Year: 1860

THE BALTIMORE CONVENTION.


1t is evident to the mind of the most casua
observer of the signs of the times, that unles'
the national Democracy, at the Baltimore COnven
tion can harmonic upon a sound platform O
principles, that the chances will be greatly il
favor of the election of the Black Republican
nominees in fact, their success can be predicted
with certainty, if there should not be choice by
the people In view of this fact, what mighty
responsibilities rest upon the Convention, and
what immense destinies rest upon their action
Can the most sanguine hope for the perpetuity OF
the Union after the Government shall have passed
into the hands of strictly sectional party, whose
greatest merit with those who support it, is dead
ly hostility to the institutions of fifteen States of
this Union It may DO that the great love and
reverence that the Southern people cherish for
the Union, may prompt them to submit for a
time to the rule and dctation of Northern par
ty, but it is not clear to the mind of every one
that after the Black Republican party shall have
obtained the control of the Government and its
hundred millions of patronage, backed by the





gauce will be unlimted-that the whole course
Of federal legislation will be directed to the
utter destruction of the South and her dearest
interests. The hard earnings of the Southern
people, through the means of a cunningly devised
protective tariff, will be extorted to support a
government that will have been concocted into a
monster engine of oppression. How long they
would submit to such oppression it is difficult to
tell, but many in our midst would say foseper and
.torever; but the time would surely come when a
majority, animated by that patriotic spirit which
prompted our foreflthers to sever the bands that
bound them to the mother country, would cut
asunder the ties which bind us to domineering
and hostile government. We would be driven
to this extremity or to abjeet submission, and we
cannot believe that a majority of the Southern
people will ever choose the latter alternative
Our fathers submitted twelve long years to the
oppression Of England, which was nothing like
equal in enormity 10 the oppression that Black
Republican administration would inaict upon the
South, but when they found that England would
not abandon the odious principle against which
they had so long demonstrated, they did not hesi
tate to draw the sword and appeal to the god of
battles in the holy cause of liberty" The
South may submit four years-possib,y eight
years-to Black Republican rule, but the hour
would surely come, when the cry of death or
Liberty" will be raised throughout the land, and
we will restore ourselves to terms of equality in
the Union, or carve out for ourselves a separate
independent government, or 60 down to an hon.
cradle grave in defense of justice and right 1t
is impossible that the love of the Union can sur
vive the destruction of the Constitution. It is
impossible that the South can long submit to be
ruled by party that claims to be governed by a
higher law than the Constitution.


IN view of the present prospect of the electio
to the Presidency of Black Republican, which
would sooner or later eventuate in the destruction
of the fairest fabric of Government with which
man has ever been blessed, how important is it
that the wisest councils should prevail at Balti-
more We can but hope that the sqnatter sover-
eighty Democracy will see the necessity Of aban-
doning their heresy and uniting with the true
Democracy upon sound, constitutional platform,
as upon that alone depends the unity and success
of the party. The Southern Democracy cannot
with honor, support any man upon a squatter
sovereignty platform. But if the Northern Dem
ocrats persist in their course, if they are Bindly
bent on the destruction of the party-the only
party that has the slightest chance to defeat the
Black Republican nOminees-by forcing upon us
theirodious heresy, there is but one course left
for us to pursue, and that is for the Richmond
Convention to meet adopt the majority platform
thai was reported at Charleston, place sound.
national men upon it and let consequences take
care Of themselves. 1t is better to be defeated
upon sound principes,than To succeed upon false
ones.