Year: 1860

Legislation. If you doubt this, read


Cobb's speech made at Westchester, il


Pennsylvania, in September, 1886, and


for which Mr.. buchanan made him Sec.


retary of the Treasury. Benjamin, Of


Louisiana, went all the way to Maine tc


explain to the people of the northeastern


States that the whole South was sound


upon the dogma; and every southern


man that trod upon northern soil that


year, as far as could ascertain, gave the


same pledge to the people and to the


country. [Cheers.l


| now ask you, citizens Of Maryland


whether you believe these men were per-


petrating upon us at that time deliber.


ate fraud? If they were not honest then,


they were trying to cheat and swindle


the people ont of their votes. [Cries OF


"That's so."1 We northern democrats


entered into solemn compact with you


southern democrats that you would stand


by this doctrine Of interference by


Congress with the question of slavery in


the Territories We are ready to stand


by that compact now and forever. We


have redeemed that pledge, and now we
are hunted down by the very men who


were elevated to power upon pledge OF
adherence to the same principles. a
voice, "Whst about Stephens, of Geor-


gia?"]


/ have not quoted my friend Stephens,
of Georgia, for the reason that, like an
honest man, he now stands by the pledge
as he made it then. Cheers.] could
name many other noble and true men
who have redeemed their faith and pre-
served their honor in like manner
/ believe the masses Of the people are
going to do the same thing. Cries of
"We are."] But Breckenridge has chos-
en- to tell the people in this stump speech
that I am not the regular nominee for
the Presidency, and therefore he was
right in running against me. You all
know how the facts stand. Two thirds
of the convention were tor me-one third
against me. That one-third, when they
found that they couid not control the
two-thirds, boltcd and broke up the con-
vention. Breckenridge takes the nomi-
nation from one-third and claims that |
am not the regular nominee.


l have only to say that / never yet
descended low enough to take the nomi-
nation from one-third of my party. In
1856, when the telegraph announced that
Buchanan at Cincinnati had received the
vote, and that / had the next
highest number-more than a third
nearly half--I sent message, quick as
lighting could carry it, Withdrawing my
name, upon the ground that l scorned
nomination while a majority of my
countrymen were against me. Should /
ever 90 to convention and fail to get
will not say how would
regard myself should / be guilty of the
hishonor of running against the nominee
of my party.


What is convention worth unless the
delegates who go to it consider them
selves bound by honor to abide the re-
suit? Is he an honorable man who would
20 to the convention with the under
standing that if he won he would take
the stakes, but if he Host he would not
pay? [Cheers.] In 1852, when Pierce
rot the majority vote for the Presidency,
md was the next highest, the telegraph
dispatch from me declining
N favor of Pierce before the result of
the vote was officially recorded. And,
gentlemen, 1 have never yet descended
ow enough to desire to be the candidate
of my party when was not the first
choice of the majority. Nor do l come
before you tonight to urge my own
claims, much less to utter word against
, competitor.


/ should not have referred to Major
Breckenridge but for the fact that in his
speech yesterday he assailed me without
The report says he went
30 far as to say that ] had broken faith
n regard to the decision Of the Court in
this question. Broken faith / hold
that any honest man is bound by the de-
,ision Of the Supreme Court Of the
United States in all questions within
their jurisdiction. Loud cheers. In
reference to the Dred Scott case have
made more speeches in its defence than
my living man. Every point contained
N the record Of that case think the
,ourt decided. But, whether right or
wrong, it being the highest tribunal on
earth, its decision was final, and any
good citizen is bound by it, whether he
likes it or not [Cheers


In the first place, the court decided
that . negro descended from African
parents, who are bought and sold as
slaves, is not citizen, and cannot be-
agree with the court on that point
-Cheers.] 1 hold that negro is not a
citizen and never ought to be. Cheers.
hold that this is white mans govern
ment, made by white men for the benefit
Of white men, to be administered by
white men, and nobody else, forever
lChecrs) ] hold that every State and
must take care of their own
negroes, and let their neighbors alone
In reference TO the other question that
the Missouri compromise was urconstitu-
tional, / said, and have only now 10
say, that it is in exact accordance with
the dogma Of nonintcrvention. But
the point which we agreed to leave to
the country was, that after the slavery
question had been banished from the
halls of Congress forever, tho question
should be transmitted to the people Of
the Territories to do with IL as they