Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-09-04
speech Of Joseph X. EdgcTtOn,
Esq. at KcndnilVillc. Iudinni',
Auguststh, 1862, ,On Accepting
the Nomination for Congress.

the Nomination for Congress.
Mr. President and Gentlemen Of this Convention:
l sincerely thank you for the confidence
you have reposed in me. in naming me,
as your candidate OF the Democracy and
conservative men Of this District to rep
resent tn people in Congress. L cannot
feel that / have Justly earned SO high a
token of the respect and good feeling of
my fellow citizens, and it is with unfeign-
ed dilidencc, that accept the nomination,
and undertake the arduous and response
bic duties il imposes.
| think it is known to all, or most of
you, that my life has not been that Of a
politician, much less Of political par
tizan. During residence Of more than
eighteen years in this Congressional Dis.
trict, mingled butlittlc in political move.
mentS or political affairs. have never
but once aud that Gently, taken part in Il
county, State or Congressional convcn.
ton. SO long as it was well with the
Republic, in whose welfare and prosper
ity, the hopes and fortunes Of all citizens
are moie orless bound up, | have been
content to leave its political affairs in
the hands of those who seemed to have
the ambition and the ability to rule them.
But my friends, no intelligent patriot, no
thoughtful man, could look upon the
great political contest Cf 1850, without
the deepest solitude and anxiety. Signs
Of evil omen had long preceded that
contest, but hopeful men, were sanguinc,
that the native. good sense and patriot
ism Of the people were stronger than IA
naticiSm, or sectional interests, or even
the corrupting power Of political ambi.
,ion. The gloomly threatening aspect
of the contest of 1860, however greatly
weakened the hope Of patriotic men i'll
the permanence Of our Fcdcral system OF
free democratic government, AID conycr-
ted what had been only vague forebod-
ings, into positive AMI anxious fear.
The leading feature of that contest was,
the distinct antagonism Of two sectional
parties, arraycd mainly upon the sectional
question Of negro slavery, and struggling
for the control Of the Federal Govern
ment, with reference to that question:
the state of things was one which the wis
est and best men of the Republic had
from ITS earliest history, feared might
arise, and they therefore most solcmnIy y
warned the people against It, and depre.
Gated its existence.
The two parties thus arrayed in section
al antagonism. were the Republican par
ty ESQ calicd) of the North, led by Mr..
Lincoln, and the Southern State rights
party led 10y Mr.. Breckcnriage-thcsc two
parties representing as the result OF the
Presidential election showed, largely moe
than one-hnIf of the the poprIar vote Of
the United States.
Between these two sectional parties,
were arraycd, but unfortunately in dis
tinct organizations, and without concert of
action, a powerful national conservative
minority, in earnest defence Of the i'm
perllel Union and Constitution-thc
one was Ihc National Democracy, led by
Stephen A. Douglas-tho other the so.
called Union party, whose candidates
were Jno, Bell and Edward Evcrett--thc
first, truly representing the national and
conservative elements of the Democratic
party the last, representing the national
and conservative elements of the old
Wing party. which in the days OF its
power had been proud to own the leader
ship Of Clay and Webster.
y CAREFUL consideration OF the issues
which this contest involved, in the light
OF the political history o! the country, ana
OF the Federal Constitution 'tocII' such a
consideration in fact, as ! had never be
fore given to veXcd questions OF national
politics, satisfied me that the n"''o"
path TO sa'ety aad peace, Was IN the sue
cess OF Mr.. Doug AS and the Cona''o
tionai policy and sterling, Dcm@rra'''
principles s, which he most ably, ana Dc,
lieve most patloticaIIy advocated ana
therefore gave hlm my vote and humb'c
support and there Is no act OF my III,
as citizen, upon which | now look haeE
with more sincere pride and Satisfaction
Such in brici, may say, is my point
ical record.
Mr. Lincoln and the scctional party
which he represented trinmphcd IN lauO
he receiving ,S51 ,GlO votes out OF /,
G62, $50 popular votes, leaving therefore
n majority against him upon the popular
vote, OF GAG, 800 votes. Nevertheless MIR
Lincoln became the consiltutlonally eIec
ted President of the United States. BN
this enormous majority of near one-fltl
of the whole vote OF the nation, th