Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-07-11

this low rate of subscription, they are confident OF
receiving large accession Of subscribers to their
present list which now reaches 10000 copies and of
extending in corresponding ratio, the advance
ment of American principles in every section of the
country.
An inducement is, by this arrangement, offered to
newspaper agents. booksellers satoners and others,
to act agents for the American organ, and TO the
present notice accordingly invite their attention.
The Pennsylvania Democracy Repudiate
the Observation-Disclosures Law.
We are compelled to confess that our antago-
nists excel us in the carpentry Of platforms.
From the Kane letter, which, Ikea lattice sign,
presented one view as we approach, and an
other as we rGcede from it, to this latest eva
sion at Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania Democ-
racy are unequalled in the art.
Indeed, the resolutions adopted seem to have
improved upon and perfected the system Of
sectional deception. From the mass of I'M
meaning generalitcs, which almost any one
might subscribe, we can Gull but two distinct
declarations. The one avows hostility to the
American Order. The other pledges the party
to support Arnold Plummer rs Canal Commits
sioner. Singular as it may seem, these reso-
lutions contain no declarations in regard to the
maintenance or repeal of the Nebraska Kansas
laws. Nor can it be said, from their text,
whether we are to expect opposition or support
to the existing laws Of the country.
But, fortunately, the proceedings Of the
Harrisburg Convention show that this body
ox,rros,l,, ,nl J.l;haro+oIy ranud;,tad tho
measures of legislation referred to- They
profess "undiminished confidence in the abil-
ity of Franklin Pierce and his administration
Of the Government of our country" but they
do not say whether that confidence was sus-
ceptible of diminution, or whether they
approve the past measures of his administers
ton.
The majority report Of the Harrisburg Con-
vention we have published, as amended The
minority report, which was offered as sub
sttute, contained candid exposition of its
position upon the leading questions of Federal
and State legislation. 1t avowcd devotion to
the Union and obedience to the Constitution
as the highest law. 1t was, however, rejected
by vote of SO to 10. But this minority re-
port contained much that was irrelevant, so
that portions of the Democratic party merely
wishing to express their intentions upon the
sectional question, as the Wing Convention in
Philadelphia had recently done, separated from
the minority report those clauses which af
frmed their views upon the vital question,
and proposed to amend the pending resolutions
as follows:
"Mr. Wright. now move to amend by offering
that portion of the minority report which intro
duces the Kansas and Nebraska bill as part of
the majority report.
at read as follows:
"ResolUed That every new State ought to be
admitted into the Union, with such constitution
majority of the citizens Hereof shall adopt;
provided there is nothing therein conflicting with
the Constitution fthe United States and whether
such State shall have adopted or rejected slavery
Is not matter of inquiry by the General Govern
ment. The adoption ofany measure which would
defeat this, is direct encroachment upon the pop
ular sovereignty Of such State. That under these
views, which we believe to be correct, the bill
enacting Kansas and Nebraska Territories leaving
the question OF slavery with the people, was not
only constitutional but erpedient and proper; and
that we do hereby endorse and approve the same"
ports the administration Of Franklin Pierce, be-
lieve that this resolution, which affirms that
the Kansas Nebraska act was "not only con-
stitutional, but expedient and proper" would
have been rejected by 60 to 46s Nor does
this Democratic Convention go so far az to say
they will "abide by and maintain" the exist
ing laws upon the subject most productive Of
excitement They ignore it altogether, leav
ing their followers to agitato the repeal Of the
laws, or insist upon their enforcement, as they
think proper.
Indeed, according to their President, they
do not even admit that the Nebraska and Kan
sas law is an essential, for he says in his in
augural, In non .esseHtials we agree TO disa.
gree; in essentials the party has nearly al
ways been unit The opposition press with
peculiar pleasure publish that we are divided
into hards' and softs,' Nebraska and anti-Ne-
braska, free-soil and pro-slavcry, temperance
and anti-temperance factions. They forget
that in the Democratic party every man may
have his own private opinions on all subjects
not organic, while on tho essentials Of the ma
tioual Democratic faith VIC are and always will
be a unit"
|. But the Convention was subjected TO far
ther test. It was proposed to endorse the
course pursued by Governor Recder." This
resolution, which should have been promptly
rejected, was avoided by laying 1t on the table,
and proposition to admit the endorsement Of
the Nebraska Kansas act, with disavowal Of
any responsibility for the "lawlcss acts" Of
the border, caused the Convention to stampede
sine die
After the Convention had refused TO admit
"the constitutionality and expediency Of the
Nebraska Kansas laws" il amended the majority
report by recognising in its widest sense the
principle Of popular sovereignty in the Terri
tories" This is quoted by the Washington
.Scntinelss recognising in its widest sense the
principles Of the Nebraska Kansas Act" Our
contemporary here leaps to a non sequitur, as
is shown by the proceedings Of the Convention.
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