The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-29

and carry his property of every description
with him ~
On another occasion he said
believe that whenever Territorial GOV
eminent is established, if persons holding slaves
think proper TO go there with them, TINS uON-
eminent is bound to protect them TIL the pc
rod arrives when the population is sufficient ior
the formation of State Constitution"
On another occasion he SAID 90
| Are we not protected in our property IL we
choose to 90 there hold that we are. ana
that the Territorial Legislature has no power
whatever to pass any law which destroys that
description of property in that Territory Ihey
are bound. on the other hand, to pass laws Tor
the protection of property of whatever descrlp-
ton Sir, | have no apprehension
of the force of Mexican law and if | chose to
remove with my property into that Territory,
| | would not be deferred one moment by the
apprehension of any such law
In his letter accepting the nomination OF the
| Convention, he thus declares his present posi-
| ton:
The platform, as laid down by the Conyen-
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.
In regard to this subject, radical differences
have existed
The opponents of natiOnalizcd slavery and
slavery extension were willing to unite with
their brethren, who disagreed with them on
these questions, upon platform which should
leave these matters of difference open to dis
| cussion, without prejudice to either side, and
in support of ticket so constituted as to afford
a guarantee that the influence of the Admins
tration, should the nominees be elected, would
not be brought to bear against either side
Honorable men, having common attachment
to Democratic principles and policy, and sin
cere in the maintenance of Free Soil principles
or of the Compromises could not it would
seem, without sacrifice of self-respect, act to-
gether upon any other ground But the main
tanners of the Compromises and the supporters
Of slavery were not content to unite with their
Democratic brethren upon these terms They
demanded an endorsement of the Compromises,
and distinct pledge against Free Soil speech
and action Hence all the interest felt in the
platform converged upon the resolutions rela-
ting to slavery and in the present condition Of
the public mind these resolutions may be said
70 constitute the platform. They are as fol-
lows:
ReSoIred, 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 Consti-
tuition that all efforts of the abolitonsts 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 alarming and dangerous conse-
quences; and that all such efforts have an in
evitable tendency to diminish the happiness of
the people, and endanger the stability and per-
manency of the Union, and ought not to be
countenanced by any friend of our political in
stitutions
" Resolved, That the foregoing resolution
covers and was intended to embrace the whole
subject of 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 as the Compromise measures, set
tied by the last Congress, the act for reclaim
ing fugitives from service or labor included
which act being designed to carry out on ex.
press provision of the Constitution, cannot, with
fidelity thereto be repealed or so changed as to
destroy or impair its efficiency.
"ReS0lued, That the Democratic party will
resist all attempts at renewing, in Congress or
out of it, the agitation of the slavery question,
under whatever shape or color the attempt may
be made"
These resolutions satisfy in full the demands
of the Compromise Democrats. They repud-
ate the construction placed by the New York
Democracy upon the slavery resolution of the
original Baltimore platform, and pledge the
entire Democracy to the support of the Compro-
misses: to the perpetual maintenance and exc
cution of the Fugitive Slave Law; and to re-
slstance to all discussion of slavery in Congress
or out of Congress 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 COmpro-
mise Democrats, thus wrote to Major LALLY,
at Baltimore, Immediately before the sitting of
the Convention
The sentiment of no one State is to be re-
Sdlutu Dn Dub having WIZ
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 substantially and firmly main
tanned, the plain rights secured by the Const-
tuition will be trampled in the dust n Ii
we of the North, who have stood by the cOnstl-
tutional rights of the South are to be aban-
doned to any me-serving policy, the hopes OF
Democracy and of the Union must sink to
gether"
Months before this, Mr.. KING, in his letter
to c. II. DonaldsOn-that noted man OF straw
had thus strongly expressed his feelings in re
gard to Free Soil Democrats, and the necessl-
ty of repudiating all political connection with
them;
SO long as large portion of the former
Democracy Of the North lend themselves to
the advocacy of Free Soil doctrines and make
common cause with the infamous agitators and
Abotionists, no portion of the Southern De-
mocracv will ever be found acting in concert
with them. All our troubles have arisen from
the extraordinary conduct of those processing
Democrats in whom the Democracy once re-
posed unbounded confidence, and felt delight
ed to honor. But for their base abandonment
of principle Aboltionism 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 a
solemn declaration of their independence OF
the slave power, and OF perpetual opposition to
slavery extension and nationalized slavery, or
those who perceiying the entire harmony Of
this declaration with the great principles OF
Democracy have since declared their concur
renee in it, now support the nominees of the
Baltimore Compromise Convention
N cannot be denied that the slavery resolu-