent Developments showed
that. Viewed it from q wrong stand point.
and that patriotism demands q reversal OF
the opinion I then formed. / thought the
Democratic party was divided Unto two
grand sections, North and South; that the
|movementof the secedcrs was great south
ern movement, looking in good faith to
the maintenance of southern rights, and
that it justly challenged and would receive
the almost unanimous support of the south
ern Democracy. Hence l felt it to be my
duty rs southern man to adhere to the seq
ond of my choice and my devotion. Bat
| was mistaken. True, the national Dem
ocratic party is divided, but eandor com
pels me to acknowledge that the schis,n
has been produced by extremists of the
South, and was foreshadow,d and predict
cd before the Charleston convention met bv
speeches and resolutions and by newspaper
comments whose sectional purport and pur-
poses were too plain to be mistaken. True,
the secedcrs profess to be governed bv
painciple, in seeking the recognition of the
right of congressional protection to slavery
in the Territories. y ,f-s-
But candor compels me to admit, what
against my pill am forced to see, that tn,
movement is really a warfare upon Ste
phen y. Douglas. In the beginning it
seemed as if the southern Democracy
would unanimously sustain the seccss ion
lists, and the Opposition party rally to the
support Of Breckinridge and Lane. But
the indications are too clear to be doubted,
thatsthey have but little available strength,
and that the effect Of their nomination will
be to give almost the entire southern clec-
toral vote to Bell and Everett, who really
stanl no chance whatever 20 he elected, for
they are as weak at the North as Brcckin-
ridge and Lane are at the South.
BreckInridge and Lane being thus weak
at the South, how do they stand at the
North? 1t is not. cannot be disgpisai chat
their nrincinal --rfoiI from the North
sD".es % IRON from the Federal office-holders Of
Mr.. Buchanan in his unrelenting warfare
upon Douglas. This constitutes but mere
handful compared with the great body Of
northern Democracy. 1t must be obvious,
therefore, to every candid man, that Breck-
inridge and Lane stand not the shadow Of a
chance OF being elected Bell and Everett
will lead them overwhelmingly at the South
they cannot carry single electoral vote
at the North. Such are the nakcl, unvar-
nishcd state of facts as it presents to nv
mind.
Hence it will be readily perceived, the
contest is between Douglas and Lincoln
in the free States. The South, for all prac-
tieal purposes, is taking no part towards
the defea: of Lincoln; she is throwing
away her divided strength upon Breckin-
ridge and Bell, while at the North, the Sc
cessionists, sustained by Mr.. Buchanan and
his army of office e-holdcrs, are .vainly adj
herring to Brcckinridge and Lane anl thus
only weakening Douglas in his great strug
gle with Black Republican cohorts. Undcr
this state of things, what is the duty of cv-
cry southern patriot? Is it not evidently
to rally to Douglas, who is the only cand-
date that can defeat Lincoln and avert from
the South the incalculable horrors of civil
war?
Seeing he has no strcngth-that his own
State repudiates him-that his candidacy
gives the South to Bell and Everett and
the North 70 Lincoln and lIamlin, Mr.
Breckenridge ought TO withdraw he owes
it to his own 9ame-he owes it to the MAJ
tional Democracy that has So highly honor
cd him-he owes it to the South, whose
ir terests are imperiled by his candidacy
ho owes it to the Union, if lie loves it
which is threatened with overthrow and
dissolution, by the probable election of Lin
coin.
never had any sympathy with the hua
and cry against Douglas on account OF pop
ular sovereignty. 1t is at least but anoth
er name for the principle Of non-interven-
ton, as embodied in the Nebrask act, and
to which all parties, North and South stand
pledged as permanent and final settlement
of the question. 1t is besides notorious
and too plain for argument that the very
men who have been denouncing Douglas,
not even excepting Breckinridg. have indor-
sed the doctrine as strongly and unequivo-
cally as ever Douglas did. and in my judg-
ment it is best for the South to stand by
the principle of non-intervention, leaving
the people of the Territories to regulate
their own domestic affairs in their own way
they must finally. and will primarily settle
| it, and the result be ever the same. There
| fore it is not wise that the national Demo
cratic party should be prostrated upon any
such issue as that Of Congressional proteo-
| ton, argue and reason it as men will. II
was not necessary. and was unwise for the
Southern States to depart from their engage
ment with the northern Democracy. t9
stand by the principle of non intervention
most unwise to do so on the eve of great
political struggle with the Black R,publi-
can party, already marshaled on the field
and armed for the conflict.
shall not pause to urge the duty Of the
South to abide by her engagement, nor TO
discuss the legitimacy of Mr.. Douglas
nomination. nor to speak of his past servi-
ces to the South. His intellect and states
manship need no eulogy. Nor will l pause
to speak Of Governor johnson. Of Geor-
gia, when all the political elements were in
discord, and the clouds that lowered on our
house, dark and fringed with. fire. His
name is a stronger pledge Of = Constitution
administration than all the platforms which
could be built; nor win | panss to discuss
the question of Congressional protection.
Nv mind sefzes on the practical. We are
graphing with terrible realities-the Union
| is in peril. listen to no voice but that Of
patriotisni--the claims Of party are moth
1 inp-thc claims of tho country everything