Year: 1860

tDEM0cRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION


Speech IF Rr. Raaesy of Alabama in support of Tho
1 Southern DraHgM Of q Netu Platform
~ lJ-HJ 80 ID "a. s.tsh 9 u = a=l
Mr.. Yancey, Of Alabama, on the fifth day


of the session, whilst the rival platforms were


before the. Convention for adoption, addressed


that body as follows: srsl f-s.i
| Mr.. President--I thought that probably
there was was no better occasion for an Ala


bamian to rise and address the Democracy of
the Union than after the remarkable and un-


natural speech that has just fallen from a ma
tive son of the South. could have heard
that speech from any Northern man unmoved.
confess I did not hear it from citizen of
the State whose admission has caused the
South nearly all its evils, entirely unmoved.-
Coming too from State, Mr.. President, that
has assumed somewhat prominent position on
this question, thought it well that one of her
sons should endeavor to present what the State
believes TO be the position which the South
occupies on this question. Alabama has in
structed her delegates to present to this body
her platform of principles, and ask for it their
State was pleased to express the hope that,
"from its justice and patriotism" it ssantici-
pated their adoption" by this body. Thus far,
gentlemen of the Democracy, I am happy to
say that the hopes of that State have not been
altogether disappointed. A majority of the
sovereign States of this Union have united in
making a report that embodies, substantially,
the position occupied, as believe, by the State
of Alabama. And not only majority of the
sovereign States of this Union have done this,
but, although a native SON of the South has
raised his voice here and said that the major
ity report contained Gan adder;s sting to the
Northern Democracy" and has chosen to speak
of it as "poison," that report comes to US with
what is to me even higher endorsement
the approval of the Southern patriots long
deferred hope and ddesideratum- united South.
[Great applause.1 And not only is the report
thus highly commended to us, but desire to
direct the attention of this body, and of the
Democracy at large, to this striking fact, that
the States thus making this report represent
more than two-thirds of the votes of the great
Democratic party of the Union. GCheers. It
is also undoubtedly true, Mr.. President, as was
well said by the Chairman of the Committee
who opened this debate, that the majority of
the Committee who made that report represent
now what is considered the electoral vote of
every Democratic State in this Union, and that
the delegates presenting the minority report
represent States that, in all probability, will
each cast Black Republican electoral VOTE
That is hardly to be doubted. There is posi-
bly,, among those who signed that majority re-
port, one State whose position might be con-
sidered doubtful at the Presidential polls but
the great and solemn fact faces you that the
vote of the unanimous South asking of this
National Democracy that upon a great issue,
In which their property and constitutional
rights are involved, and incidentally and re-
motely, it may be, their very quiet, and peace,
and lives, and honor, that on that question
their right to protection shall be acknowledged


Gentlemen of the Convention, my State has
now to ask of this body the adoption of the
resolutions reported by the majority of the
Committee, because her representatives here


believe that they substantially conform to the
principles enunciated in her platform, which
we are instructed to insist upon as the only


basis upon which Alabama can associate with
the National Democracy as party. My State,
gentlemen of the Convention, has been the
mark of many a shaft of calumny and of mis-
representation, and her delegates on this floor
have also been the mark-some individuals
more than others-of great misrepresentation
and falsehood in relation to their political po-
sition. It has been charged, in order to de-
moralize whatever influence we might be en-
titled to, either from our personal or political
characteristics, or as representatives of the
State of Alabama, that we are disruptionists,
disunionists per Sc; that we desire to break up
the party in the State of Alabama, to break up
the party in the Union, and to dissolve the
Union itself. Each and all of these allega-
tions, come from what quarter they may, I
pronounce to be false. CApplause,] There is
no disunionist that know of in the delegation
from the State of Alabama. There is no dis
ruptionist that 1 know of, and if there are fac
tionists in our delegation they could not have
got in there with the knowledge upon the part
of our State Convention that they were Of SO
unenviable character


= We come here with two great purposes
first, to save the constitutional rights of the
South, if it lay in our power to do SO. We
desire to save the South by the best means that
present themselves to us, and the State of Al
ALBANIA believes that the best means now in ex-
istence is the organization of the Democratic
party, if we shall be able to persuade it to adopt
the constitutional basis upon which we think
the South alone can be saved. Democrats our
selves from our youth upward, belonging to
State that never was anything but Democratic,
always voting for a Democratic President, and
nearly always sending a united vote to the
House of Representatives, and Democratic
Senators to the Senate of the United States,
we prefer that the honor of saving the country
shall crown the brow of the Democratic party


Deceived as we have been by much shown in
the history of that party, we yet have some
hope that it will come to the rescue of the
country; we have some confidence that it has
desire to come to the rescue We have come
here, then, with the two-fold purpose of saving
the country and of saving the Democracy; and
if the Democracy will not lend itselft to that
high, holy and elevated purpose; if it cannot
elevate itself above tho mere question of how
perfect shall be its mere personal organization
and how widespread shall be its mere voting
success, then we say to you, gentlemen, mourn
fully and regretfully, that, in the opinion Of
the State of Alabama, and, I believe, of the
whole South, yuo have failed in your mission,
and it viii be our duty to go forth and make
an appeal to the loyalty of the country to stand
by that Constitution which party organizations
have deliberately rejected. GApplause.1 This,
gentlemen, I trust, is position that your own
elevated natures can at least respect. This, |
gentlemen, trust, is position to which you
can afford at least to accord your sympathies; |