Transcript
Page 1: BY JAMES VIRDEN,nyx.uky.edu/dips/xt7cc24qk94b/data/4170.pdfBY JAMES VIRDEN, No. 6 y 7, Hunt's Row, Water Street, FOR DANIEL BRADFORD, Publisher of the Laws of the U. States. Publishing

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D. BRADFORD, Editor. LEXINGTOX, ICY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1840. NO. 4, VOL. 55.4'i'

PRINTED EVERY THURSDAY,

BY JAMES VIRDEN,No. 6 y 7, Hunt's Row, Water Street,

FOR DANIEL BRADFORD,Publisher of the Laws of the U. States.

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PROCEEDINGSOF THE

DEMOCRATIC CO NVENTION,Of THE

STATE OF KENTUCKY,

Assembled at Frankfort, January 8lh, 1840.

A Convention of Delegates, representing thedemocratic citizens of the State of Kentucky, metthis day, (Jan. 8th, 1840,) at the Baptist Churchin Ihe City of Fraukfort, when, aster an impressiveand solemn appeal to the throne of grace hy theRev. H. H. Kavenaugh, David Meniwether, Esq.was called to the Chair, and Gen. John M. Mc-Cal-

and R. H. Stanton were appointed Secre-taries.

On motion of Maj. Thomas Marshall, the namesof the sever.il counties were then called, and thefollowing gentlemen appeared as delegates, andwere enrolled as members of the Convention:

ADAIR.

WmC Paxton J M TiueWm Caldwell ' Geo A Caldwell

' ALLEN & WARREN.'' R S Ford

ANDERSON.John DraffenC Lillard .

John WashJ C LillardJames G WhiteJohn MorganC H Dawon

Maj Otho HughesAlex PattersonOscar J MillerWm A Moore

Felix

Wm Watts,'

,.,-- ,,

-

&

SaundersiWmS S English '

"RnniT

A GoodsonK FishJ Thomas

GrigshyFrancis F Jackson,

Mize,

Mason

Lina

LewisReed

Bennett

WmJohnEzraJohn

Lowis

Isaac

DanlPeck

Francis McLearM Hickey

Claudius M JohnsonDavidJohn G LewisDanl BradfordJolinAlex G MorganJas O'.MaraJohn R Cleary

John M HewittT Richmond

John ThompsonJgaac WjngateES BailyJames GibbsJaw D BrownS.1111I B Crockett

SaundersSamlJohn McKee

T V

Chas FinsleyWm FrenchFredeii k RobbDennis Onan

StephenJas S HackleyKJohn A McCIuroDavid BlackwellThos J

BARREN.James G Hardy '

BOURBON.Thos WoodfordWm BucknerHai din RogersWm B McCmre

BATH.John C Mason'

BOONE.John Wallace.

WilliamsCALDWELL,

Minns.CARROLL GALLATIN.

Parker

HughPayne

Lillard

Lillard

Jesse LindseyR C Lindsey

CLAY.Danl Garrard

Theophilus Garrard

DeCourcey

WmGriffey

James Bryan

Robt M'CarliseElijah Williams,Robt D laymanII DJohn W Tibbatti

CLARK.Obadiah Tracy

ESTILL.R Riddle

R. ArbberyFAYETTE. -

"Mntl-ew- s Flournov BourneJohn

Thos

Megowan

R

Loughborough,

Gervbs'E

'

BREATHITT.

CALLOWAY."

CAMPBELL.

Grnsbeck,'

-

Thos MontagueC KensellL C RandallB F GravesJ W ForbesJohn Norton --

It C RodgersIt FreelandRobt S RussellWm Elde'rB N Darnaby '

'FRANKLIN.Jeptha DudleyJohn B RussellBen Luckett ,

Jeremiah KendallBenj Bennett'1 hos Jett ,

Alex W ilson .

Dennis CrockettJam" s Shannon .

