Washington sentinel., 1856-05-17
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATEORM--DOEs
MIR. BUCHANAN STAND UPON ITg

There are some few journals, protesting a
strict neutrality as to the merits of the several
Presidential candidates, who continue to man.
ifest much anxiety and great deal of uneasi-
ness about the political record of JAMES b.
cHANAN. They charge that he is to this day,
uncommitted on the Know. n Nothing question:"
and that his friends in Pennsylvania and
elsewhere, base his availability" upon the
fact that he has had no part in the Nebraska
controversy These shrewd political mana
gers, if they really intend their assertions to
have any effect, must rely very much upon the
gullibility Of the people.
The political record of Mr.. BUCHANAN was
made up, to the last moment that he stood
upon his native soil in July, 1853, upon all the
great questions which had agitated the Councils
of the country from the commencement of the
Government That record will bear compar
ison with the record of any dead or living
statesman-t is based upon the haowed prin
ciples of the Constitution and the Union
Upon the settlement Of the agitating question
of domestic Slavery and State Rights doctrines,
by the " Compromise Measures" enacted by
Congress in 1850, Mr. BUCHANAN gave his
views boldly and with powerful effect in favor of
that settlement" and endorsed it as a " final
ity." We need only REFER in establishing this
fact, to his memorable letter Of November 1850
written from his home. in Lancaster, Pennsyl-
vana, to committee of invitation in Philadel
phia, and to his letter of February II, 1852
in reply to an invitation of the Legislature of
Virginia and citizens of Richmond.
These documents, we apprehend, will exhibit
Mr.. BUCHANAN as standing upon the proper
National Platform in February, 1852 The
Democratic National Convention, in June of
that year, re-adopted their platform of prin
ciple," which stands at this moment as the
buwark of the Democratic creed, so far as the
Democratic people have expressed themselves
in their collective, representative capacity. At
that period, Mr.. BUCHANAN was private citi-
zen, residing at Wheatland, Lancaster county
He was one of the prominent, unsuccessful
candidates, whose names had been brought be-
fore that conventions but, although daily sur
rounded by sorrowing friends, and hearing their
expressions of regret at his failure, from all
quarters, he was the first to enter the political
arena as the champion Of his successful COM
petitor. He placed himself at once upon the
great platform of the Democracy-promptly
and enthusiastically endorsing every feature of
it and entered the campaign as a gallant
common soldier. His mastery speeches, made
in various parts of the Old Keystone Common
wealth, throughout the entire canvass of 1852,
are still fresh in the minds eye of the people !;
and those efforts we're crowned by a brilliant
. victory for the Democracy, and gave Franklin
Pierce, as the candidate Of that Democracy,
majority Of nearly t,oenty thousand rotes
Thus twill be seen, that Mr. BUcHASAS's
record has been made up to the close Of the
last Presidential electon-an election secured
by victory gained in the maintenance of the
principles embraced in the platform adopted
by the last Democratic National Convention.
In July, 1853, when he left this country in
the service Of his Government, he stood firmly
planted upon that platform, which was the
only one a national Democrat could stand
upon. But, since that time, the slavery question
has been reopened, and the Democratic party
Of the country came to the rescue, and again
defeated the Abolition fanatics, by the passage
ofthe Kansas Nebraska act. During the whole
controversy, which resulted in the organization
Of these new Territories upon constitutional
basis, and before it commenced and after it
terminated, Mr.. BUCHANAN was in London, as
the Representative of his country and Govern
/ ment at the Court of st. James. He could
not. therefore, very conveniently have taken
ian dcliCe part IN that great struggle" and
now be able to exhibit the honorable scars
! receired IN The dread encountert" He was
neither the President, member Of the Cabinet,
or member Of Congress; and, according to the
present uneasy and evidently unhappy com.
mentators upon Presidential qualifications, it
is essentially necessary that candidate for the
Presidential Office hereafter, must have served
in one Of these capacities, and have received
3 the oscars and wounds" necessary to make
t him "available." This is rather strange logic
TO spread before the people-teling them, very
plainly, that the millions outside of the Execu-
tive aud Legislative branches Of the Govern.
5 ment, during the fight upon the Kansas.
Nebraska bill, can never be honored with a
seat in the Presidential chair. But the astute
journalists, and other shrewd managers, to
whom we have referred, believe the day of
"humbuggery' is not yet spent and the un-
suspecting People can still be caught in their
"gull traps"
1t will be seen from what is exhibited by the
political history Of the country, that Mr.. BUcH.
ANAN's Democratic record was pure at the
time he left it in 1853. From that period up
: to his arrival in New York on the 23d day Of
April, 1856, he was not called upon to define
bis position on any party movement here,
7 purely Of domestic character and it would
, have been improper so TO call upon him. He