Year: 1860




INRIDGE AND LANE.


AT the close OF the ratification meeting of the
friends of Breckinridge and Lane, held in Wash
lngton city, on Monday evening last. the concourse
assembled moved to the Executive Mansion and
paid their respects to the Chief Magistrate Mr..
Buchanan appeared and after thanking them fer
their Kindness in calling upon him, he alluded in
the most complimentary terms to their candidates,
breckenridge and Lane, said they had distinguished
themselves both in the civil and military depart-
ments of the Government, and in his opinion no
better selection of standard-bearers could have
been made to lead their party to victory, than
those whose banner they had unfurled that even
ing.


Speaking of the merits of these distinguished
men, he said


Among their many other worthy qualities the
fact that they friends of the equality of the
sovereign States of this Union in the common ter
riory of the country should especially cause you to
give them your earnest support [Cries of Good"
They will stand by that principle, and who
OF the United States is equal before the Consitu-
ton and the laws of the United States and why
should not the sovereign States of this
eonstv nen whab s.ch and enjoy that perfect
under the Constitution enjoys? Applause
THIS Is the sound Democratic doctrine. Liberty
and equality are the birthright of every American
cinzen and just as certain as the day succeeds the
night, so certain will this principle of Democratic
justice prevail at last. [Applause 1t must pre-
vail But before speak further upon this subject
ana do not suppose shall detan you long, wish
TO TO remove one stumbling block out of the way.
nave ever been a friend Of regular nominees. |
nave never struck political ticket in nv life
Now' was there anything done at Baltimore to
@ pIue lhe pohtlcai conscience of any sound Demo-
Glat; anu W prevent him from supporting Breck-
lnrldge and Lane? ["No," and applause.
was cotempOrary with the abandonment of tho
oid congressional convention, rather caucus sys-
@ tem. IT. was long while ago, and probably but
very few OF you remember it. But under the old
congressional caucus rule no was admitted ex
cept Democratic members of the Senate and House
Under that system there never was aGy danger that
members outside of the Democratic party could
impose candidate upon the States. which we're
Democratic, and which could alone elect him after
he was proposed. There was no danger of that
KIND, because there being persons in the caucus
except Democratic members of Congress- that af.
orded perfect assurance that the nominee of the
party would at least be agreeable to the Democratic
States


This Congressional convention system was broken
up. The national convention succeeded Whether
Is was wisely broken up or not; shallnot pre-
tend to say But upon the organization of the nation
al convention which admitted ali the States of the
Union, according to the number of their Senators
and Representatives. it was at discovered that
1t was possible for the anti Democratic States in the
national convention, combined with a very few of
the Democratic ones, to impose a candidate upon
the party at any time, who was Objectionable to
the States that would be called upon to elect him.





strength, and destroy the energy Of the party 1t
was substitute for the rule observed in the Con.
gresslona caucus, to which have referred; and of
the same effect


1t was believed at tn time, for was part and
parcel of the movement, that in the two -tbirds
rule there would always be majority of Demo-
cratic States satisfied with the nominations and
ready to rush into the contest, to elect the caudi
date. The two-thirds rule, then, was the main
pillar of the national convention. 1t has been de-
stroyed at Baltimore, and the national convention
has stumbled into ruin as national convention =
The wisdom of the two-thirds rule, however is
manifest from the present condition of the affairs
OF the country. If it had prevailed no candidate
could have been nominated against the expressed
will of every Democratic State in the Union
against the expressed views of nearly every Demo
cratic Senator in the UniOn and of of
the Democratic representatives


This two-thirds rule, then, has been Frustrated.
anc there Is nothing in the way of any Democrat
voting for Brecknridge and Lane in the proceed
lngs OF the assemblage at Baltimore 1t must be
confessed, however, that Breckenridge is in the
same condition with Douglas in this respect The
convention that nominated him, although il was
composed OF nearly all the Democratic States, did
not contain two-thirds; and therefore every Demo
ocrat is at perfect liberty to vote he thinks pro-
per, without running counter to any regular nom
ination of the party.


Three enthusiastic cheers were here given for
the nominees.


