The true Democrat., 1855-07-24
National Platform-The Slavery
 Plank.

| National Platform-The Slavery Plank.
 l That our readers may see and inform them selves of the position of each of the three great parties upon the all- absorbing question of slave ry, we subjoin the resolutions of each upon the subject As these resolutions are upon the most vital question that ever has or ever can be presented to the southern people, we invite for them most attentive and scrutinizing ex- animation:
 KNOW NOTHING NATIONAL PLATFORM. 1 XII. The American party, having arisen upon the runs and III spite of the opposition of the whlg and democratic parties, cannot be held in any manner re- sponsibe for the obnoxious acts or violated pledges o1 either. And the systematic agitation of the slavery question by those parties having elevated sectional hostility into positive element of political power, and brought our institutions into peril it has there fore become the imperative duty of the American party to nterpose for the purpose of giving peace to the country and perpetuty to the Union. And as experience has shown it impossible to reconcile opn- ions extreme as those which separate the dspu-
 ants and there can be no dishonor in submitting to the laws, the national council has deemed it the best guarantee ot common justice and futuue peace to abide by and maintain the existing laws upon the subject ot slavery, as final and conclusive settle lnent of that subject, in spirit and in substance. 1 And regarding 1t the highest duty to avow their | opinions upon subject so important. in distinct and unequvoca terms, it is hereby declared as the sense of this National Council that Congress pos sesses no power under the constitution to legslate upon the subject of slavery ill the States to exclude any State from admission into the Union because her constitution does or does not recognize the institution of slavery as part of her social system; and expressly pretef1nltung any expression of opinion upon the power of Congress to establish prohibit slavery in any territory it is the sense of this National Council | of slavery within the territories of the United States and that any interference of Congress with slavery 1t exists in the District of Columbia. would be vio- lation of the spirit and intention Of the compact by which the State of Maryland ceded the District to the United States, and breach of the National Faith wHIG NATIONAL PLATFORM.
 1 8. The series of acts of the 3lst Congress com monly known as the Compromise or Adjustment,
 the act for the recovery of ugitives from labor in uded, are received and acquiesced in by the whigs of the United States final settlement in principle and substance, of the subjects to which they relate; and so far these acts are concerned we will main tain them, and insist their strict enforcement. until time and experience shall demonstrate the ne- ceSsy ot further legislation to guard against the sion of the laws the one hand and the abuse of their powers on the othern0t impairng their present efficiency to carry out the requirements of the con- stituton and deprecate all further agitation of the questions thus settled dangerous to peace, and will dc0untenance all efforts to continue rene W such agitation, whenever. wherever. or however made: and will maintain this settlement as essential to the nationality of the whg party and the integrity of the Union.
 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL PLATFORM. ,. That Congress has no power under the constu- tion interfere with or control the domestic instu- uons of the several States and that such States are the sole and proper iudges of thing appertan- ing 10 thelr own affairs not prohibited by the const tuton tha+ all efforts of the abotionists or others made to induce Congress to interfere with questions l0f Si to ql to, arc calculated to lead to the most alarming and dangerous and that all such efforts Ina an Inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness ot the people. and endanger the stability and perma- nency q the UniOn and ought not to be countenanc- cd ty any friend of our political institutions
 lteso5re1. That the foregoing proposition covers. and was intended t. embrace the whole subject of slavery agitation in Congress- and therefore the demo- cratic party Of the Union standing upon this nation al platform, will abide by and adhere to the faithful execution of the acts known the compromise mea- sures, settled by the last Congiessthe for the claiming Of fugtlyeS from service labor included which act, being designed to carry out an express provision of the constitution. mot with fidelity thereto be repealed changed as to destroy or i'm pair it's efficiency
 Resotred. That the democratic party will resist all attempts at atrcnewing in Congress out of it, the agitation of the slavery question under whatever shape or color the attempt may be made.
 . ! And in what respect can the know nothing resolutions upon slavery bear a comparison to those of the democratic party--or even those of the whig party? The democratic resolu- tions are plain, palpable, uumistakable. There is no effort to avoid an issue-there is no shrink ing from the question of slavery. Nothing is Preterneitted or passed by. The whole question, in its length and breadth, as it then presented itself, was met and properly disposed of In this respect, we might say as much for the whig platform too.
 To the compromise measures of 1850 which includes the principle that Congress possesses no poa0er to legjslate upon tue subject cf s7avey in te territories both the whig and democratic na- tional parties pledge themselves withom reserv- ing or prete1mitting any thing. The whigs say, they receive the compromise acts of the 31st Congress, "as final settlement i,1 principle and substance of tue subjects to which they rezate" (in- cluding even he tugt've sZave la0); and deprecat. ing and discountenancing all agitation of the slavery question, "aCheaeuer, aohe,eyer, and ho,0- ever mapde," they "will maintain this settlement os essential to the nationality 9f tue aohag pa,ty aad tue integrity of A'e Unioa" Such is the whig national platform. It is plain, simple and emphatic There is no pre'ermjtting important ponts-no dodging the main issue
 The democratic platform says, "the demo- cratic party of the Union'' "a0iU abide by and adhere to Ue .taitHyfM execution ef tue acts knoon as the compromise measures, settled by he last (185O) Congress- (the fugitive slave law includ. ed.) "7hat tte denocratic party aoW resist aU attempts ct reneaojng in Congress or out ef H, Me agitation Qf tue sJauery question: under aohatever shape or color, tue attempt may Je maade."
 Such is the democratic platform. It is clear and explicit. There is no creep out hole in it. Nor is there any in the whg platform. They both bind themselves, unco,adationaUA to main tain the compromise acts of 1850, which pledges them to the principle of tue non-interfeaence by Congress on the subject of szaveryin tue 7err1to- r6es.