The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-06-24
THE REBELLION
AMONG
THE WING FACTIONS
AGAIN5T TUE
NOMINEE AND PLATE ORM
or THE
WING NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Developments Of Whig Public
Opinion.
[Froiu the New York Tribune, (Anti Slavery organ)
June y


had ever known any person who really and abso-
lutey believed all the Thirty nine Articles Greed
OF his church, replied that he had never known any
one man who also believed them all, but he had
known them all to be believed by one person and
another. We have heard Of instances wherein a de-
yout adherent of particular sect has been brought
up all standing by ocular proof that some doctrine
he had denounced as hcretical and pernicious was
directly affirmed by some article of his church's
creed, which he had never needed, had unluckily
forgotten.
Such accidents will happen-thcre is no usc in
quairellng about them Nor do We complain when
something is affirmed as part of the creed of our
own sect or party which does not entirely accord
with our individual views. No man who has any
clear, distinct, sharply defined views OF his own,
can hope 70 SEQ them precisely exactly embodied
and set forth IN any creed, summary or formula,
which aims to express the common conviction Of
millions. There must DO diversity of sentiment as
to details, even where there is substantial accord
ance as to leading principles. And the lesson which
8 Think your own thoughts-act out your own con
victions-though this may compel you pointcdly to
differ in sentiment from those with whom sense
public duty must nevertheless constrain you to unite
in promoting great public ends deemed important
alike by them and you"
But when creed or formula is set forth, not to
affirm and declare the opinions entertained by those
in whose behalf il is presented but to constran and
correct those oDinions-net to proclaim what the
party does believe, but to dictate what it shall be-
leve-then the is entirely altered, and silence
with regard to the usurpation becomes not neees-
sary compliance but a fragrant wrong.
Hence our emphatic objection to and protest
against portion of the socaed s'Patform of Prin-
ciples," set forth at the Wing National Convention.
They were never intended to be u statement of the
grounds wherein the wing party is united and the
ends which 1t unanimously meditates On the con-
trary, they forced upon portion of the dele
gates, in full view of the fact that they did not ex-
press their convictons--werc driven through by the
argument Of menace and terror-were rammed down
tta ..,.:... 49, skSt.. H..
we bolt!'' Yet, in the face of every entreaty and
threat. sxty-six OF the delegates, (seventy. we
count) voted when the yeas and nays were called
on their passage. Here was one-fourth of the con-
vcntion whom not even the importing of the nomi-
nation of THEN beloved candidate and the prospect
Of breaking up the party could deter from protesting
against the gross wrong. The platform" there
fore, IS not that of the entire wing party, as the
records OF the convention attest but that of mao
rity only-a majority which had and could have no
claim TO bind any who dissent from their decara-
ton. We are of that sort, and there many more
such. Let us endeavor hastily to show why, by a
hasty review of the platform" scanning its various
planks i'll detail, asfollows:-
PLATFORM OF PRINCIPLES
The wings Of the United States in convention assem-
bled adherng to the great conservative republican pr
cplcs by which they are controlled aud governed aud
now ing upon the intelligence of the Amer
can people with an abiding confidence in their capacity
Tor self government and their continued devotion the
constitution and the Union proclaim the following
political sentiments and determinations for the establish
ment and maintenance of which their national orgapiza-
ton party is Effected
The government of the United States i. of limited
character and is confined to the exercise of powers ex
pressy granted by the constitution and such may be
necessary and proper for carrying the granted powers
into fun execution and that all powers thus granted
or necessarily implied, expressly reserved the
States respectively and to the people
q The State governments should be held in
Their reserved rights, and the general government
tanned IN It's constitutional powers aud the Union should
be rcyercd and watched over the pail idum of our
liberties
Io,-
but they not distinctvely whig, nor do we per-
ceiye any strong necessity for thus asserting them
The antagonist party has been making Il loud noise
IL behalf of State rights for quarter of century,
and meantime has committed more outrageous vio-
lations of those rights than any other party ever
did Surely, If a State has any essential rights,
the right to choose its own associates should be
among them; yet Texas, foreign nation was thrust
INTO the Union as State, with litter of three
four additional States in prospect against the most
determined resistance and protest OF ten of the
States then composing the Union-and all this by
the main strength Of = the democracy always 50
fierce Gn words for State rights. We object,
therefore, to the wings making loud professions of
their devotion to State rights lest should soon
find them overbearing and outraging those rights
as recklessy as the Pharisaic democracy.
D. That while struggling freedom, every culists
the warnest sympathy Of the wing party t adhere
10 the doctrines Of the Father Of our Country as an
nounced in his Farewell Address Of keeping ourselves free
from all entangiDg alliances with fercgn countries and
OF never quitting stand upon foreign ground
That our mission republic is not to propagate
opinions impose other countries form govern
ment artifce force but to teach by example. and
show by moderation and Justice the blessings
OF self government and the advantages OF free institu
tons.
We are very glad to hear that struggling freedom
everywhere, enllsts the warmest sympathies Of the
wing party. as we had been led to fear that such
was not tho fact with regard to a good many of the
platform builders at Baltimore and those they rep
resented There is hope of party which (if only in
words) sympathses with "struggng freedom
everywhere" 1t can't help doing Il deal of good,
even though it should not heartily mean to- Nor
do we object to what this plank says about EN-
tangling alliances 60 foreign ground and "our
mis- sion" All this is pretty good. But we do OBJ
Ject that this plank lodges the vital, the practical
point and this we proceed to set forth, viz Sup
pose the European despots should openly avow
determination to put down republics and liberty of
conscience everywhere, and should thereupon pro-
eeed to overwhelm and crush Switzerland. Guile
New Granada, &C., ought We, could we afford to,
await our turn or should We anticipate, and 80
avert, the impending blow Suppose the al
he'd despots should proclaim their resolve to
crush what we consider liberty everywhere, /
should we go Oh munbling and maundering about |
teaching by example, and the like inapplicable !
platitudes We rather think the people would !
insist on some more pertinent and positive dcelara-
ton. Now we object to plank three that itevddcs 4
the real issue, and asserts something not Gt all 10
the purpose Nobody is contendng chat we should I
form "entanghDg ALLAN res, /" quit our own TO /
stand on foreign ground, impose on other coun-
tries our form Of government by artfee OF force /
nor any of the paraded bugbsafs, Wbat the men I
OF his age DO ask, is simply that Our government
snail manifest consciousness that hc vino sets ire
to the house adjoining ours in and effect sets
lire 10 ours-that conspiracy OF kings to crush re-
pubicans elsewhere, because they are republicans is
IN Truth conspiracy against our liberties and ma /
tonal existence. Aud this is left uuinscribed on /
plank three, as also the corresponding plank Of
the other Baltimore platform, which was (f any
tthng) rather more evasive and gassy than this. |
We shall stand on neither.
T. That where the people make and control the go
yernment, they should obey its constitution laws and
treaties as they would retain their selfrespec and the
respect which they claim and will enforce from foreign
powers.
This is rather foggy, but quite true. If it means
TO condemn Hibustiering in Cuba, Mexico, or else
where, it Is particularly good. To set forth the |
whole truth however, it should have proceeded to
say that" here tho people make the laws" &c, \
They should be careful not TO have any laws which
a just humane. conscientious man would wish or be
impcllcd to violate
Government should be conducted on priurintas of