Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-06-05
Democratic State Mass Convention.

Democracy, to call Democra,ic Stat,
Mass meeting at Columbus, as soon a
practicable. We hope it will be done
The rank and flo viii! not stand up ,c
the platform of the last s,h of Januar,
Convention. There are many goo1
things in it. Blu, il was gotten up as
mere experiment on public opinion, to
see how far the Democracy of this Sta,e
could be led by demagogues, or rather
TO assist the sinking fortunes Of the
present administration, that has broke en-
down the Democratic party in all its
strong'holds in the North.
it will not BE- endured. The Democ
racy OF this State at the next election
are determined 10 enter their protest
against the further territorial spread o.
slavery.
We would suggest to our friends
throughout the State, the necessity of cal
ling a general State Mass Convention
to be- held in Columbus on the 5th ol
July, that the sense OF The Democrat y
may be taken on the platform of last
January, as we'll as upon the conduct
Of the President in permitting popular
sovereignty TO be trampled under foot
by his professed friends in Kansas.
There is to be no more compromising
nor patching to be done. Freedom is
the aggressive principle Of our govern. {.
ment, and is properly embodied in the
preamble to the Federal Constitution.
The demand is now openly made, by
the united South, to carry their pecui ar
institution to the Pacific.
1t is now practical political CUES.
ton, appealing to the judgment of every
voter in the country.
Shall the sovereign will of the peo.
pie Of Ohio, be SO sl1ed by small pol.
iticians, whose highest aspirations are
gratiied with an office, or with the favor
OF the venal authorities at Washington,
as to give an expression of opinion, on
the great question at issue between the
rights OF free labor and tho demands Of
the slavery arstocracy, who dspise the
free Iaborers of the country. The De.
mocracy will never countenance move.
ment, that menaces in the least, the
rights Of the Slave States.
The statesmen Of the South, know
full we'll. that the State right doctrine
hold by all northern Democrats, secures
them in all their constitutional rights.
Let US here be distinctly understoo 3D.
The doctrine Of the Democracy is, that
with slavery az it exists, in Virginia,
kentucky, or any other slave State, is
just as far beyond the reach of federal
power, or the roach Of the people of the
free States, as are the systems Of bank.
ing, or Of common schools in the South.
ern States. The question now present.
ed, Is the same as that acted on by the
Congress Of the confederation in 1887,
when the fathers of the Republic passed
the celebrated ordinanc that slavery
should not exist in the territory that the
government then had. The anti Slavery
proposition first came from Virgins,
and was first introduced into the Con.
sress Of the conlederacy by jefferson in
1884. His proviso was sufficiently am
pie to have covered all the territory that
we shall ever acquire: but it was modi.
fed, and limited by Mr.. Dane. from
Massachusetts. SO as TO cover only the
land we then had. The next stand point
against the territorial increase of sla.
vsry was made in 1919 by Marcus Nor.
ton, . Democrat Of sachusetts. Mr..
Clsy offered the ."Missouri Comp,o.
miss" which was adopted. In ls47,
David Wilmot, Democrat Of Pennsyl.
sanis. made the nsxt stand point sgsinst
he lern,orisl spresdsof slavery. ID ref.