PROCEEDINGS. At a call signed by a large majority of the Democratic City Committee, the Democracy of Lowell turned out, in overwhelming numbers, for the purpose of ratifying the nominations of Breckinridge and Lane for the Presidency and Vice Presidency. The meeting was called to order by T. A. CROWLEY, Esq., Secretary of the Democratic City Committee, who read the following list of officers for the permanent organization of the meeting: The PRESIDENT, on taking the chair, made a brief and pertinent speech, introducing General BUTLER, who offered the following resolutions : Resolved, That the National Democracy of the City of Lowell, in convention assembled, do ratify and affirm the nominations of BRECKINRIDGE and LANE as candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States. Resolved, That while we deplore the disruption of the Democratic party whereby a portion has gone off to follow their leader in an attack upon our time-honored principles, in violation of its usages and customs, all of which we hold dear, and regret their departure, we cannot follow them even half way to the Republicans. Recolved, That those who charge the National Democracy with being "disunionists" make a false accusation for political eflect, and in answer to it we hereby again pledge ourselves to the Union and the Constitution, the equality of the States, and State Rights one and inseparable, forever to be guarded and preserved with more than filial devotion by loyal hearts and strong hands. Resolved, That we will maintain our connection with the true Democracy of the Union; that we bold every one against us who is not for us; that we hold no union or communion with those who have gone away from those doctrines of the party which are essential to the preservation of the Union! Resolved, That we cordially invite to co-operate with us, all Democrats and lovers of the Constitution and the Union, who prefer the success of our party, rather than the triumph of an individual; who love principles rather than men; who love their conntry rather than worship a chieftain. Fellow Citizens:-It is pleasant again to ton, called for the adjournment at Baltimore. meet you to give a further account of the trust confided to me. Douglas' Nomination Impossible. When we met before, undisturbed, I gave you my deliberate judgment that Mr Douglas could not be nominated as a candidate for the presidency. From the consequences that have ensued, I am pained to find that prediction verified. It will be our part to examine the causes which have led to the disastrous re sults of a divided party and conflicting principlés, and to consult together as to what is to be done in the emergency. What is our duty, as Democrats, animated with love of country, held by fealty to our party, and true to its time honored principles and usages? Let us calmly and dispassion ately meet the issue presented to us, not occupying ourselves with unavailing regrets or useless moans at the unhappy state of affairs which call for our action. Attempt to Overawe Delegates. The occurrences at the Charleston Convention, I have related to you heretofore, and although that narrative has been published in every part of the Union, in no word or statement has it been successfully contradicted. Immediately on that adjournment, the friends of Judge Douglas attempted to organize meetings in all parts of the country, and to call State Conventions, specially in the southern states, and by denunciations; by personal abuse of delegates; by traducing their characters; by impugning their motives of action and threats of popular disfavor, it was endeavored to coerce those who did not approve fully of the nomination of Douglas into his suasion to change his course your delegate resupport at Baltimore. Of that kind of perceived his full share. A missionary was imported here from Minnesota who indulged. himself in such political evangel to his heart's content, and was only prevented from the farther spread of the gospel, according to Douglas, by the pursuit of the Sheriff from our city for a just debt which he, in his zeal, had forgotten to pay. In this attempt to coerce votes there was a most signal failure. After six weeks of such canvassing of the country, not a single delegate, to to my knowledge, who voted against Douglas at Charleston, but went to Baltimore still more unalterably fixed in his opposition to him. In the states of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana, where State Conventions were called through the regular organization of the party according to Democratic usages, Mr Douglas failed to get a single delegate. Other unauthorized conventions met in some of the Southern statescalled without right-held without precedent Mr PUGH,U. S. Senator from Ohio, in debate, ventured to interrupt Senator BENJAMIN, saying that there was no delegate from Ohio, at Charleston, opposed to Judge Douglas, in contradiction to my assertion that there were delegates so opposed. I am authorised by JUDGE BARTLEY, of Ohio, a delegate, to say that Mr-attended by small minorities of all grades Pugh knew he was opposed to Mr Douglas be- and sections of the opposition to the regular fore they left Charleston. Democratic party of those states, from which Mr Pugh's is the only denial of my narra- delegates, who were not the choice of the partive that has come to my knowledge. The ill-advised, not to say foolish withdrawal of the delegates from eight states, at Charles ty, were sent to Baltimore, not because they were Democrats, for many of them were not, but because they were Douglas men. When we met at Baltimore the claims of these men to seats over the regular delegates, who, in all cases where conventions had been held, had been re-accredited to the convention, were submitted to the committee on credentials, from which were excluded eight states; states, too, where a Democratic electoral vote was as sure as any future event. Bogus Delegates Admitted Favorable to Douglas. brethren deprived of their rights in a Democratic Convention, solely to foster the ambitious schemes of one man, every Southern State, by a majority of her delegates, withdrew from the Convention, together with Oregon and California. The President of the Convention left the chair, and from that time the rump of the Convention that remained could hardly be said to be an organized body. It then became sectional, more so than the Convention at Chicago. It had of regular reNo question could be discussed in it. No one presentatives only a minority of the States.could obtain a hearing unless he would tickle the ear of the majority. The action of such a committee could not be doubtful—and therefore wherever any plausibility of right could be maintained, the regular delegates were excluded and these representatives of faction were admitted, and when there was not such show of right, half and half of each delegation was admitted; so that the vote of the state should be neutralized. In