The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1847-11-06
From ne National htciligencer.
The Democratic Platform.

&
CONTINUED e
DEMOCRATIC NOTIONS OF 6"sTRIC
III CONSTRUCTIONS OF THE CoNsTITl
TION.a
Il The first distinct proposition of the CONVEX
n ton Is as follows: ~ 49, SIT
d "That the Federal Government is one
limited powers, derived lely from the Const
tuition; and the grants ofpower shown therei
ought to be strictly construed by all the d.
partments and agents of the Government; an
that il is inexpedient and dangerous to excl
else doubtful constitutional powers.o
This principle is in so direct opposition t
the whole course and tenor of the conduct 0
the Democratic party when they have had tn
Government in their hands, tina; its ostenta
tious annuncaion at this moment, as the iun
damental principle of the politics OF that par
~, is a mere mockery and contempt OF TN
dressed.
To comprehend the full extent of the differ
ence between the profession and the practice
Of the Democratic party, we must read, II
connection with this proposition, the follow
ing, from subsequent part Of the address:
y "That The fruits of the great political triumph
& in 1874, which elected James X. Polk and
& Geo. M. Dallas President and Vice-Presidenl
II of the United States, have fulfilled the hopes
" Of the Democracy of the Union, &C.; and that,
j in our opinion, it would be fatal error to
weaken the bands of political organization by
which THESE GREAT REFORMS have
4 been achieved, and risk them in the hands Of
their known adyersaries, with whatever deu-
siye appeals they may solicit our surrender Of
that vigilance which is the only safeguard of
liberty" y4
The sfruits' of the election Of Mr.. Polk TO
the Presidency, and the great reforms achiev-
ed under. his administration, have been such
q to make Of this fundamental proposition of
The Baltimore Convention piece of irony
against its own party as keen as human wit
could have well devised For, accidental pos
session ofpower by that party for the last six or
seven years has been signalized not only by an
Slmost unbroken series of Executive acts Of
dpnbtful consttutionaliiy, but by the assump-
hsping been expressly conferred upon other
co-oidinate branches of the Government. A nd
inthis course OF unconstitutional action the
Executive has been sustained throughout by
stfict party votes in the legislative bodies,
whcreby the whole party has become respon-
nile for whatever the Executive has done or
omittcd In the most fragrant of his acts
Misunderstanding of his own mere will 10 make
WI upon Mexco-the Party in Congress sus-
tai1ed the President by an act of indemnity;
andin other acts of more doubtful morality
exan than ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS as his
cIandestne convention with the exiled Presi-
deatof the Mexican republic, the object of
vtich was 10 place him at the head of the
MSxican forces destined to act against our
0YTn gallant armies, &c.--the same party has
c0niinually screened the Executive by its re-
penfed refusals to inquire into either the facts
of'ihe motives of his transactions.
But, by way of4i1proving the present OPP
portunity, too inviting to be neglected.i il is
worth while to examine little more closely
nal are the fruits which have been gathered,
aAd what the great reforms achieved by the
poltical organization which il is the object of
the Baltimore Convention to prevent tom fall
ing into hands in which the continuance Of
such blessings may be endangered.
To begin, then, with the beginning;
AS though in haste decsively to mark his
fealty to the blind dictum and decree of that
irresponsible Party Convention which had NOM
mated him-a body hudded together in per-
sonal intrigues, and settling, by few in cor
ner, when half had dispersed, the gravest ques-
tions Of right and policy-as if at once to pro-
claim, with his first official tn, that he in
all consultation with the coordinate political i
authorities of the land, and to reject even the i
guidance and the pledges of all preceding Ex- a
ecutiyes and their sober diplomacy, President :
Polk, in his very Inaugural, by the ground C
which he SO needlessly and prematurely assum- {
cd as to 'our unquestionable right to all Ore y
gon, would, but for the Senate, have plunged t
US into war the most foolish with Great a
Britain; war which hung for time upon the i
only good sense and temper Of the adverse ma s
tion and its rulers, and which was at lastavert- il
ed only by the Presidents eating his own v
words, and signing away by treaty one-half OF '
those very 'unquestionable rights which he 4
had SO rashy pledged himself not to yield. u
That was the first 'fruit' Of the success Of the II
Democratic party in the election OF 844 L
The errors, the alarms, the equivocations, p
The retractions that followed in the Executive
of this matter; the perious war 6
n which he SO nearly involved us, we need not G
low recite. An ingloricus history viii take g
charge of them. But the facts stand too true b
foretaste of the ready assumption to WELD 81
Without stint Illegal public power, of which r.
5 have since had such fragrant Illustrations. il
1t was easy to see, in the manner in which he G
lad attempted to treat a strong nation, how be 81
would act towards weak one: it was clear, o.
.om his facility of embroiing us with Great "
britain, that he would rejoice in plunging us IL
MO war with Mexico. From his disregard Il
{ the wise policy of his predecessors, of re- N
ognitions, and Of the counsels or authority Of Of