Year: 1860




anCc.


WARRINGTON, June 9th, 1860.
To the Notionoi Democratic Convention.


GENTLEMEs:-In acceptance with the
verbal assurance which gave you when
you placed in my hands the authentic evil
dence of my nomination for the Presiden-
cy by the National Convention of Demo-
cratic party, ] now send you my formal
acceptance. Upon a careful examination
of the platform of principles adopted at
Charleston, and re-affirmed at Baltimore,
with an additional resolution, which is in
perfect harmony with the others, | find il
to be faithful embodiment of the time
honored principles Of the Democratic par
ty, which were proclaimed and under
stood by all parties in the Presidential
contests of I34S, 1852 and 1866. Upon
looking into the proceedings of the Con-
vention, also, find that the nomination
was made with great unanimity, in the
presence, and with the concurrence of
more than two thirds of the whole num-
Der Of delegates, and in exact concordance
with the long established usages of the
party.


My inhexible purpose not to be can
didate nor accept the nomination under
any contingency, except as the regular
nominee of the National Democratic par
ty, and in that case only upon the condi-
tion that the usages as well as the prnci-
pies of the party should be strictly ad-
hered to, have been proclaimed for long
time. and become well known to the coun-
try. These conditions having all been
complied with by the free and voluntary
action of the Democratic masses and their
faithful representatives, without any agen-
cy, interference, or procurement on my
part, feel bound in honor and duty to
accept the nomination. In taking this
step, | am not unmindful of the response
bilities it imposes, but with firm reli-
ance upon Divine Providence, 1 have
faith that the people will comprehend the
true nature of the issues involved, and
eventually maintain right.


The peace Of the country, and the per-
petuity of the Union have been put in
jeopardy by attempts to interfere with
and to control the domestic affairs of the
people in the territories, through the agen-
cy Of the federal government If the
power and the duty of the federal inter-
ference is to be conceded, two hostile sec.
tional parties must be the inevitable re-
suits; the one inhaming the passions and
ambition of the North, and the other
of the South, and each struggling to use
the federal power and authority for the
aggrandizement of its own section, at the
expense of the equal right of the other,
and in derogation of those fundamental
principles; the principles of self govern
ment, which were firmly established in
this country by the American revolution,
as the basis of our entire Republican sys-
tenn. During the memorable perit / of
our political history, when the advocates
of federal intervention upon the sub ect
of slavery in the territories, had well nigh
precipitated the country into revolution,
the Northern interventionists demanding
the Wilmot Proviso for the prohibition
of slavery, and the Southern interven.
tionists, then few in number and with
out single representative in either House
of Congress, insisting upon Congression-
al legislation for the protection of slavery,
in opposition to the wishes of the people
in either case. it will be remembered that
it required all the wisdom, power and in
fuence of Clay, and Webster, and a
Cass, supported by the conservative and
patriotic men of the Wing and Democrat
ic parties of the day, to devise and carry
out line of policy which would restore
peace to the country. and stability to the
Union.


The essential living principal of that
policy. as applied in the legislation of
1850, was and now is n-intervention by
Congress with slavery in the territories
The fair application of this just and equit-
able principle restored harmony and fra
ternity to distracted country. If we
now depart from that wise and Just policy
which produced these happy results, and
permit the country to be again distracted. !.
if precipitated into revolution by a sec
tional contest between pro-slavery and
anti-slavery interventionists, where shall
we look for another Clay-another Web
stcr--or another Cass, to pilot the ship
of State over the breakers into haveA Of
peace and safety? The Federal Union
must be preserved Constitution must
be protected by law in all cases where
legislation is necessary to its enforcement
The judicial authority, as provided in the
Constitution, must be sustained and its
decisions implicitly obeyed and faithfully
executed. The laws must be administer
ed, and the constituted authorities upheld,
and all unlawful resistance to these things
must all be met with firmness, impartiali-
ty and fidelity, if we expect to enjoy and
transmit unimpaired to our posterity,
that blessed inheritance which we have
received in trust from the patriots and
sages of the revolution. With sincere
thanks for the kind and agreeable manner
in which you have made known to me the
action of the Convention.


/ have the honor to he, very respect
fully, your friend and fellow citizen,


S. A. DOUGLAS.


The CHRISTIAN MISUNDERSTANDING
the prisoners taken captive at the battle