J F DrydenJas BuruesFranklin ChismJ C Ri.cha:dsouJVm R 'CrockettRobt C jMcKeoLeander J Sharp

--J ,

Ratclffe

H D BurgessGen T WardJonathan ElslonDrEO Logan

John" S DanielN B Stevens

Wm H Petiss"Mason Thompson

W N MarshallRobt CalvinWPRafferty

Anderson Lisk

Jno WilliamsJas J AllenS T HamiltonJohn O'BeasemanW Q MooreWm B Glaves

Saml Durham

E T NuttallPhilip KingIhomas r roreWm P NorwoodWm N Blackburn

Jas

P

Wm JohnP

David

James TrotterJ G BrucePThos TA Hawkins

Wm EG T Edwards

FLEMING,

SamlDr John

DavisCol LudwellDavid JonesDanielJohn J SweenyYvm Archer HooeJas Porter

AllenJohn Adair jr

Peler I

James

FoxIsham Beck

4Glenn

Dr

WSand sold

JamesHaden

Harbin Ford

James iuotint

Robt Peak,

PIKE.Thos Cecil

Jesse

John W.

GREENUP.James RiceGARRARD.

Horatio BruceDunn

Alfred Anderson

WilhsHOPKINS,

David ThomasonHENDERSON.

CorneliusHARRISON.

Saml ChambersW Porter

JesseHugh

Tho PearcoJohnDrJo' ForeRobt

HICKMAN.Samuel McFallJEFFERSON.

Isaac MillerMeriwether

SpragginsCoger

Curd

Wm

A

TomlinsonMaj Wm

C

B C

BerkleyNimrod Debard

Stephen

Benjamin Pickettasbbroke

Ifadsworth

DejarnettThomas RobinsonWilliam

Edmund ilJTunday

iWonefee

Cyrus WingateJoseph RowlettLawrence

English

Barbour

Achillas Jasper

Pembeiton

FLOYD

Shepard,Summers

:

RRLee

GRANT.

Isaac

Lowin

McCann

GREENE.

Jefferson Henry

Burnett.

HenryNewell

HARDIN.Sandeis Elliott,.

HART.Rowlett

HENRY.

TaylorHujrhes

Guthrie

Chambers ShraderChurchill

JESSAMINE.,"

Greenwood

Milton SingletonBurrell FeatherstonIlezekiah Russell

LAWRENCE.Thompson

LEWIS.Thomas Marshall

LOGAN.Wilcox

Daviess

Cornish

Brandon

Nimrod HarrisGarland SimsIsaac CarterPhilip AllenMajor T,P MooroJohn BurtonDr HawkinsJordan PeterWm McAfeeJames McAfeeJames M Cardwell

MONTGOMERY.Charles Glover

TFilkersonB Peters Peter Everett

TreadwayMASON.

O

A A

Wm

TT

iloscs F

James ColemanStanton

John Reed

George RandolphMORGAN.

Mason Williams Henry

Benjamin

MERCER.

MONROE.

MADISON.John JlfcKeeThomas GordonHenry HowardIvilliam Jenkins

JMAKIUiN.

Peebles SchoolingilfcCRACKEN.

Charles RussellNICHOLAS.

Benjamin Edwards

NELSON.John Rowan

OWEN.SJlJ'CalvertGeorge Bowman

iUbo'reRichard SobreeJohn ScoUHorace Sandford

Ah ni.nnM.,lEdwardTavlor CM Ballard

Win T

R

&

E

M

Wm

H

R

B

H

G

A

L

H

G

AGT

O

C

B FH

R

V S

J

P

c

B

H

-

,

'

"

Jn P

J T

.

J

'

'

CII

JH

R R J R

J N

T

M

N

It

A

A

C

F

1

'

T R(

T

.

Gporso P SmithNewton Lane

PENDLETON., .

SFS.vopo

M c ijah SuttonSHELBY.

Ge BurjinCa Ivan Sanders

T O AllenAlexander ThompsonJames N. AllanT M JtsseeAdam MiJdleton

'John PrattGeo W JohnsonBenj C GlassLegrand LucasA S Lou cryDaniel NealD O NewbaldThos C FlournoyJames GriffinE S HerndonAndrew CalvertD VandersliceWm D BrownMerit Williams.

