Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-06-17
National FREE Soil CONVENTION,
AT CLEAVELAND, OHIO, AUGUST 4, 1852
The new Baltim ore Platform.

The more we reflect on the proceedings of
the recent National Democratic Convention, ct
Baltimore, the more do we Ieel 10 dislike and
condemn then Aside from the meri. of cxemp
lltylng the fuleiy Of the lonely old maxim
that dog won't eat dog, and therein killing off a
DOZEN Of the old aver pledged hacks, their
dongs as a whole, are chamcterized,as it seems
To u.s. 40 less by their lack OF consistency and
rnanIincss # position than by their fragrant VIC
lation OF democratic principles. In their Plat.
form they commence by renerodng The old ard
truly democratic doctrine OF the supremacy of
the popular will as contrasteG with the creed
AMI practice of Fcderalisn which seeks to palsy
the will of tie constituent,and then they go on to
show their faith and sincerity by ejectng Robert
Rnnteul, who was elected by the most marked
and decided minority, perhaps, Of any delegate
in the whole convention, and thereby completely
palsyng the will of his constituents. Again
they fully endorse the true old doctrines of strict
construction Of the constitution, and the reserved
rights Of the states to all power not expressly
granted 10 the Federal Government by that in.
strument; and then, as sequence, have the
effrontery to declare that the foregoing PROPOSE.
tions embrace, and we're intended to embrace
the fugitive slave law, the passage or which no
rational mind will believe strict construction Of
the constitution would have ever waranted.-
And yet again by endorsing the Virginia and
Kentucky resolutions of 1892 and '98 and
with them the democratic creed of Jefferson and
Madison, they declare Tor perfect freedom of
discussion, and then soIemny enoin on the
whole democracy to Pvt down all agitation or
discussion on the subject Of savery-thus aim.
ing more deadly boV at the freedom of speech
and Of the press than did the sedton law Of old
John Adams, or all the resolutions or acts
which the old Federalsts ever passed, preached,
did or conceived Aud thus through The whole
OF this weak, illogical, incongruols aud undem.
ocratlc new national pattorm-Federal appll-
Cations OF democratic principles Federal planks
with democratic spikes to hold them together
Such is now Proclaimed Ia he the democratic
creed for the campaign Of 1853 The support of
Slavery and the Fugitive Slave Law, resistance
TO the win of majorlties aud enlargement of
free discussion, are now prominent items of that
creed-pmcraI pIuuks Of that platform. upon
which Franklin Pierce Of New Hampshire is
seen willingly and approvingy mounting to raj.
" the democracy Of the nation!
Ifths be democracy, lltavel deliver us from
it. If this be democracy we repudiate 1t, now,
henceorh and forever! Bat il is not democracy
for democracy and the principles Of freedom are
one and the same aud that creed which rejects
those rrinci pies has no more claim to be called
democratic Than the espotlicensing constitution
Of Louis Napoleon
We did 40! expect much Of this convention;
but we confess we had hoped tor better things
thln these and better things might have been
easily accomplished. The South seeing the
Inconsistency and danger OF engraftng the com
promise on to the democratic creed had begun to
doubt and yield the point as we stated in form
er paper. The great organs no longer insisted
and several members in congress, among whom
was Governor Floyd OF Virginia, denounced
the attempt. But when the convention assem-
b'd the Northern delegates, and friends OF the
rival Candidates, IN their strife 10 out DO eact
other in pleasing the South, actually pressed The
unholy and suicidal measure, and the South
we are told on good authority as matter o
favor granted it y Shame, where is thy blush
y Democracy how hast thou been prostitute
and brought into icproach by the desplcabl
dough lce'am Of the North!