Year: 1860

General Lanes Acceptance of his Nomination


for the Vice Presidency.


DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, !


Baltimore, June %, 1860.


SIR am directed, by vote of the Democratic
National Convention, to inform you that you have
been this day unanimously nominated bv it as the
candidate of the Democratic party for the office of
Vice President of the United States, and in their
behalf to request you to accept the same.


beg leave at the same time to enclose to you
copy of the resolutions adopted by the Convention
as the political platform which the party stands


have the honor to be, very respectfully,


Hon. Joseph Lane. Z. CUSHING, Pres't.


WASHINGTON, June 80, 1860


SIR-I have the honor to acknowledge the re-
ceipt OF the communication you make in behalf of
the Democratic National Convention, in which YOU
inform me that on the 23d instant | was unani-
mously nominated by that body as the candidate of
the Democratic party for the Office of Vice Presi-
dent OF the United States, with the request that
shall accept the nomination.


The platform adopted, and of which you enclose
me copy, meets with my hearty approval as it
embodies what have been con:ending for as the
only means of stopping sectional agitation, by Sc
curing to all equality and constitutional rights the
denial of which has led to the present unhappy CON
dition of public affairs.


Compromise of constitutional principles are ever
dangerous, and am rejoiced that the true Democ.
racy has seen fit to plant firm foot the rock o
truth, and to give the people an opportunity to
vndcate their love of justice and fraternal regard
for each others rights.


Non-intervention on the subject of slavery, nav
emphaticay say, is the cardinal maxim of the De
mocracy-non-interventi by Congress, and non.
intervention by Territorial legislatures as is fully
stated in the first resolution of the adopted plat
form. In vain should we declare the former with
out insisting upon the latter, because, to permit
Territorial Legislatures to prohibit establish sa
very, or by unfriendly legislation to invalidate
property, would be granting powers to the crea
ture agent, which, it is admitted do not apper-
tain to the principal, or the power that creates;
besides which, it would be fostering an element oil
agitation in the Territory, that must necessarily
extend to Congress, and the people of all the
States.


If the Constitution establishes the right of every
citizen to enter the common Territory with what
ever property he legally possesses, it necessarily
devolves on the Federal Government the duty to
protect this right of the citizen whenever wher
ever assailed or infripged. The Democratic party
honoraby meets this agitating question, which is
threatening to sever and DESTROY this brotherhood
of States. 1t does not propose to ltigate for the
extension of slavery, nor for its restriction, but
to give to each State and to every citizen all that
our ioreiathers proposed to give, namely: perfect
equality of rights, and then to commit to the peo
pie, to climate and to soil the determination as tC
the kind of institutions best fitted to their require
ments in their constitutional limits, and declaring
as fundam entail maxim, that the people of aTer
rltory can only establish or prohibit slavery when
they come to form constitution, preparatory tC
their admission a State into the Union.
IL, happily, our principles shall prevail erf
of peace and harmony will be restored to dis
tracted country, and no more shall we be troubled
with the agitation of this dangerous question, be
cause it will be removed well from the Territorial
legislatures as from the halls of COngress-wheI
we shall be free to turn attention to more use
ful issues, promotive of our growth in natiOna
greatness.


Our Union must be preserved But this can only
be done by maintaining the Constitution inviolat
in all its provisions and guarantees. The Judcia
authority, as provided by the Constitution, mus
be sustained and its decisions implicitly obeyed
as well in regard to the rights of property in thu
Territories as in all other matters. Hoping fo
success and trusting in the truth and justice of th
principles of our party, and in that Divine Provi
dence that has watched over US, and made us on
of the great nations of the earth, and that we MAJ
continue to merit Divine protection, l cheerful,
accept the nomination unanimously conferred ol
me, and cordially endorse the platform adopted b,
| the Convention.


have the honor to be, sir, with much respect
| your friend and obedient servant,