Jesse Connell .

Eleazer WillhoiteBenj ConnellJames Millican.

Wm McBrideHerman BowmarThomas W SellersChas NorwoodJohn GillHiram WilllioiteWin W WhiitingtonIsaac WhiitingtonSaml C ScottMedley SheltonRobt T WilliamsonJames StoryBenj Wickersham

John Lowe

Leu TylerJacob GeigerJohn BrainJohn liwinBeny IlinkleS Penn JrThos J Reed

cess until 2 o'clodk.

Thos Smith JrJ L RussellII "nry BohannonThos WellsDavid Miudleton.

SCOTT.Fabricius C McCallaThosCKelleyRichd I' S ElleyEdwd JohnsoiMCnTmbaughGeo WintersW S DuvallN A SpearsWilhs UehoneyThos B CatleltGeo RealtyJames M SuggettWillie Viley

SPENCER.Jas W Stone.

TRIGG. 'Isaac Burnett.

TRIMBLE.Richd LaneDanl B JohnsonJohn J. Thompson

UNION.John Imboden.

WAYNE.Shelby Coffee. "

WOODFORD.Herman Bowmar JrMartin S McFallJas C LongOscar PepperJumes BerryGeo W CarterJohn P CraigBenj BaileyWaller L PetersJames W ReddEdw H WhiitingtonJohn G PriceThos Parker

Richard laylor.WASHINGTON.

Amos Graham.LOUISVILLE.

J cob WalterJohn DaWningJohn FondaA T Heath ,

Jas B ReddGodfrey PopeJames Lithgow.

The Convention then, upon metion, took a rei past

At past 2 o'clock P. M. iho Convention reassembled and proceeded to the election of theregular officers of the body, which resulted in thechoice of the following gentlemen:

President:CYRUS WING ATE, Esq. of Owen.

Vice Presidents:1 Wm. Chambers, Esq. of Louisville.2 Herman Bovmer Esq. of Woodford.3 Daniel Garrard Esq. of Clay.4 Lina Minns Esq. of Caldwell.5 James Dbjarnett, Esq. of Madison.6 Mathews Flournoy, Esq. of Fayette.

Col, Chas. Glover, )R. H. Stanton, Secretaries.F. C. McCalla.

The President having been conducted to the chair.returned his thanks to the Convention n a sew happyand pertinent remarks, which were greeted with muchapplause.

J. V. Tibbats, Esq. then offered tho following reso-lutions, which, alter having been read, were Unanimous,ly adopted:

1st, Resolved, That the delegates from each Congres-sional District be constituted a emmittee to sclectandnominate to this l onention, one individual as electorfur President and Vice President.

2nd. Resolved, That the delegation from each Con-gressional District, shall select ono of Iheir number,and that the person so selected, shall constitute a com-mittee, to nominate to this Convention, two persons aselectors for the State.

3rd, Resolved, '1 hat on all questions roming beforethis Convention, each county shall be entitled to a num-ber of votes equal to its representation in the State Le-

gislature, and that each county select some person togive its vote upon such questions as may arise.

Whereas a number of distinguished gentlemen araspoken of, and will probably be nominated by theirfriends for the officers of Governor and Lt. Governor,no one of whom would be likely to rereive the unani- -

'mous vote of the Convention; and, whereas, to insurosuccess in all great undertakings, union and concert ofac ion aro indispensably requisite; ana Whereas the ob-

ject of this Convention is not to honor men, hut to se-

cure the triumph of the great principles of democracy,therefore,

Resolved, That the members of this Conventionpledge themselves to lay down all personal preferences

w-t-o abide the nominations which mav be made bv this'Convention and to unite zealoudy in the support of,indmake all honorable exertions to elect, the individ-- 'uals who may be selected to ue presented to the people,as candidates for the offices of Governor and Lt. Go- -

ernorThe Convontion then adjourned to meet ugain tho

next day at lu A. M.

Thursday, Jan. Pth, 1840. .