states where there were no contestants, as in Texas and Mississippi, the regular delegates were admitted by the report of the committee, although these delegates stood upon precisely the same grounds as those delegates who were rejected. No reason was given for the course of action by the report of the majority of the committee, and we are left to conjecture, save that we do know that the programme was arranged in the manner thought most favorable to Douglas, who I happened to know was daily and almost most hourly consulted as to the action of the statesmen-it was in its majority a mob of committee, either personally or by telegraph, while the committee was in session. Indeed so far was the question, whether a given delegate was for Douglas carried, that in the case of Mr Hallett of our state, and of a delegate from Missouri, who were kept at home by providential domestic sorrow and death, the substitutes in Charleston taking the places of their principals, the committee decided that the delegates could not have their own seats at Baltimore, but that the substitutes should retain them, and this, too, because the substitutes would and the delegates would not vote for Douglas. This report of the committee was adopted by the vote of New York, voting as a unit, and thus chaining 36 of her delegates who were opposed to Douglas. A Majority of the States Withdraw. Finding themselves disfranchised and their It then became my duty to act as in my judgment, the best interest of the Democratic party and the country required. Calmly and deliberately the decision was made, and I left the remains of a Convention, which, as then constituted, seemed to me capable of adopting any measure-assuming any form, subscribing to would advance the supposed interests of Mr any principle, and committing any wrong that Douglas. It was no longer a National Convention of Democrats, governed by a desire to advance the best interest of the party and the country-it was a camp of the followers of a chieftain seeking his personal aggrandizement. It was no longer a deliberative assembly of Douglas men, and this is a sufficient antithesis! Massachusetts Withdraws. Nearly two-thirds of the Massachusetts delegation went out together, and for one, I can here declare that the only regret I have for what was done in that behalf, was the necessity which compelled my action, and I here further declare, that if the same series of events were again to occur, I would again do as I diù before. No man who saw the course of Mr Douglas and his friends as I saw and knew it, and as you will see and know it before I finish speaking, could do otherwise and maintain his selfrespect. Douglas Nominated by Resolution only. The Douglas men then, after two unsuccessful ballots in attempts to nominate him, aocording to the usages of the party, and the rules adopted by their own votes in violation Convention-unanimously I say when there of those usages and very rules, declared him was not a sober man in the Convention who by resolution the nominee for the Presidency. did not know that he was hostile to every docNo Democrat Bound by such Nomination. trine that Douglas enunciates upon the right of By that nomination, so made, no man is people in the Territories. bound, by the usages or principles of the Democratic party. It is not the nomination of a National Convention. The Convention had become sectional when it was made; it was not a Democratic nomination-it was carried by a violation of State rights in disfranchising Democratic Sovereign States. It was simply a Douglas nomination by the friends of Douglas of Mr Douglas as a Douglas candidate to make Douglas President. Resolution Against Popular Sovereignty, After this nomination, a resolution was introduced by Mr Wickliffe, of Louisiana, which endeavored to bind the Democratic party to make such restrictions by the aid of all departments of Government upon popular sovereignty in the Territories as the Supreme Court have decided or may hereafter decide ought to be made. This was unanimously passed without debate. They then nominated unanimously Governor Fitzpatrick, of Alabama, as candidate for the Vice Presidency, and adjourned. I have been thus tedious in reviewing the history and giving the main facts of this Convention because I wish all my fellow Demoorats to know and feel that they are not bound by these nominations as party men acting from party allegiance. Whether as Democrats we are bound to vote for them from preference either for the men or the principles, let us now enquire. Duplicity in the Nomination of Vice As to Mr Fitzpatrick, we cannot vote for him, as he has declined, but he leaves behind him the question, why was he ever nominated? Mr Fitzpatrick had repudiated Douglas's construction of the Cincinnati Platform; he had rejected his explanation of the Kansas bill; he was opposed to Douglas on Lecompton; he voted for the Senatorial resolutions; the delegation to Charleston from his State were, by a vote of over 300 to 12, instructed to withdraw from that Convention if Douglas's doctrines were sanctioned by it. Why, then, the nomi nation? It was made to catch Southern votes by a false pretence that Douglas's doctrines were in accordance with Southern sentiment while his friends were courting the Republicans in the North. It was made to show that a respectable Southern statesman could be found who would endorse Douglas and be associated with him. But Mr Fitzpatrick, being a respectable gentleman and honest statesman, having something to lose, refused to run on the ticket, and would have instantly declined, but was prevailed upon to delay until the friends of Douglas in his State could advise with him. But their advice and persuasion were useless. He could no more be persuaded to run upon that ticket, than I could be denounced into supporting it. Nomination of Johnson, a Disunionist and Slave Trader. Who, then, did these Douglas men, with their loud-mouthed cries of hatred of Southern fire-eaters and disunionists; of Southern rights; of Southern dictation; of Southern men and their present love of Republicans and freedom; take for a candidate for the second office in the Government of a great nation? HERSCHEL VIRGIL JOHNSON. Tell me, my friends, how many of you had ever heard of him before his nomination. What services had he ever rendered He was a known opponent of the doctrine the Democratic party or his country, to be enof popular sovereignty and non-intervention titled to this high honor. Tell me of his deeds, as explained by Douglas. He had made a good or bad, known to you before that day. speech against Douglas and his doctrines only You are well read in current political history; a fortnight before. He had given no sign of there are some of you ardent friends of Judge repentance of that speech. Yet again I say Douglas; you ought to at least have heard of he was unanimously nominated by a Douglas his second-best friend and the next best man -། |