The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-05

long before the Mexican war and our territorial
acquisitions growing out of il, did not touch the
great question of the day, in l84S, which was,
whether the introduction of slavery into those
acquisitions should or should not be prohibited
by Congress-
Accordingly, Mr.. YANcEy, of Alabama, a
member of the committee, proposed to amend
the resolution by adding thereto the following:
Rssolued further, That the doctrine of non inter
ference with the rights of property of any portion
of the people of this Conederacy be it in the States
Territories, by any other than the parties inter
ested in them, is the true republican doctrine re-
cognised by this body"
This amendment was voted down in the
committee by the following vote:
Yeas: Pennsy lvania, Virginia, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and
wisconsin,.
Mays: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, North Caro-
lima, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ken
lucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa,
and Missouri-20.
Mr.. SLIDELL, ofLouisiana cast the vote ofthat
State against the amendment, and the avowed
ground upon which he did SO is worthy of note
He argued that the committee should not adopt
it-'inasmuch as the convention had already
nominated General CAss, who entertained
opinions directly the reverse of the resolution;
and, therefore, if the convention should adopt
the resolution, it would rebuke the opinionsof
General CAss, and be inconsistent with it.
self"
Can any Southern Democrat, who is not the
veriest slare of party read these proceedings
without hanging his head in the deepest
shame
Another attempt was made TO amend the re-
solution by inserting after the words, ''the sew
eral States" the words ''or Territories" This,
too, was voted down, and the old resolution, az
it had been adopted in 1910 and 1874, was re-
ported along with the other resolutions const-
tutlng the platform, to the convention.
In that body Mr. YANcEY made second
effort TO amend the resolution. He presented
minority report, signed by himself and the
members of the committee from Florida and
South Carolina, from which we will make few
extracts:
Believing" say the minority of the committee,
"that the success of the Democratic party will de-
pend solely upon the truth or untruth of the prin
ciples avowed by this convention, and by the NOM
inec thereof, the undersigned cannot give their
assent TO the report of the majority. The nomi-
nee of this convention is understood to entertain
the opinion that Congress has no right to interfere
with the question of slavery in the States Terri
tories; but that the people inhabting Territory
have the exclusive right to exclude 1t thereirom.
The majority of your committee have only adopt
ed this principle as far applicable to the States.
and have thus refused, in the avowal of the cardi
nal principles of the Democracy, to express any
opinion upon what is really the most exciting and
important political topic now before the country,
leaving the people to find exposition of the
views of the great Democratic party of the Union,
and of the probable course of its representatives
in Congress, in the avowed opinions Of their NOM
inee for the office of Prcsident.
4" This course we conceive to be fundamentally
wrong. 1t is useless to deny that
this question does not press home upon US for our
decision. Ten of the sovereign -slaveholding
States have already expressed decided opinions
upon it. This has been met by counteracting
opinions in the South first distinctly avowed by the
State of Virginia, and since followed up by nearly
every State in that section of the Union.
abstract in any sense, it is only to the section
in which have originated the avowals of aggrcs-
sion upon the rights of large portion of the
Union-to wit: the non-slaveholding States. They
own not dollar Of property to be affected by the
ascendency of the principle at issue. They have
not a single political right TO be curtailcd by 1t.
With them, opposition TO the South on this point
is purely question Of moral and political ethics.
Far different is it with the South They own the
property which the success Of this principle will
prevent them from carrying with them TO the Ter
ritories. They have a common right in the Ter
ritories, from which they to be excluded,
less they choose to 60 there without this property.
They have heretofore been considered as political
equals in the Union-wih the same power Of e1.
pansion and Of progress which has heretofore dis
tngushed all classes in the Union, and which
has given to all the distinctive appellation of
the party Of progress They own, in common
with their brethren Of the North these Territories.
which to be held by the Federal Govern
mcnt, trustee, for common and common
purposes.
"lf, therefore, you refuse TO meet the issue made
upon the slaveholding, by part Of tire non slave
holding States, and permit the heretofore ex-
pressed opinions Of your nominee TO stand impli-
eddy tho opinions Of this convention, you pro-
nounce, in substance, against the political equality
OF the people-against the community OF interest
in the Territories, which, it is commended, exists
in the poople-against the right Of half Of the
people Of tho Union 70 extend those institutions
which the fathers Of the Constitution recognised
az fundamental in the framing Of the articles Of
union, and upon which rest the great and leading
principles upon which taxation and political pow
er il based.
"ln order 10 obviate such a coustruction-in or
der 10 give assurance 10 the public mind Of our
entire country that tho Democracy of the Union
will preserve the compromises Of the Constitution,
not only in The States, bot in the Territories-that
it recognises entire political equality to exist
among the people, and their right TO people, un-
moested in their rights Of property, the vast ter
ritores which the Union holds but a trust, I'M
I'll sufficiently populated to be erected into States
the undersigned have agreed TO present TO this
body, for their adoption, tho following resolution:
w. l.. YANCEY, Of Alabama,
JOHN G. M'GEHEE, Of Florida,
j. NJ. COMMANDER, Of S. Carolina.
"Rssolrod That tho doctrine Of non interference
with tho rights Of property Of any portion Of this
r. q.