The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-09-21
EXCELLENT EXPOSITION.

| twelfth section OF tnc Inllauelpna Platform
That section was, as the Times says, intended
to assert the right of private Judgment and Il
pledge not to embody that judgment in any
federal law, or make its agitation the subject
of federal issue:
That there may be no misunderstanding as
to our views, or tho position of the American
party on the great question upon which the
American people are radically divided, we will
state briefly our position. The twelfth Sec
ton Of the platform, which disposes of this
question, while it reserves to every man the
undeniable right to believe slavery either a
curse or blessing, at the same time binds
him to refrain from any intervention or agila-
tion of this question; not that there can be n
satisfactory adjustment of the question in the
abstract, but because, for the sake o. the
Union-for the purpose of alaying sectional
animosities, and the cultivation of brothery
feeling between tbs conflicting sections-we
are both willing to accept this as final and
conclusive settlement of the subject in spirit
and substance"
The Americans arl not responsible for the
passage of the Kans!s act, nor pledged to its
repeal. Many memlrrs of the Philadelphia
Convention were satisfied with the Compro-
mise of 1850, and d,3rccated its change; but
us the Nebraska bill uss the law of the land,
as such they determinedto regard it us sacred.
No man ear be, nor is ngarded now, in frl
lowship with the party, yho does not sub.
scribe in toto to the doctrines of the Phladel.
pha Platform. If he regads the question of
Abolition (thoueh no member of the party is
required to favor the institution of slavery ms
paramount to Amcricanism,w then, he is
at once an Abolitionist, andas such, can no
more be a member of the prty than could
the Secession Democrats of he South.
After this decided stand ofthe Philadelphia
Convention, no man in his s,ber senses can
for n moment believe that ary but II purely
national man can receive the nomination for
the Presidency at the handsof the American
party. This being rs certai us that the sun
shines in the heavens, in the name of common
sense, what has the Union 10 fear from the
National American party? and we, and all true
Americans, claim utilization with none other.
LEGISLATIVE PRECOCITY.-h the early his.
tory of the State of Indiana, Sullivan county,
portion of the State famed for It's inhcxible
adherence to Democracy, once elected Sol.
Turman, of Turman's Creek, to represent it
in the Assembly. II was his first experience
in Legislative life, and the mantle of its dignity
at first sat uneas;ly upon his broad shoulders.
He got along pretty well, however, by saying
nothing and always voting as Mr. Allison did,
whose name was called first, and who was n
bright and shining light among the faithful,
until one day he "took down the House" as
follows:
He happened TO come into the House in
the midst of some business which rendered it
necessary to know the population of the
several counties, and the Speaker, not having
the documcntsat at hand, was asking the men,
bers fol information As soon rs he saw Mr..
Turman, he addressed him:
"Ah, Mr.. Turman, what is the population
of your county"
Mr.. Turman, taken entirely by surprise,
replied:
"Sr, we have scarcely any poplar in the
county; the timber is all oak, hickory, birch
and maple, with Il very small chance of poplar
in the bottom"
The Speaker said:
"You misunderstood me. What is the
census of your county!'
Mr.. Turunn, very badly scared, replied:
"Oh, they have no senses; they are id
ignorant set assure you."