The Bedford Gazette

THE STATE CONVENTION AND
GOVERNOR PACKER.

The refusal of the late Democratic State
Convention, to endorse the State policy of
Governor Packer, was an act of severe, but
condign punishment. The Convention could
not consistently have done otherwise. All its
avowals of Democratic principles and all its
recommendations of Democratic nominees,
would have fallen to the ground, had it recognized
the Governor as a Democrat in good standing.
It would have been rank hypocrisy in
true Democrats to say that they approved of a
policy which has done more injury to the party
in this State, than all the labors of all the
Opposition parties since the days of Jefferson.

We make no allusion here to the fact which
Mr. Packer's interference in the settlement of
the Kansas question, has had upon the welfare of
the Pennsylvania Democracy: though he stultified
himself most egregiously on that subject, by
declaring, when challenged by Wilmot, that
the State Executive could have nothing to do
with it, and afterwards facing about and discussing
it as eagerly as Mr. Wilmot himself could
have done. Nor do we refer especially to the
damaging consequences which have resulted
to the party from his neglect (we use the mildest
word possible) of the interests of the Commonwealth,
in the transfer of the Delaware Division
of the State Canals. But we do make
particular and emphatic reference to his conduct
during the last campaign, when by the hands
of his treacherous officials, he compassed the
defeat of the party which had taken him up in
its arms and lifted him from obscurity to dignity
and power. We do not, at this late day,
object to his Anti Lecompton-ism-we are
willing to bury the hatchet on that score, and
so was the State Convention-but we cannot
hug a traitor, or kiss the hand of his menial.
We cannot, nor can any Democrat, approve
of a State policy which places in office such
rank abolitionists as John C. Knox and such
unprincipled spoils-seekers as Geo. M. Lauman.
We cannot approve of a policy which
removes from office, good, honest Pennsylvania
Democrats, to make room for Black Republicans
from New Jersey. We are, therefore,
glad that the State Convention refused to endorse
him, in a refusal worthy of Governor Packer—to
stand by the Democratic cause, and we are proud
to record it.