The Convention met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10

A. M. and aster the reading of the Journal, proceededto the enrollment of such delegatesas had arriveo" sinceyesterday. The following gentlemen gave their namesto the becrelarics.

Gallatin: It P. Hanna,SVashington: tt m. Vatts,Graesi Henry Seh olfield,Meade: Edw'd T. A bell.'Mr. 1 ibbalts submitted an amendment to the 3rd Re-

solution, offond by him yt etorday, which amendmentwas as sollows: aster Ihe word Legislature insert, "And

'every County now entitled to a member infjthc Legisla-ture, having a rpcsentation in this Conention, shallbe entitled to one. vote." The amendment was unam-(mousl- y

aggrecd toy xj,

--

The Hon. Thomas M Hickey then submitted tothe Convention, the following address and resolu-tions, which were read Vind received with muchenthusiasm by tho Convention, and ordered to beadopted as its sentiments and opinions.

The Convention of the Democratic Party inKentucky, composed of Delegates selected by pri-mary assemblies of the people in the several counties of the Commonwealth, met at the appointedtime and place, on the 8th day of Janujry, 1840,1at Frankfort, deem it proper to announce brieflythe pi maples which they profess, and the objectswhich have brought them together.

History teaches thai the existence of parties isan inevitable and necessary incident to every fieegovernment, and that those panics are actuatedby two ruling and cognate pnnciples. The onelooks to the inteiesfs, welfaie and rights of all thepeople, and of all classes of society, and the otherto the aggrandizement of a aw savored individuals, and the establishment and support of exclu-- 1

: .1 i 1 ...- -. 1

sivu lauiis uuu privileged institution:), at the expense ot the gieat mass of mankind. Whetherthey are called, in contrndistinrtion. democraticand aristrocratic, lepublican and fedeailist, loco-foc- o

and whig, or by whatever name the great lead-ing parties of the country, to one or the other ofwhich all persons attach themselves, aie callprlthey are in their natuie the same, and have subsist-ed in this country, and been struggling againsteacji other tor mastery, ever since the meeting ofthe convention which formed the constitution ofthe UmteiT States. Th'o fedeial or ansfocraticparty made a poweiful effort in that body, to es 1

tauiiiii ineir docuincs oy constitutional provisions.They wished to have a President and Senate forlife, and the Govcrnoisof the States nppointed bythem, and all the essential soveieignly of the Statesmerged and consolidated in the Federal Govern-ments Hence their narh& of the Federal party.They were fortunately defeated in this scheme bythe patriotic fiimness of the levolutionaiy republi-ca'rt- s,

to whom we are indebted for our fiee fed-eral constitution. The acquiescence of the ts

in tho republican form of governmentwhich was adopted for these States, wasmeielypretended, and as they fondly hoped, temporaiy,and they have been ever since unceasingly endea-voring by false, unnatural, absuid and violent constructions of that plain and sicied instrument, towiest fiom the people the nghts-nn- liberties whichit guarantees to them, and to effect, by indirection,their original purposes.

These plain facts all sensible men understand,and all candid men admit.-- It is not a mere con-test for the exaltation of men, which is carried onin the great political warfare which has ever ragedwith gieater or less violence, and with alternatesuccess, throughout all the bordeis of this Union.Ihe perpetuity ot human freedom, on the oneside, and the gradual usuipation of popular lights,by encroaenment upon the civil liberty and equal-ity of all, on the other side, arc the great objectsinvolved in the stiuggle. A virtuous and intelligent people, constituting a majority of ovciy freeano. uncoiiuptca community, will always be soundrallying in good faith under the glorious and holvstandaid of equal rights and civil liberty, in oppo-sition to unjust monopolies, cxclusivo piivileges,usuipeu power, unu oppression in all its snipes.

