Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-29
PLATFORMS.


We said, in a notice of the know-nothing plat
form few days since that it was no better than
the whig, and not as good as the democratic plat
form of 1852. The idea then, of haing these know
nothing resolutions. repudiated as they were, by
the delegates from every State which the know
nothings have carried as substantial benefit to the
South, is absurd
We copy below, for comparison, first, the resolu-
tons relating to slavery adopted by the late know
nothing convention; second the resolutions on the
same subject adopted by the Democratic National
Convention of 1852 and third, the resolutions of
the Wing National Convention of the same year
WOODWORKING NATIONAL PLATFORM
AlI-The American party having arisen upon
the ruins and in spite of the opposition of the Wing
and Democratic parties, cannot be held in any man
ner responsible for the obnoxious acts or vic ated
pledges of either. And the systematic agitation of
the Slavery question by those parties having ele-
waited sectional hostility into positive element of
political power, and brought our institutions into
peril, 1t has therefore become the imperative duty
I the Amerlcon party to interpose, for the pur-
rose of giving peace to the country and perpetuitv
othe Union. And as experience has shown it i'm
possible to reconcile opinions so extreme as those
which separate the disputants and as there can he
Council has deemed it the best guarantee of COM
mon justice and future peace to abide by sudnoain-
tain the existing laws upon the subject of Slavery
as final and conclusive settlement of that subiect
in spirit ard in substance.
And regarding the highest duty to avow their
opinions upon subject so important, in distinct
and uuequivoca terms il is hereby declared az the
sense of this National Council, that Congress DOS
sesses no power under the Constitution TO eqslate
upon the subject of slavery in the States where il
docs or may exist to exclude any State from adj
mission into the Union because its Constitution
does does not recognise the institution of slave
ry as part of its social SYSTEM and especially pre-
permitting any expression of opinion upon the DOW
er oil Congress to establish or prohibit slavery in
any Territory it is the sense ofthe National Coun-
ell that Congress ought not to legislate upon the
subject OF slavery within the Territory of the Uni
ted States, and that any interference by Congress
with slavery as 1t exists in the District of Columbia
would pea violation Of the spirit and intention of
the compact by which the State of MarvIanS coded
the District to the United States and breecb Of
the National faith.
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL PLATFORM.
9-That Congress has no power under tho C,,,
stution TO interfere with or control the don,os.;o
institutions of the several States and tbst encb
States are the sole and proper Judges of everything
sppertaning to their affairs not prohibited bS
the Constitution; that all efforts fthe abolitionisf
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 consequences; and that all
such efforts have an inevitable tendency to dmin-
ish the happiness of the people, and endanger the
stability aud permanency of the Union, and ought
not to be counteranced by any friend Of our polti
cal institutions.
Resolved, That the foregoing proposition covers.
and was intended to embrace the whole subject of
slavery agitation in Congress, and therefore the
Democratic party of the Union, standing upon this
national platform, will abide by and adhere to the