The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-07-13
POLITICAL.
z.eEg From the Southern Press.
sIs8lics of Scraps ;aAd M using 9.
No. SO.
iHE wHIG PLATFORM.

5gS iHE wHIG PLATFORM.
There seems to bs an impression
gradually gaining ground among US,
tAshatsthe Wing party is rapidly ap.
broximating towards the Democracy.
Fhis is a great mistake it is the
Democracy that has approximated to.
yards the Wings in some Of the great
fundamental principles which had
Been at issue between the two parties
over since tho adoption of the Consti-
tuition. The old Federalists, who
had become so obnoxious to a great
I majority of the people, by their op-
position to the late war with England,
which they carried almost to the
verge of treason, by giving, if not
aid = at least comfort" to the ene-
Il my, that they had no other resource
3 but that of adopting an expedient
common among men who have be-;
come 60 notorious under their proper
ilane that they find it necessary, or
at least expedient, to take refuge un-
der an alias.
They, accordingly changed their
name, but not their nature of their
principles. They still remain the
& same; enemies to the rights of the
States and advocates of what they
are pleased to call strong govern
1ncnt, which il only another name for
consolidation. 1t is true they have
been forced to abandon at least for
the present--.that darling ret, ma.
sssEsSssssnal bank; but they have never dis,
\ 9Ied the principle on which it
5sas based, and ever apply it to q
ii4slspolicy founded on precisely the same
= latitudinarian construction of the
Constitution, which in any form or
Under any disguise, equally tends to
Infringe on the rights of the States,
s;sse =. 1ecsgariyes Ut the
general government. On all great
questions they are uniformly found
arrayed in support Of this latitudina.
rian construction, and on no occasion
do they ever oppose the pretentions
of the general government. This
party, which has profaned an honora-
BILE revolutionary name, except when
tits in the hands of their adversaries,
is only,a new batch of bread from
the old -four barrel, raised by the old
leayen of Federalism. Let us take
d brief view of the declaration of
principles just put forth by the Wing
convention at Baltimore, in proof Of
our. assertions.
4 It commences with the old sing.
song: of the government Of the United
States being one Of limited powers, a
general proposition which no one ever
!, pretended to- deny, and which is
equally true Of every government
not administered BY the sole wit of a
) 6espot. While it gives full latitude
$40 the federal construction of the
meaning Of the words Unnecessary and
proper for carrying out the powers
granted by the Constitution" it at
the same time cohcedes that the
State governments "should be held
secure in their reserved rights" with
this salvo, that "the general govern.
lnent be sustained in its constitution
al powers, and the Union be watched
over as the palladium of our liber-
ties."
Now what does all this amount to?
No one questions that Congress has
Alright to pass all laws indispensably
slecessary and equally proper to car
ry out the powers conferred on it by
the Constitution; that it has right to
I regulate foreign commerce and do
mestic trade between the States; or
that the reserved rights of the States
should be respected and the general
government sustained in it's constitu.
tional powers. In all these both
parties agree as general principles.
But the difficulty is they differ wide.
ly in their extent, as we'll as applica-
tion. They don't agree at all in their
ideas of what is necessary and proper
to3the execution Of the powers dele.
gated to Congress by the Constitu.
ton; nor in the extent of the reserv.
ed rights of the States, and the func-
tions Of the general government may
lawfully exercise. 1t is here the
shoe 5pinches; and any mere general
recognition unaccompanied by de-
finition Of what they understand by
proper and necessary; reserved
rights and the constitutional powers
OF the general government amounts
to nothing but repetition Of words
in whose construction and application
both parties differ as wide as the
poles.
This is exempli6ed in the succeed.
ing resolutions Of the convention,