The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-06-07
THE BALTIMORE CONVENTION.

additions. rThe additional approve tho ndmnis-
tra,on Of President Polk We have no room for the
whole OF their platfom" this week, and can We on
lv The seventh resolution, which is good ns far as It
goes
7. That Congress has no power under the
constitution TO interfere with or control the do
mestic institutions of The States, and that such
States are the sole and proper Judges OF every
thing appertaining to their own afiairs,not Proh.
bited by the constitutions; that all efforts OF the
abolitionists or others made 10 induce Congress
to interfere with qlestions Of slavery. or to take
iucipicnt steps in relation thereto, are calcua.
ted TO lead to the nust alarming and dangerous
consequences; and that all such efforts hare an
inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness Of
the people. and endanger the stability and per-
| manency of the Union, and ought not to he
countcnanced by any friend OF our political in.
stitulions.
| Mr.. Y.ycpy. Of ATabamn, submitted the following
report from minority Of the Committee, which was
laid on the table
The undersigned, minority Of the commit
tee uoon resolutions, ask leave respectively to
submit minority report 10 this Convention.
Relieving that the success Of the democratic
party will depend solely upon the truth or un.
truth of the principles avowed by this I"nven.
tion, and by the nominee thereof, the unde
ed cannot give their const". - =
the majority. The nominee OF this C"nven-
ton is understood to entertain the opinion that
Congress has no right 10 interfere with the qnes.
tion of slavery in the States or Territories, but
that the people inhab,ing territory have the
exclusive riyht to exclude it therefrom. The
majority of your committee have only adopted
This principle as far as applicable to the States,
and have thus refused, in the avowal of the car
dinal principles of the democracy, TO express
any opinion upon what is really the most excl.
ting and important political topic now before
the country, leaving the people to find an expo
sition OF the views Of the great democratic par.
ty OF the Union, and of the probable course OF its
representatives in Congress, in the avowed op.
MON Of their nominee for the Office OF Pres.
dent.
This course we conceive TO be fundamental
" wrong. 1t has ever been the pride Of the
democracy that It has dealt frankly and honest.
" with the people. 1t has scorned to conceal
its political opinions. 1t has made il point OF
opposition to The whig party that it frequently
goes before the people with mask upon its
brow; and has appealed to the masses 10 re.
buke that party iof course so offensive 10
truth and so unfair to them. Our country's in.
stitu,ons must find their surest support in an in
telligent republic opinion. That public opin.
ion cannot he intelIigently formed as to our
views upon those institutions, if we refuse 10
avow them and dare not advocate them.
1t is useless TO deny that this question does
not press home upon US for our decision. Ten
of the sovereign non slave holding States have
already EXPRESSED decided opinions upon it.
THIS has been met by counteracting opinions
in The South, first distinctly avowcd Ivy The State
of yirrinia, and since followed up by every
State in that section of The Union.
II is idle to call the question an abstract one.
If absrac, in any scnsc-it is only SO to the
section in which has orig gina,ed the avOwals ol
aggression upon the rights Of large portion OF
the Uuion-to wit: The n-savehoIding States.
They own not dollar of property to be affec.
ted by the ascendency of the principle at issue.
They have not sing lc political right to be cur.
tailed by it. With them, opposition TO the South
on this point, is purely question Of moral and
political ethics. Far different is il with the
South. They own the property which the sue.
sess of this principle will prevent them from
carrying with them 10 the territories. They
have a common right in the territories, from
which they are to be excluded, unless they
choose to 70 there without this property. They
have heretofore been considered rs political
equals in the Union-with the same power of
expansion and Of progress, which have hereto.
lore distinguished all classes in the Union, and
which has given to us all the distinctive appel.
la,on, of the .'party of progress" They own,
in common with their brethren Of The North,
these territories, which are to be held by the
Federal government, as trustee, for common
purposes.
Ii, therefore, you refuse to meet the issue
made upon the sIaveholding, by a part of the
non .slav-holJing States, and permit the hereto
fore expressed opinions of your nominee to
sland implied as the opinions of this c"nven.
ton, you pronounce, in substance, against the
political equality Of the peope-against tho
community of interest in the territories which
it is conlendcd, exists in the people-sgainst
the right of one half of the people of the Union
to extend these institutions, which the fathers OF
the constitution recognised rs fundamental in
the framing of the articles of union and upon
which rests the great and leading principles up.
on which taxation and political power is based.
! In order 10 obviate such q cons,ructon-in
oIder to give assurance to the public mind Of
our enliere country that the democracy of the
Union will preserve the compromises of the
constitution, not only in the States. but in the
territories-lhat il recognizes entire political
equality, to exis, among the people, and their
right to the people, unnolested in their rights
of property, the vast territories which the U.
MON holds but as trust until sufficiently popu.
lated to he erected into States,-the undersign-
ed have agreed to present TO this body, for its
adoption the following resolution:
VANrV - sl,L,,n,