Well, now, after this digression after relieving
myself from all responsibility, | will now make a
few remarks to you, stating the reasons why |
prefer Brecklnridge and Lane to any and all the
other candidates in the field. Loud applause /
The sovereign States of this Union are one vast
partnership. The Territories were acquired bv the
common blood and the common treasure of them
all. Each State, and each citizen of each State
has the same right in the Territories that any other
State possesses. What the Democratic party con-
tend for, and what is the true practical Democ-
racy, is that all shall enjoy the same rights, and
that all shall be subject to the same usages. Mr.
| m lds hat a.,
formed for the protection of life, liberty and prop
erty. They are the objects for the protection of
which all Governments were established; but it is
sought now to place the property Of the citizen un
der what is called properly ''squatter sovereign
ty," in the power OF the Territorial Legislature to
be confiscated at their will and pleasure.


That is the principle sought to be established at
present. and there seems to be an entire mistake
and misunderstanding in a portion of the public
! mind on this subject. When was property ever
submitted to the will of the majority? ("Never"
Never If you hold property as an individual
you hold it independent of Congress of the State
| Legislature, or of the Territorial Legislature 1t
| is yours, and your Constitution was made to pro-
tect your private property against assaults of legs
lative powers. ("Good," and applause.)
well now' any State, "a voice-"Go it, old
man, any set OF principles which will deprive
| you of the perfect control of your own property,
| is wrong. This right over your own property
conceive to be the very essence of Republican gov
ernment Deprive you of this, and you become a





| perty to coniscate it, has power over your means
of subsistence. And yet it is contended that al
though the Constitution of the United States con
fers no such power, yet few called the Ter
rtorisl Legislature, in their remote extremity of
the country, coniiscate your property and send
you away deprived of it. t"Can't do it'll There
is but one mode and one alone, by which the citi-
zen can be deprived of his slave property in the
territories That mode is pointed out in the Gin.
cinnati platform, which has been, as YOU know
greatly misrepresented.


That platform declares that when a sufficient
number of residents are located in Territory in
| order to form a State and come into the Union
and when the people frame a constitution, ther
they may decide for themselves the question
whether they will have slavery or not. There i.
Territorial Legislature mentioned in the Cincn.
nat platform There Is no squatter sovereignty
there. 1t presents the clear principle that at the
time the people form their constitution, they shal
then decide whether they will have slavery or not
And yet it has been stated over and over apair
that In accepting the nomination under that plat
form, L endorsed the doctrine of squatter sove
reignty. suppose you have heard it all over the
country; 1t has been repeated in thousand news
| papers,


voice.-"We knew they lied"


The President-1 am glad you knew it. Laugh
| ter. Now, how well this plain principle of con
sututional law corresponds with the best interests
of the people. Under it emigrants from the North
and the South, from the East and the West re.
ceive their benefits. They carry with them that
property which they suppose will best promote
their material interests; they live together in peace
and harmony. The question of slavery will become
a foregone conclusion before they have population
! sufficient to ask for admission into the Union
There will be no "bleeding Kansas in the Terrific
ries the people there will all live together in peace
and harmony, promoting peace in the Territory and
| their own prosperity, until the time arrives when
1t becomes necessary to form a State Constitution
Then the whole question will be decided to the sat
| lsiaction of every one.


| But upon the other principle what do YOU find
| in the Territories? Why, that they are fpbtino
| all the time. One territorial legislature NAV es.
tabllsh slavery and another territorial Legislature
| may abolish it, and the struggle will be pro.
longed; and in spite of their continuous industry
and earnest endeavors to promote prosperity, they
will be in state of constant turmoil, Just as we
have witnessed in Kansas. Therefore there is
nothing-no power possible-that could be so in.
furious to the peace and prosperity this doctrine
| which has been denominated "squatter sover-
eighty" Laughter.


Now let me place it before you in another point
| of view L am very much gratifed that you have
listened to a plain speech from old man with so
much attention. (''Go ON" and applause. The
Southern States can never give up their principle
of equality in the Union; ['never, never' and ap-
plause,l because if they did, they would be self
degraded in the eyes of the world. They would
stand before their cOuntrymen as inferior to the
people OF their sister States. They never can sur
| render it. But how is it with the Northern peo-
pie? 1t is with them comparatively a mere alb.
straction. With the South it is of infinite import
ance that they should preserve their equal sover-
| eighty in the Union. What has the South to do ?
Merely to say that good and honest citizens they
will yield obedience to the Supreme Court, and
| thus admit the right of Southern to take
his property into the Territories just Northern