Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-25

Premature n4s<8@&*.s
Thu Nashville Banner Il voluminousl'
discussing the relative qualifications ans
availability Of President johnson an'
Mr. Pendloion. with reference 10 th'
| Presidential nomination. We should
much prefer 10 see all discussions Of Thu
character postponed for the present i
has too much the aspect Of partisanry FOL
an individual. and looks too much like
the work Of an advocate and organ for q
favorite 70 suit our view at this moment
We care not how much the merits Of Al
candidates for democratic nomination
may DO sot forth BY their friends. Bot
we think II Is too soon TO be making con-
trasts, and that Il would be Infinitely
better the press should now coniine itself
to the discussion and advocacy OF Demo
cratic and conservative principles. There
10 no man 10 this country who has q
supereminent right TO tho Presidential
Office over all others, so far as we know,
aud IL Il were so there would be nothing
to discuss. The time between this and
July is sufficient 10 produce great null
tituds Of developments, and possibly TO
show the fptility Of present arguments.
We would not have a single delegate go
into the convention trammeled by any
instructions whatever. And we fear that
the heat Of discussion at this time will
more engendcr blind partisanry for
individual favorites than throw light upon
questions which we think II most advisa-
Bile tho delegates should be left entirely
free to decide 10 convention, without all
Instructions and restraints whatever. II
we cannot trust the Convention to decide
the matter Of availability when it meets,
without the aid Of premature discussion,
we do not see how we are to do any bet
ter by committing ourselves at this early
period, when we care for measures rather
than men.
In this connection. we would call the
attention of our Nashville cotempc-
rary to the following sound views ex.
pressed by the Louisville Courier, as to
the question Of instructing delegates by
the Kentucky State Convention now in
session. These views have none the less
force, that they come from a Pendleton
paper, and are intended to influence
Convention likely to nominate its favor
ite candidate:
This is one Of the questions upon
which our State Convention will be called
upon to oct to-day, and upon its proper
decision, in our judgment, much de-
pends. 1t is natural, perhaps, that those
who have favorite candidate should
desire that he should receive the indorse.
ment of the Democracy Of the State
through their delegates in the Conven-
ton, aud that they should seek by this
means to increase his strength but
there are other considerations apart
from personal preferences which must |
be regarded, or the best interests of the |
marty may be sacrificed. To instruct |
a delegation to 90 to the National |
and vote as a unit |
for particular man, without reference |
to the circumstances which they may |
find surrounding them after full sur
yey of the ground is to make them mere |
without any discretionary |
powers; and, as simple question of |
policy, we have always doubted its pro-
priety. But in the present case, when
there is so much at stake, so much de- |
pending upon harmony and good feel
ing in the party, it would be an unpar-
donable blunder to discriminate among |
the various gentlemen whose names have
been mentioned in connection with the
and require our delegates to
vote for particular man
That Kentucky has favorite for the
Presidential nomination is certain and
cannot be denied, bnt it is quite as GER
tain and undeniable that very respect
able portion of the party are opposed to
the nomination of that favorite, and will
be greatly offended by any expression Of
preference in his behalf Mr.. Pendleton,
If nominated by the National Conven-
tion. would receive the warm and
support of the Democracy
of Kentucky, but it must not therefore
be inferred that it would result in
good to bind our delegates to sup
port him In the National Convention
to the exclusion of all others. On the
contrary, we do not see how. in the event
of such action, serious difficulties and
much bad feeling in the party is to be
avoided. Those who prefer some other
man, and there are many such, will nat
urall feel aggrieved, and will complain
that an unfair advantage has been taken
of them and of their respective favorltes.
Ouarrels and chickering's will result; dis
content and strife will take the place of
our present harmony, and infinite and
perhaps irreparable damage may be done
before the nomination is made.
To declare a preference will do no
good and may possibly be productive of
much evil. Intelligent and sagaeious
representatives to the National Conven-
ton should be selected; men in whose
integrity and sound judgment we can
repose entire confidence, and they |
should be left untrammeled by instruc-
tons to act as they may find will best |
subserve the interests of the whole |
country. Such men, if they believe
that it will be the best policy to sup
port Mr.. Pendleton, and that he will |
make the strongest candidate, will, as a
matter of course, vote for him whether
instructed or not; but if they find that