The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-24

move with my property into tina! territory,
would not be deferred one moment by the ap-
prehension of any such Law.
In his letter accepting she nomins alton OF the
convention, he thus declares his present posi-
ton:
The PLATFORM as laid down by the conven-
ton, meets with my cordial appreciation. 1t is
national in all its parts and am content not
only to stand upon it, but, on all occasions, to
defend it,
; Now, what is the platform thus endorsed by
these eminent citizens! There has been little
or no controversy, of late, in the ranks of the
; Democracy, except on the subject of slavery.
Ia re gard TO this subject radical differences have
existed
Il The oppon, nts of rationale I'd slavery and
slavery extension were willing to unite with
their brethren, who disagreed with them on
these questions. upon a platform which should
leave thee matters of difference open to discus
sion, without prejudice to either side, and in
support of u ticket so constituted as to afford a
guarantee that the influence Of the admin .tration
should the nominee b elected, would not be
brought to bear against either side Honosa
BILE men, having common attachment to Dem
ocratic principles and policy, and sincere in the
maintenance Of free soil principles or Of the
compromises could not, it would seem. without
other ground. But the maintainers of the CON.
promises, and the supporters of slavery we're not
content to unite with their Democratic bre'hern
upon these terms. They demanded an endorse
ment of the compromises, and distinct pledge
against free soil speech and action. Hence all
the interest felt in the platform conveyed upon
the resolutions relating to slavery and, ia the
present condition Oft the public mind, these reso-
Iutions may be said to constitute the platform.
They are as follow
Resolued, That Congress has no power, under
the Constitution, to interfere with or control
the domestic institutions of the several States,
and that such States are the sole and proper
judges of everything appertainng to their own
affairs, not prohibited by the Constitution; that
all efforts of the aboi ionsts or others, made to
induce Congress to interfere with questions of
slavery, or TO take incipient steps in relation
thereto, are calculated to lead to the most alarm
ing and dangerous consequences; and that all
such efforts have an inevitable tendency to d.
nnsh the happiness of the people, and endan
ger the stability and permanency of the Union,
and ought not to be countenanced by any friend
of our political institutions
| ResolUed, That the foregoing resolution covers
and was intended to embrace the whole subject
nf slavery agitation in Congress; and, therefore,
the Democratic party of the Union, standing on
this national platform, will abide by, and adhere
to, faithful execution of the acts known IA the
compromise measures, settled by last Congress,
: the act for retaining fugitives from service
labor included; which act, being de-igned to
carry out an express provision OF the Constitu
ton, cannot with fidelity thereto, be repealed or
80 changed a. to destroy or impair its efficiency
Resolued, That the Democratic party will re
sist all attempts at renewing, in Congress or out
Il. L..
whatever shape or color the attempt may be
made.
These resolutions satisfy in full the demands
of the compromise Democrats Thew repndate
The construction placed by the New York Dem
ocracy upon the slavery resolution of the original
Baltimore platform, and pledge the entire Dem
ocracy to the support of the compromises; to
the perpetual maintenance and execution of the
fugitive slave law; and to resistance to all dis
cnsson of slavery in Congress or out of Con-
gress, under whatever shape or color.
No two persons, probably, contributed more
than the nominees of the convention, to place
the Democratic party in its present attitude
Gen Pierce, in behalf of Northern compromise
Democrats, thus wrote to Major Lally, at Balti
more, Immediately before the sitti G of the con-
vention.
"The sentiment of no one State is to be re-
garded on this subject but, having fought the
battle in New Hampshire upon the fugitive
slave law, and upon what we believe to be the
ground of constitutional right we should, Of
course, desire the approval of the Democracy of
the country. What wish to say to you is this :
if the compromise measures are not to be sub
stantially and firmly maintained, the plain rights
secured by the Constitution will be trampled in
the dust X If we of the
North, who have stood by the constitutional
rights of the South are to be abandoned to any
time serving policy the hopes of Democracy
and of the Union must sink together"
Months before this Mr. King, in his letter to
c. H. Donaldson-that noted man Of straw
had thus strongly expressed his feelings in re,
gard to freeso Democrats, and the necessity
of repudiating all political connection with
them:
$50 long as a large portion of the former
Democr ICY of the North lend themselves to the
advocacy of freesoil doctrines, and make com
mon cause with the infamous agitators and
Abolitionists, no portion of the Southern De.
mocracy will ever be found acting in concert
with them. All our troubles have arisen from
tho extraordinary conduct Of those protesting
Democrats in whom the Democracy once re
posed unbounded confidence, and felt delighted
to honor But for their base abandonment of
principle, Abolitionism would have still been
confined to portion of the Wing party and
small squad of ignorant fanatics"
This statement presents the question Can
those Democrats who united at Buffalo in
solemn declaration of their independence of the
slave power, and of perpetual opposition to
slavery extension and naturalized slavery, or
those who, perceiving the entire harmony of
this declaration with the great principles of De-
mccracy, have since declared their concurrence
in it, now support the nominees of the Balti
more compromise convention!
1t cannot be denied that the slavery resolu.
, tons of the conventions platform are utterly
irreconcilable with this declaration. The can
, didates represent the platform, and especially
the slavery resolutions. To their Influence and
f action the course Of the convention, in the
f adoption Of these resolutions, must, in no small
degree, be ascribed 1t is rot easy to see how
any man, whether radical or Hunker, freesoil or
pro- slavery, in view of these facts, can hesitate
. 40 fo tho prnnor anuwor to ha u;vop IN tho cuao