Montgomery County Sentinel

Correspondence from Washington.

Washington, April 18, 1860.

Mr. Editor: Amidst the conflicting surmises and hopes in regard to the nomination of a Presidential candidate at Charleston, I hope I may be allowed to express an opinion in regard to that event and its consequence. I am not one of those who despair of the recuperative powers of that noble old party, which, in its few temporary defeats heretofore, has borne up against such ephemeral reverses with a conscious reliance upon the returning sense of the people, and in which it has never yet been disappointed. Let me predict, therefore, that, at Charleston, there will be no surrender or departure from any of those time-honored principles, for which the Democratic party has ever contended. No temporizing or compromising policy will receive endorsement by that convention. The representatives of the Democracy there do not intend, at this late day, to sacrifice the glorious groundwork of their faith to the clamors or fears of those who plead the loaves and fishes as an argument for such surrender; they will say emphatically to all who attempt to thrust any new-born vagaries upon their consideration, "that the democracy of the country have principles which are endeared to them by too many hard-fought battles to surrender one inch of them now, either for the sake of men or the emoluments of office."

Mr. Douglas cannot put a new spoke in the democratic wheel; the old gear is in excellent running order, and needs no patching or repair; and should Mr. Douglas attempt to stop its progress, he will find himself flat on his back, with its ponderous wheels rumbling heedlessly over his prostrate person. The work of that convention will be ended by the nomination of a sound, national democrat; the people care not who he is, but intend to bear him triumphantly along in that good old wagon, and land him safely at the White House in Washington. Let no democrat fear the result for one moment. Let him remember that, although our present able Chief Magistrate is vilified and abused by the ancient enemy, and, with shame be it added, by some who call themselves democrats, the noble old hero of New Orleans was a thousand times more traduced, but came out of it all unscathed, and triumphantly sustained by the applause of a grateful people. So will it be with the Sage of Wheatland—standing like a rock amidst the breakers, he is nobly redeeming the pledge he made, from the steps of the capitol, to stand by and defend the Constitution of his country; and should his preference for retirement be gratified, he will surrender his trust with a conscience void of offence, and receive from the people the well merited reward due a good and faithful servant.

P.