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1 The Public Record and Past History of John Bell & Edw'd Everett 1 (1860)

handle is hein.slavery/prphjb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: RR11EGKNRIDGE AND LANE CAMPAIGN DOCUMENT, No. 5. THE PUBLIC RECORD AND PAST IISTOR Y OF JOHN BELL & EDWD EVERETT. Heretofore, it has been the custom of the political parties which have divided the country, when they met in National Conventions to nominate candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, to lay down a platform of principles upon which they asked the support of the American people. The vote of the citizen was given in accordance with his views of public policy and measures, and decided in favor of one or the other party as their principles of political action agreed with his. Men were supported only as the representative of principle. In this canvass, however, one of the political parties has deemed it proper or ex- pedient to depart from this salutary custom, and has absolutely refused to declare the political principles by which its siupporters will be guided, or the political meas- ures they will seek to enact, should they be installed in power. We have only a general and unmeaning declaration in favor of the Union, the Constitution, and a faithful execution of the laws, to which even Abraham Lincoln, the candidate of the Black Republicans, fully subscribes. They make no issue with any of th* other political parties, not even the Black Republicans. They refuse to inform us of their construction of the Constitution-whether it warrants squatter sow- creignty in the Territories, or guarantees to every citizen in them the full pro- tection of his property. We are left in the dark as to whether, according to their interpretation, this Constitution is a Know-Nothing Constitution, or proclaims civil and religious liberty to every man. Nor are we informed what laws they propose to enact and enforce. All is vague and unmeaning. They differ from nobody, so as to get the vote of everybody. For all we know, their views may not materially differ from those of the supporters of Lincoln and Hamlin. Indeed, if the past record of the opinions of their candidates is any index, we can see no material difference between them. Nor are their candidates more explicit or disposed to furnish information of their views upon the exciting questions of the day. They have both refused to declare their sentiments, but refer us back to their past history. Mr. Bell, in his letter of acceptance, used this language : The Convention, in disregarding the use of platforms, exacts no pledge from those whom they deem worthy of the highest trusts under the Government, wisely considering that the surest guaranty of a man's future usefulness and fidelity to the great interests of the coun- try, in any official station to which he may be chosen, is to be found in his past history con- nected with the public service. And his home organ reiterates his language, and says: Mr. Bell can refer, Only to his life and his opinions, already expressed. To theis opinions he ha Reproduced with permission from the University of Illinois at Chicago

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