Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-19
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM"

i 1900 0AsA"
We have not hithertosbeen able to account fol-
the vigorous applause bestowed in certain quarter.
upon the Platform" Resolutions adopted at the
late Democratic National Convention, considering
the ostensble adhesion of those Resolutions to the
principles Of the Compromise. 1t now turns Out
that Free-soilism and Denunciaton Of the Fugitive
Slave Law are comprised in the Resolutions adopt
ing the Virginia and Kentucky systems of abstrac
ton OF 1859 This fact, undoubtedly known to
the prime movers Of that Platform, but certainly
not known to majority of the Convention by whom
the Platform" was adopted, solves the puzzle
Well may the Richmond Wing, from whose columns
the following article is copied head it TAKEN M
FROM THE RICHMOND WING YESTERDAY.
The Democratic Platform embraces the Kentucky
resolutions, as well as those of Virginia The
Charlottesville Advocate copies the second of the
Kentucky resolutions, by which it appears that the
Fugitive Slave Law is declared to be " altogether
0otd and of no force" The resolutions take the
ground that Congress pass no law to punish any
crime not specially enumerated in the Constitution
and as negrostealng is not SO defined, the Fugitive
Slave Law is lin effect declared null and void. We
copy from the Advocate
The second of those celebrated resolutions is in these
words:
RESOLVED That the Constitution Of the United States
having delegated to Congress power punish treason
countereng the securities and coin Of the Unit
ed States pracies and feones committed on the high
seas and offences against CLAWS of nations and no
other crimes whaver and it being true general prn-
cpe and one of the amendments to the Constitution
having also declared that the powers not delegated to
the United States by the Constitution prohibited by
1t to the States, reserved to the States respectively
or to the people, therefore ALSO the act Of Con-
gress passed the 18th day Of july l798 and entitled
An act IN addition to an act entitled act for the
ishment OF certain crimes against the United Sates
also the act passed by them the 9th day of June 1798
entitled An act to punish frauds committed on the Bank
Of the United States all other their acts which assume
to create define, punish crimes other than those
merated in the constitutional altogether void and no
force and that the power to create Define and punish
such other crimes is reserved and of right apperains
solely and exclusively to the respective States each within
its own territory"
This resolution says the Advocate which is expressly
and by name endorsed by the Democratic Convention de-
cares the fugitive slave law be altogether void and Of no
force because the crimes which it creates defines, and
Furnishes not among those which the Constitution
delegates to Congress power to punish and the resou
ton emphatcaly declares that Congress has no power
to create, define, punish any crimes not
ated in the Constitution Nor can this dilemma be avoid
ed by saying that the Constitution itself provides for the
rendition of fugitive slaves 1t undoubtedly does but
does not make failure TO comply Nth its provisions
crime and hence according to the second of the Ken
tucy resolutions, Congress has power to make the
aiding and abetng fugitive slave to effect his escape
from the officers of the law the resistance of those off,
when in the discharge of their constitutional duty
crime, to punish it SUCH because such crime is
enumerated in the Constitution and therefore no auho
ry given to Congress to punish it. This may be called
strict construction and is but the Democrats cannot
object to it that and besides the Supreme
Court of the United States has acted upon this of
the matter and hence the urgent necessity for the
present law That Court relying possibly upon the au-
thorty of this very resolution, at oil arriving
at precisely similar conclusion declared its opinion
that Congress had nothing do with the rendition of
fugitive slaves, but that under the Constitution the
power reserved and Of right appertans solely and
exclusively to the respective States each within its own
territory" 1t this decision which, more than any
other perhaps called for the passage of the
fugitive slave law, which the Democratic National Con-
venton by endorsing the Kentucky resolutions has de-
clared to be /" poid and of no force rt