Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-10-18


OF excluding slavery from the Territories Of the
United States, mentioned in the resolutions, as be-
ing alike in violation of the constitution and of the
just and equal rights OF the citizens of the slave
holding Sta,cs.''
No, to be behind hand in these patriotic declare
tions, the Democratic Convention of Virginia,
which assembled in this city the 9th Of Februa.
ny, lS4S, resolved:
18th. That this Convention heartily responds
TO the noble resolutions of the Alabama State Dem
ocratic Convention, and will, under no political
necessity whatecer, support, either for the Pres-
dency or Vice Presidency, any person who shall
not be the i'rm and drotccd opponent of any plan
or doctrine, which in any way nterferes with the
right Of citizens of any State to possess and enjoy
all their property in any territory which may be
acquired by the Union, as fully, completely and
securely, as citizens of any other State shall enjoy
theirseaeept far as that being unwilling to dis
turb the Missouri Compromise, we are content
with adherence TO its principles"
This exception" it will be seen, is poin, of
difference between the two platforms, and is well
understood To have been introduced Tor the benefit
OF MIR. Polk, should he be proposed for reelection.
IL contained and was intended to contain no salvo
for Gen. Cass.
Under these instructions, and such as these. did
the Southern Democracy assemble i'm Convention,
with their Northern Allies, )" at Baltimore. That
they should fail to be tricked cozeucd and deceived
In the negotiations which ensued, which stood out
as solitary exception in the whole history of this
patriotic alliance at least that is the most chart
table construction for the conduct of men, who az
ter the bravest and boldest resolves conquer or
die, broke and He'd inconnently at the first sight
of the enemy. The old resolution about slavery,
which did service in Van Buren's time, in 1910 as
In 1914. which owes its paternity, 1t is said, TO ST.
las Wright. chief of Barnburners, which was rat
ihed by the Barnburner's Convention at Utica, nd
which had once received the solemn vote i'm lis ia
rnTr, rl,, a. 4 l.l..
brought forward again for new duty. That no
doubt may be entertained about its TERMS and as
necessary to understand what followed, it is given
here entire:
81. That Congress has no power uuder the Con
sUtution to Interfere with control the domestic
institutions Of the several States, and that such
States are the sole and proper Judges Of every thing
apper,alnlng to their affairs. not prohibited by
the Constitution and that all efforts Of the Adolf
lonlsts and Others made to induce Congress to in
terieTe with questions Of slavery 10 take incipent
steps In relation thereto, calculated to lead TO
the most dangerous and alarming consequences; and
that all such efforts have inevitable tend ency to
diminish the happiness ofthe people, and endanger
the stability and pernanency of the Union, and
ought not TO be countenanced by any friend Of our
political institutions"
Not 4 syllable here about the Territories!-not a
word about the great and absorbing question, on
which the South had used the precauion to instruct
her delegates And why? But let man of tai
ents, integrity and independence, who participated
largely In these scenes and who is now paying the
penalty of party obloquy and denunciation for his
lemerity in opposing the suggestions of honor and
hdellty to the thimbe-rig tricks of political juggers
and mountebanks declare the rest.
81 proposed" says Mr. Yancey in his late able
address to the people OF Alabama, to amend it, (he
.th resolution above quoted by adding thereto the
following:'
OfppH bat he &c.
with the rights of property of any portion of the
people OF this Confederacy, be it in the States or
TERRITORIES, by any other than the parties
Interested in them, is the true republican doctrine
recognised by this body"
"in support of ii, held that the state Of politics
on the slave question ,cas different at that time,
from 'ohdt IT had been an 1910 and lS44--thut q
nc,c issue presented, which required cores
Ponding movement on the part of party which
styled itself 'the progressive party'-and that in
structed as was by my State, felt it to be my
duty to urge the adoption of the resolution, which
believed embodied the great principle contended
for"
1.-The resolution had no Complex" meaning to
the members of the committee, all seemed readiiy
to understand it. The vote upon it in the com
mitiee stood, Yeas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South
Carolina, Georgia Florida Mississippi, Texas and
Wisconsin-9. Mays, Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connect
cut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, North
Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ken
lucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, MICHIGAN, Iowa,
Missouri
''lt may also be worthy Of remark that Mr.
Glenn, the member.of the committee from Tennes-
see, was decidedly in favor OF the resolution, but
voted against it under Instructions; and Mr.. Shdell
OF Louisiana, argued that the committee should not
adopt it,
t5- "HNASMUCH AS THE CONVENTION
HAD ALREADY NOMINATED GEN. CASS,
WHO ENTERTAINED OPINIONS DI-
RECTLY THE REVERSE OF THE RES
OOdgTIoM AND THEREFoRE, IF THE
CONpENIION SHOULD ADOPT THE
RESOLUTION, IT WOULD REBUKETHE
OPINIONS OF GEN. CASS, AND BE IN
CONSISTENT WITH ITSELF"
THAT speech Continued Mr. Yancey) exhibited
IN all Its force, the very dilemma which, at pre-
vous stage of the conventions, ] had struggled to
AVOID, when moved TO adopt platform OF princi-
pies before ,ce made q nomination. Had zoe adopt
ca Our platform first, if either gave way, ii would
have been the candidates for the nomination, and
not our measures. But having made nomination
hrst, the convention actually called upon, not
to adopt principle, because forsooth, the nominee
did not entertain it, The nomination thus con-
trolEed the resolution"
"Anoiher attempt was made to amend the 7:h
resolution as reported, by adding after the words
'the several States" the words .3or terrtories"-
his, TOO, WAS VOTED DOWN BY VOTE OF TEN
TO SEVENTEEN"
unable to obtain from the Committee recog-
milton of the rights of Southern citizens to emigraie
to the territories with their slave property and find
ing that the Committee would not in their report
take higher ground than that which the Barnburn-
ers yielded, and which even Joshua Giddincs does
not now dispute, deemed it my duty to make an
appeal TO the Convention and once again to make
an effort to obtain the assent Of that body to the
principles which l was instructed to maintain.
do hat in
tatves Of Florida and South Carolina. and insisted
upon a vote npnn the Restitution trLn u,tn ,,as ~