The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-12

Lard Mm4t Ekp&
IN, State Democratic Convention A Geor-
sia which assembled at MIlledgevD' a on the 5.h |
inst has foreshadoxei he tosnse which the |
more practical men In tne South are SOLICITORS
TO pursue. II called loudly for retaliatory
measures against the State Of Massachusetts,
and all otter States multiplying the Fugitive
Slave law. What those measures would be. We
need be at mol css to divine. Tse constitution
prohibits the imposition Of duties by one State On
the products OF another; but Il leaves to each the
right Of ordering on what conditions ommerce
and traic hall lie carried on within its borders.
There is nothing In the constitution that would
be inconsistent with the enactment Of law In
the slave States requiring that vendors Of the
merchandise or produce OF Massachusetts, and
other multiplying States shosld procure alicense
TO be granted nj whatever rates the Legisla-
ture thought at. IL Is an open question whe.
ther one State has right TO prohibit altogether
the introduction or sale Of the produce or manu-
features Of another; but the better opinion ap-
pears to be that each State has that right, and
whether or no, the mere trial Of the point would
probably attain the desired effect We read in
the old colonial records that the stiffnecked
men Of Boston once took fancy to release from
servitude the bord slave Of vrginian; that
the latter, returning home minus his property,
| laid his grievance before the Virginian
authorities, who instantly ordered that
property to the value of forty pounds-the
worth OF the should be seized upon the
| first New Highlander whom the constable met In
| Virginia, and the proceeds of the seizure
handed over to their defrauded countryman.
After which proceeding, the men Of Boston, we
are told, practised more care in their dealings
with their Virginian neighbours and manumit-
ted no slave they had not previously pur-
chased. Human nature does not change; the
people of Massachusetts, in 1856 need to be
dealt with in the same way that their ancestors
were two hundred years ago. They require to
be taught that if they intend to practise phi
lantbropy, the sacrifices it involves must fall
on themselves, aud not on their neighbors. In
view of the events OF the past few months In
the East, it is impossible to feel any sort of
indignation at the South for resorting to mea-
sures of retaliation, though the injury they
must infict on the general trade of this section
of the country would doubtless be severe.
| Passing on to the other records of the Georgia
| convention, it does not seem that the platform
proposed by the democrats Of Georgia is likely
to place the party in q better position than it
occupied before. Indeed. the first thing which
strikes the reader, on looking over their re-
solves, is the probability that the convention
was carried away by the news of the victory
in Virginia, and displayed rashness which it
would not have done had Mr.. Wise's triumph
left the leaders in full possession of their wits
and their prudence. They seem to have ina
gined that the Know Noshings were killed
outright, and that it was quite safe to
stamp on their corpse. In pursuance
of the same notion, the convention proceeds
calmly to ostracise all Northern men whose
opinions do not come up to the Troup and
Cobb standard in Georgia. They "are not
willing to affiliate with any party that shall not
recognise, approve and carry out the principles
and provisions Of the Nebraska Kansas act"
and so on. Having insulted the remains Of the
native American Order, and exacted from the
Northern democrats profession of orthodoxy
which would narrow down their strength very
materially the State Democratic Convention Of
Georgia appropriately winds up its string of
resolutions with a eulogium on the character
and administration of Franklin Pierce.
This, then, is the platform on which the demo-
Gratis go into the canvass of 1856. Uncompro-
missing hostility to the Know Nothings irrecon-
cileable enmity to all men in the North who do
not rejoice at the Fugitive Slave law, admire
the slave trade between the slave States, aud
desire to see slavery established in all the new
Territories-such is the basis on which the demo-
cratic party in the South purpose electing their
next President. On the other hand, Senator
Wilson and his peculiar clique in New England
intend to repudiate all connection with all men
who are not ready to repeal the Nebraska law,
re-establish the Missouri compromise, abolish
slavery in the District of Columbia repeal the
Fugitive Slave law, and SO on. Between the
two of them it is quite plain to see that the
palm of victory will not rest with either-unless
those parties which are interested in opposing
both should play openly into their hands. II
the Know Nothings in short, should split; if
they should allow either section of the country
to force upon them an exclusive platform for
the purpose of keeping out the other; or if
they should involve themselves in q discussion
upon slavery which could only tend to quarrels
and divisions, and divided action; the demo-
Gratis might have chance. Butcertainly they
have thrown the lead thus far into the hands
of the Convention at Philadelphia, and it will
need more than common carelessness or wanton
folly to lose it,
THE New NAVAL BoARD-ITs PEAcucAL
WORKING The Naval Board of revision ap
pointed under the act of Congress passed in
February last, will commence its labors on the
2Qth Of thia raonth Thnir rcsulta orc loolnd