Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-06-22
SPEECH OF DIR, BRECKINRIDGE.

| vention as temporary President, delivered
the following pointed and eloquent address
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION " ou
cannot be more sensible than [ am, that the
part which L have to perform here to-day is
merely matter of form and, acting upon
the principle of my whole life when the sug-
gestl0n was made to me from various quar-
ters that 1t was in the mind of many mem
bers OF the Convention to confer this dis
tinction upon me, [ honestly declined to ac-
cept OF it, because L have never sOught hon
| ors. L have never sought distinction. L
! have been working man and nothing else !;
| but two considerations led me TO change my
mind. One was personal to class OF men
in the country, far too small for the good of
I the countTy-those men vino, merely by
: their example, by their pains and by their
/ voice, try to do good, and all the more IN
/ perIlous times, without regard to hereward5
! that may come. 1t was good to make such
men understand by the distinction conferred
upon one OF the humblcst of their class
that they were men that the country would
| cherish and who would not be forgotten.
! Applause. The other motive related to
! yourselves and to the country at large; and
! 1t Is good Tor you-it is good for every ma
ton, every State, and every party-to cher
Ish all generous impulse, TO follow all noble
and none more noble than 10 purge your
selves OF all y ho look to self, all betrayers,
and 10 confer your fayors, If it be only in
the mere form, upon those who are worthy
TO be trusted, and ask nothing more. Ap-
plause.
Now, according to my notions of propri-
ETY., having said this, | should say no more
Go on. but it has been intimated to
me from many quarters, and in way which
| cannot disregard, that / would disappoint
the wishes Of my friends, and perhaps the
just expectations Of the Convention, if |
did not, as briefly and yet as precisely as |
could, say word upon the great matters
which have brought Us here. Therefore,
in very few words, as plainly as | can, [
VIII endeavUr to direct your attention to
one and another OF these great matters in
which We are all engaged
In the first place, nothing can be mere
striking than the fact that you are here, the
representatives Of really great nation-the
voluntary representatives chosen without
form of law, hut as truly representing the
feeling, and, if you choose, the preiudiceS
OF the American people. as if it were all
written in the laws, and all passed by votes
for the man that you will nominate here
tor the Presidency Of the United States, the
ruler Of a great people in great crisis. is,
suppose, just a. certain to be that ruler as
anything under Heaven IS certain before it
takes place. Loud applause.
And, moreover. y0u will allow me to say.
though, perhaps it is hardly proper that
should, but, as far as know your opinions,
L suppose 1t Is just as certain now, before
yen utter 1t, whose name you viii utter, and
which viii be responded TO from one end Of
this nation to the other, as 1t will be after ii
has been uttered and recorded by your secre-
tary. Applause Does any man doubt !
that this Convention intends to say that A |
braham Lincoln should be the next Presi- |
dent OF the United States. Vociferous
applause. What, however, [ wish to call
your attention particularly to is the gran
denr OF the mission upon which you are met, |
and therefore, the dignity, the solemnity, |
with which you, representing one of the |
greatest and freest people Of the world, |
ought to discharge these duties
Now, besides the nomination of the Pres !
ident and Vice President lin regard to which |
second office L will say nothing, because | |
know there Is more or less a division Of o. |
pinIon among you, but besides these NOM
nations you have other and most solemn |
duties to perform. You have to organize |
this party thoroughly throughout the Uni
ted States. You have to pat it into form, |
in whatever torni your judgment may sug- |
gest that will contribute ali that wisdom, |
backed by energy and the most determined |
effort can produce, to gain the victory which |
have already said was IN our power. More |
than that, you have to lay down with clear
ness and precision the principles upon which |
you viii carry on this great political contest,
and prosecute the war which is underneath |
them, and the glory of the country which |
lies before as, Ii we succeed Plainly, not
i'll double sense, but briefly, and with the |
dignity and precision of a great people ut
terlng by ITS representatives the political
principles by which they intend 10 live, and
for the sake of which they intend to die, so
that all men everywhere may understand
precisely what We need; to run your furrow
so deeply and SO clearly that, while every
man worthy TO associate with freemen may
see it, and pass over it to US, every man who
or may be driven from us. We want none
but those who are like us to be with u.s.
Loud applause.
From among these principles-if you will
allow me, for moment, to say. so-the first
and most distinct is that we do not intend
10 permit this nation to be destroyed. We
are nation-no doubt peculiar one-a ma
ton formed of States, and no nation, ex
,ept as these States form it and they are
States, but they are no States except as
hey are States in that nation. Applause.
Historically they never were, and they have
no more right to repudiate them and nei.
her of them have any shadow of right, and
We intend, God helping us, so to vindicatee
hat truth that it shall never be disputed
my more in this world lGreat applause.
It is fearful alternative that is set before
IS, and yet there are great compensations
or it. Those of. you who have attended to !
his subject, know, OF ought to know, that