Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-31
The Truth of History.


In 1860 a Democratic Convention mot at
Charleston TO nominate candidate for the
Presidency, and Caleb Gushing, Of Massa'
chusctts, renegade wing, was the Prcsi-
dent Of that Convention. An angry dis
puto arose in the Convention concerning
Slavery, The Douglas men claimed that
popular sovereignty in the territories should
be recognized as the arbiter OF this question:
The Southern delegates demanded that
Slavery should be protected in the terrific
RIGS They appointed as their spokesman
W, l., Yancy of Alabama, and he wrotI
down the terms on which peace and hal|
mony in the country could be maintained
He told the Democratic party then assem-
BLEED that unless these terms rs distinct
stated by the South Were granted, the Sout
would scccdc. war would come aud th
permanent dissolution Of the Union woul
be the result Such were the alternative
given the Democratic party at Charlesto
and they were left TO accept or reject then
The Douglas Democracy constituting u
majority, rejected thcdcmands Of the Sout
They said rather than concedc the domand
Of the South the Democratic party mig
burst asundcr Mr. Lincoln be elected by
divided vote, aud they would take the co
sequences The Convention divided a
adjourned TO Baltimore Cushing and
friends went into 4 Breckenridge convcntid
Gov, Todd, Of Ohio, and his friends we
into Douglas Convention Two Den
cratic candidates were run Bell was
on third ticket, Lincoln was run ON a fou
Lincoln was elected, although the combil
vote for breckenridge and Douglas wo
have defeated him, He was elected
cause there was 50 much difference in
Democratic party that the party for
sake Of the Union, even, couldnot comp
mise the perploXing question Of Slavery
As soon as it was seen that Lincoln I'D
! be elected, war was proclaimed, and be-
Lincoln was inauguratcd the Southern
! els declared war at Montgomery, and ii
on Sumter in the harhor of Charles
A demand was made that the Rcpubl
Senators and Representatives in Cong
should do that which the Democratic pd
in Congress could not do--compromiso
Slavery question.
The measure demanded was the Crit
den Compromise What was that?
same in substance which Yancey dcmar
Of the Democratic party at Charleston,
Slavery should be protected in the teri
rics South ofthe Missouri Compromise
to the Pacific. The Democratic party n
ted that demand at Charleston The pc
rejected il at the polls, 1t was rejected
Congress 1t will be- rejected on the ba
field The truth is, this was rebo
against the decree of the people in Con
tons, against the expression of the
ions Of the people at the ballot box, aga
the legislation of Congress, and against
legally elected Government of the nati(
Mr.. Lincoln was not our candidate.
will any one deny that he was legally
constitutionally elected No one can.
was elected without fraud at the ba
box, and under the proper forms Of Law
That election, after it was made shd
have been acquicsced in by the dcfc;
party, or otherwise the Constitution
worth nothing. The people decided
the most proper and legal mode that
Lincoln was constitutionally elected Pr
dent yet Il party of rebels, because he
elected, and because they are " for the q
stitutiOn a. it is and the Union as ii W
Any man who il for the Constitution
stand up for it, and stand by war until
Constitution is recognized by the ret
as supreme law The legally elected
thorities of the nation must he re,orn
as such, and the war must 60 on until
rebels are subjugated and the election
Lincoln a. President is recognized.