Hence we find that tho people of tho United,States, embracing the great mass of the democra-cy, elected and the father of his coun- -

tiy to the Piesidency. The federal party, withthe aid of a portion of the republicans, ignorantof his ti ue character, elevated the elder Adams tothe same high place; but his leckless disregard ofthe restiaints of the copstitution, disqlosing thefirst open attempts of federalism to construe theconstitution into a consolidated, elective monarchy,opencd.the eyes of the people, and they hurledhim indignantly from the power which he abused,and achieved the great civil victory of 1800, whichbiobght ihomas Jelleison into the chief magistracy of the nation. This blow "scotched, butdid not kill" the monster federalism. It gave,however, such an impulse to the ascendancy ofrepublicanism, that the democratic party succeed-ed in Mr. Jeffeison, and in giving birthto the two succeeding republican administiationsof James Madison and James Monioe. They cai-rie- d

the country safely thiough the second war forour independence, and established the prosperityof the Union, and the permanency of oar fiee in-

stitutions upon solid foundations, m spite of all theeliorts ot the ledeial opposition to thwart the

wise measures of the government, andto defeat its just and sound policy.

At the end of the second torm of James Mon-

roe, the democratic party was unfortunately divi-ded in the selection of his successor. Mr. Craw-ford, Mr. Clay and Gen. Jackson, lepublicans, andJohn Q. Adams, a federalist in disguise, orapos-tatise-

weie presented as candidates. The pop-ular will was clearly manifested in savor of theelection of General Jackson; but it was defeatedfor a time by the celebiated coalition which putJohn Q. Adams and Henrv Clay in possession ofthe executive power of the government, the oneacting under the official name of the President of

Mr. Clay the democratic party, carrying withhim considerable train of follower1:, who have

with tho olduntl-wa- r, federal party whose head quaiteisin Boston, and whos oracle was the Junto.And from this rent the democratic pirty 111 Ken-

tucky have not entirely recovi red. The hueof sife pntedence ti us cnteied upon, was asspeedily biokcn as the constitution would allow,by tho indignant condemnation of the people atthe tribunal of fiee suffer ige. and viohtion ofthe will of the people most neng dbv the elevation of Andrew J icksuu, thelieiocfNew Oi leans, the salesman, the iot and the

publican, to the piesidency the voicr of anoverwhelming majority of the people of tho Uni- -

ted States, and especially by a majority of eight...Uonu u. me 01 iventucky.

As all the republican Presidents had been, Gen.Jackson was for a second term, and.the samo paity again triumphed in the election of(Martin Van Buren as his successor. Mr. VanjBuren has disappointed no expectation of the peo-ple, has decened ihem in no particular, and has

jviohted no principle to wliich he stood pledgedbefore the community. On the contraryhe has"trodden faithfully in the footsteps of his illustriouspredecessors" of the republican school, and wbcannot apprehend that the "people of the UnitedStates wiH manifest so much inconsistency as toprefer to him the veiy same opponent whom, uponthe same principles and under ciicumstances sub-stantially alike, they rejected at the last presiden-ia- l

election. Those who calculate upon thisof the people, do give them credit

for the political virtue and firmness which they pos-sess.

In regard to the affahs- - of the Commonwealthof Kentucky in the administration of the Slategovernment, -- this convention would farther pre-mise, that they desue to present,for the suffrageof the people, candidates for Governor and Lieut.Governor, who will sternly oppose prodigal expen-ditures or wild and extravagant undertakings. It

(is believed the has aimed, when, injusticeto themselves, the people will abandon ruleis whohave lost sisht of their immprli.itR ininrnsto ,vhrwere for pledging the foriifhnn 41inan . . J? .1 rrflMtT rn

millions,tViJtJU llltj M w; s: tlPTIflPHPU ITl IhO Ntiitn'I'pAfleiiMtwhich is admitted by Gdv. Wickliffe to amount atthe present time of tieailv seven hundred thousanddollais. The democracy of the State are for im-

provement, but not prepared lo sanction schemeswhich would oppress the people and virtually mort-gage eeiy farm and lot in the State.

We are admonishedby the frightful deficiency inthe Treasuiy, the depression of State credit, andthe unsoitled condition of the monetary affairs ofalmost the whole civilized world, that a changeis indespeiisable in the policy of the State; and'iveaie therefore for the election of men whose past'conduct constitutes a guaiantee that we shall notbe ovci -- cropped with public works or borne downBy an unmanagable State debt.

