The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-08
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT.

: cast more than seventy thousand votes, hn'
r before the year lS4S, indications convinced III
e that it had reached its eliminating point, ant
{ was already in "a state of decadence Tha
wear was rendered memorable 10y the struggle
o on the question Of the Extension OF Slavery
j. the People of the North becoming generall
Il aroused To resistance to the demands OF tn
: Slave Power The old political organization
. disregarded, to Il greater or less extent tn
I peculiar sentiments of the North. The Dem
ocratic National Convention repudiated The
policy which proposed to prohibit, by positive
law, the extension Of slavery, and concurreC
in a Presidential nomination, dictated by the
Slave Power The Wing Convention abstainec
from any expression of opinion on the great
question at issue, and put in nomination can
didate uncommitted upon it.
A portion of the Wings OF the North dis
satisfied with this course, and a still larger
portion of the Democrats of the same section
offended by the conduct of their Conventions
determined upon independent action. The
Liberty Party asserting to the withdrawal OF
its candidate, already nominated, became the
medium of union between the recusant
Wings and Democrats, and merged itself in
the Buffalo Convention, of August, lS4S, which
gave form and direction to the practical
Antl-Slavery Sentiment of the country by the
adoption Of IA platform Of political action. and
by the nomination of Independent candidates
for the Presidency From that time, the old
Liberty Party has had no existence, although
Il small party, SO called holding the doctrine
that the abolition Of Slavery within the States
is within the scope of the Federal Government
has maintained "A distinct organization in few
Of the States, never casting, however, more
than two or three thousand votes.
The general object of the Buffalo movement
was, the divorce of the Federal Government
from Slavery; its immediate and peculiar object,
the preservation of Freedom in the Territories
acquired from Mexico. In our Judgment, the
Liberty men acted wisely in conserving to
waive their separate organization and uniting
with their fellOwcitzens who cOncurred with
them in relation to these objects. Had they
any movement against slavery, adapted to the
crisis, and of force enough to make decided |
impression or they would have been reduced |
to utter insignifcance by the withdrawal of
those who had till then rallied under their ban |
ner, with view to join in more imposing |
and practical demonstration. Uniting with the
dsatlected of both the old parties, it stamped |
its principles upon the new organization and |
gave II vitality still operative and potential
The ground taken by the Buffalo Convention.
in relation to Slavery, reached the full length, |
not Of the desires of the Abolitonists but of the
political responsibilities of the North We do
not admit that the standard of political Anti
Slavery action was lowered by that Conyen-
ton A National Political organization cannot
legltmately propose to remedy grievance for
which the nation is not responsible, and for the
removal of which the National Government is
invested with no power The Free Soil or the
Free Democratic Party, organized by the Bui-
ialo Convention, sought to obtain the control of
the Federal Government but the Federal
Government has no power to abolish Slavery
in the States, nor is it politically responsible
for it's existence there Consequently, that Party
did not declare its object to be the abolition
of State Slavery the declaration would have
implied the assumption of the doctrine of Fed
eral political responsibility and power, in rela-
ton thereto But, carefully measuring the re.
sponaibilities and powers of the Government it
pledged itself to go to their full extent in anti
slavery action, rs will be seen by the following
resolution:
&" Resolved That it il the duty of the Federal
Government TO relieve itself from oil RESPONSE
bity for the existence or continuance OF STA
very wherever that Government possesses con
stitutional authority to leglslate on that sub
iect, and is thus responsible for its existence
1t denied to the Federal Government the
power to deprive any person of life, liberty, or
property, without due process of law it as
serted that the original, settled policy of the
Nation was, not to extend, nationalize, or en-
courage, but to limit, localize, and discourage
Slavery and accepting the issue forced 10y the
Slave Power, announced in reply to its demand
for more Slave States and more Slave Terrific
ry, no more Stare States, and no SLAVE Tern
tory
This was rs far as Il political organization
could 90, unless it assumed the doctrine that
the Constitution coniers on the Federal Gov
eminent power to abolish Slavery in the States.
The men who met ut Buffalo, the voters they
represented, and the old Liberty Party which
united with them, did not hold this doctrine
and therefore could propose no political object
or measure, which would imply it.
We deny, then, that there was any lowering
of the standard Of ant-slavcry political action
by the Buffalo Convention, or the organization
it formed The abolition Of slavery in the
States is to be effected by the action OF the
citizens Of those States, individually. through
their Conventions, or through their LegiIa
lures, or in all these ways. Such political ac-
ton as we have defined must tend to favor that
end and IL in harmony with other agencies
continually operating, such as philanthropic
associations, discussions by the press, and &c
ccsiastcal action, the declared object of which
Is to bring about general emancipation BY
peaceful and constitutional methods
But, let every organization measure its re
sponsibilites and powers, and limit its action
by them Why should it invite misconstruc
ton, and provoke unnecessary opposition
For ourselves, we have never proposed OF
countenanced any Federal political anti-sla.
} very action other than that just defined and
with our views OF the Constitution, We shall
never propose or countenance any other. We
could not act with national political or.