Year: 1860

IN A CANDID APPEAL.


We to-day continue and conclude our narrative
of the proceedings and deliberations of the Consttu
tional Union Convention lately assembled in the city
of Baltimore.


After free comparison and interchange of opin-


ions the delegates convened in that body have placed
in nomination before the American people the Hon.
JOHN BELL of Tennessee, for President, and the
Hon. EDWARD EVERETT, of Massachusetts,, for Vice
President of the United States. S


Reverting to the precedents set in the earlier
days of the Republic, when Washington and
Adams, a jefferson, Madison and Monroe were
supposed to present in their well known characters
and long proved ability sufficient guarantee of


their high qualifications for the distinctions proposed
to be conferred on them by grateful and admirng
people, the Baltimore Convention has, with re-
markable unanimity, made choice of two distin-
guished citizens who may be truly said to command
the universal respect of their countrymen, alike for
the purity of their private lives and for the eminence
they have already by the faithful discharge of
civil trusts in the high public stations which they
have previously filled, with no less credit to them
selves than usefulness to the country


In the case of such men the Convention judged,
and we think wisely judged, that those modern con-
trivances known platforms might be safely
dispensed with, as at best as uperfuons appendage,
and as sufficiently shown by the recent experience
of the country to be futile in point of efficacy as they
are certainly to be evanescent in duration, and
utterly powerless to consistency of political
purpose OF any identity of political opinion among
nominal Of
these useful ends they have too often proved nothing
better than delusion and snare, entailing in the
end confusion and overthrow on their ingenious con-
structors while in the time the practical legs-
lation and administration of the Government must,
none the less be conducted according to the exi-
gences of the current hour, and often in such COM
plete disregard of the published programme that the
adherents of political creed are found disputing
every four years upon variant propositions to amend
their confession of faith according to the drift of
events or the mutations of individual opinion.


But, as all political action or organization must
be, from the necessity of things, embodiment of
some distinctive theory or sentiment. in order to
justify the independent policy which it proposes to
pursue, we hope it will not be deemed obtrusive if
we undertake to define, in few words, the attitude
of the Constitutional Union party, as we understand
its mission and purposes, and in the light of which
understanding we propose to give to its nominees.


if they shall accept the positions assigned the our
full and cordial and earnest support.


Steadfastly adhering, as we have done and still


do, to the great cardinal principles of the Whig
party, we find nothing in the prooamations made by
the Constitutional Union" Convention to which,
as Wings, we cannot yield our hearty and entire
concurrence. The whole body of Wing doctrine
was not, it is true, formally announced by its men,
bers nor in consideration of the paramount objects
proposed by the Convention, was any such announce
ment either necessary or proper, AT time when
Democratic Presidents endorse the policy advocated
by the Wings to the mode in which, and the objects
for which, duties should be levied on importations it
surely would have been superuous for the Baltimore
Convention to reclaim the exclusive patronage of
protective tariff. AT q time too, when the tSouth-
em State Rights Constitutional Democracy find it
not only highly proper but expedient to endorse the
most gigantic scheme of internal improvement ever
proposed in the country, it is manifest that any de-
carations in defence of the old Wing policy under
this head were completely forestalled, and, we may
add in way satisfactory to us, if at the same time
the disciples of " strict construction can reconcile
it with their consciences We have no disposition
to complain of either the Northern or Southern De-
mocracy because they have fit to adopt in their
practice theory any of those administrative mea-
sures to which the Wing party was pledged in the
day of its power. On the contrary, have only to
regret that their appropriation of principles has
not been more complete, and that, by subsequently
raising issues that have proved preiudcal to the
harmony of the country, they have superinduced a
4 e r. C


powerless to remedy because apparently impotent to
heal their own dissensions. A party which is not
competent to govern itself must surely stand con-
fessed incompetent to govern the country; and, in
thus adverng to the disasters which have overtaken
the Democracy, have disposition to impeaoh
the patriotism of its different constituents, or to ex
ult in the misforunes which, though long impending,
have only recently fallen with such crushing force
upon organization hitherto deemed too compact to
be broken by divisions from within or by assaults
from without, It's disunited fragments may be pos
siby again brought together but the line of ceav-
age'' will none the less indebly remain to mar the
symmetry of its proportions and impede the harmony
of its action, e4 i se i. ..,.r.,....
And while the Democracy have thus been fritter-
ing away their strength in the pursuit of objects
confessed to be '.purely speculative the Repub-
cans, as it seems to u.s. have assumed position of
needless antagonsm upon the only question which |
constitutes the ostensibe motive and ground of |
their political activity Though are not of those
who hold the party responsible for the extreme at
terances of some who are numbered among its adhe-
rents and while its avowed purposes have doubtless
been made the subject of much exaggeration and
on the part of political oppo-
onto foc &c al,
between contendng organizations it still remains
an undisputed fact that the ends proposed in |
the original establishment of the party have been
already attained in degree sufficient to ohviate
the necessity of any further agitation on the SUBJ
Ieot OF slavery in the Territories Those ends, as
stated by recognised expounders of the Republican
creed' propose nothing more than the exclusion of
slavery from all territory north of the line of go 30
Hxnah H. on