It may be economical and expedient to finishimpiovemenis commenced, to save the sums expen-ded and inciease the productive capacity of theState but as it appeals to be piobablef the meansto accomplish even that object will have Jo boraised partly by taxation, we are unwjlling to con-fide the affairs of the State to men who have beenboiiowing for .years to aid in meeting the ordinaryexpenditures of Government, whilst they weroadvocating improvements almost innumerable.We object to political as well as religious fanati-cism, and desiie to secure the seiyices of honestand piactical men to administer the State Gonern-mon- t;

men who will endeavor to complete impor-tant works, by a judicious concentration ns themeans of the Commonwealth; who will never for-get that Kentucky, by undei taking too much,' mayuiusi ner prospects lor a centuiy; that, by bor-rowing successively and heedlessly, she may befoiced into a false and humiliatift:: position, andultimately be driven to the necessity of beggingCongress to paylier debts and lelieve her from theeffects of bankruptcy. Weare as well; convincedas any portion of our fellow citizens be, ofthe utility of improvements but we cannot closeour eyes against the tiuth, that a spirit of enter-prise which is laudable when wisely directed, be-comes ruinous when pushed loextiemes.

Some of the States are alieady groaning underdebts contracted for money expended on workswhich are unfinished; and it has been,gravely pro-pose- d

that their debts shall be assumed bv the(aeneral uovernment in violation of the federalconstitution. The temper of the acre and thntendency of tho State action indicate dancer of acombination to establish the piinciple, that it ist e duty of the General Government to pay the

of the several members of the confederacy.Should the advocates of this pioposition succeed,the Slates would inevitably run liot in borrowingmoney, and a national debt would be created, soenormous in amount, mat a high tanri would be-come indispensable to the payment of the interest,and a national bank soon be deemed essential toaid in funding it. We cannot countenanceschemes which promise results so fatal to the inde-pendence of the American People. Kentucky isnot yet enrolled on the list of beggar-State- s, andwe would wiest her Government from the handsof men whovould plunge her hopelessly into debtand make her one of the most pitiable of the men-dicants. '

Jn order to ascertain and express public senti-ment, and unity and concevt of action,and concentrate the strength of the party, and pre-vent its defeat by a convention so consti-tuted as to express popular opinions and preferen-ces tiuly and fairly, is not only useful but necessa.ry. Such a convention, we humbly conceive thisto be, and these are the leading objects of ourpresent meeting. For which purpose

Resolved, That in the opinion of this Convention,timo and experience have made manifest the soundnessana importance ol tho principles and policy lor winch

the United btates, and the other ot bectelory ot the. democratic pirty ol 1 10 ttates have alwaysState- - From this penod the secession of contended, and especially llmt upen a si t contruc- -

froma

sincewere

yet

thewas s'gmlly

pitirt by

not

time

Slate

can

debts

produce

division,

Lmteddates

tion ol the federal constitution tho rigid limitation ofCongress to the oxercie ol tin powers granted tu ibqm

the maintainance of ti.e Slate in tin full mjoyn entof their resered feovt icigntK-- , and in the indepundentcontrol of their domejtic institutions, and th taiihlulobserance ol the cjii'pn mtses of the fedeial constitu-tion dti ended the p ipitiut el ourlederal

Resit icd, Ihuti'i ihe p mon of ihiscomci.tmn theunion of the f,rtIltral goiemiiint with cilher Natl nalor Mate Binksinthe eitcuum of the recnue laws,and in the management of the public finances, is dan-gerous, cor upling, unsafe, and moreoer unnecessary,and therefore tho contention approves of the measuresrec on in ndedby Freudcnt Van Uuren, for the collec-tion, and disbursement of the public reve-nue, independent ol all Binks, as mo't consistent withthe pi in pimcipl-s- ot th dcral constitution

Rtitolbed, ITiit wt approte of the priucip s avowedin the late Message ol the President on the subjects ofbanking and thoourrency that we adhere to tho constU

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