The transaction
now alluded to affords a favorable opportunity for indicating some of
these latter traits.
In October, 1850, a democratic convention, held at Concord, nominated Mr.
Atwood as the party's regular candidate for governor. The Compromise,
then recent, was inevitably a prominent element in the discussions of the
convention; and a series of resolutions were adopted, bearing reference
to this great subject, fully and unreservedly indorsing the measures
comprehended under it, and declaring the principles on which the
Democracy of the state was about to engage in the gubernatorial contest.
Mr. Atwood accepted the nomination, acceding to the platform thus
tendered him, taking exceptions to none of the individual resolutions,
and, of course, pledging himself to the whole by the very act of assuming
the candidacy, which was predicated upon them.
The reverend candidate, we should conceive, is a well-meaning, and
probably an amiable man. In ordinary circumstances, he would, doubtless,
have gone through the canvass triumphantly, and have administered the
high office to which he aspired with no discredit to the party that had
placed him at its head. But the disturbed state of the public mind on
the Compromise question rendered the season a very critical one; and Mr.
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