The Placer herald., 1856-09-20
NUMBER 2.
Consistency of the Republican Platform.

adopted by the Republican National Conven-
on, concludes with the following PROPOSE
tion:
"That we deny the authority of Congress,
of Territorial Legislation, of any individuals,
or association of individuals, to give legal
existence to slavery in any Territory of the
United States, while he present Constitution
shall be maintained"
We have here the broad proposition that,
under the Constitution of the United States,
slavery cannot legally exist 'in any Territory
of the United States'-that neither an act
Of Congress nor Territorial legislation can
authorize it therein. In other words, it is
asserted that the Constitute n has abolished
or forbid the establishment of slavery in the
Territories If this be so, what is the neces-
sv of all the agitation on this subject which
these Republican politicians are exciting and
cherishing?
Of what Use was the Missouri Compro-
mise, and what iarm has been done bv it's
repeal? If the Constitution has prohibited
slavery in the Territories what stronger bar
rier against it can be created? Certainly
Congressional legislation cannopstrengthen
the prohibition, nor can Territorial laws add
to its efficacy. The opponents of slavery
have only to repose upon the fundamental
law and claim its enforcement throughout
the judicial tribunals. Agitation may at
once cease Emigrant Aid Societies may in
termit their efforts, Kansas committees may
rest from their abors, and the whole tribe of
political phanthropists, now narrowed with
care and anxiety in relieving the people of
the pralries of the west from the response
bihty of selfgovernnent, may sleep in peace.
For the Constitution, according to the inter
pretation of the Philadelphia convention, did
their work more than half century ago,
and all the intermediate struggles to restrain
slavery have been works of superogation.
Such was at least the view Of the unknown
eXpounder of Constitutional law who drew
up the second resolution of the Philadel phia
platform. He excludes slavery from the
Territories Ivy Constitutional guarantee.
But the third resolution must have emanated
from the pen of a lawyer of a different school
of Interpretation. 1t relies not on consti-
tutional prohibition of slavery, but reposes
upon Congressional Interference 1t con-
edes to Congress sovereign power over the
Territories" and then asserts that it is its
duty to prohibit in them the existence of
slavery. 1t is as follows:
"Resolced, That the Constitution confers
upon Congress sovereign power over the
Territories of the United States for their
government, and that, in the exercise of this
power, it is both the right and the duty of
Congress to prohibit in the Territories those
two relics of barbarism, poIygamy and slave
ry."
Here we have two resolutions, not only
adopted by the same Convention but follow
ing each other in the closest proximity,
which are directly contradictory-the last
expressly negativing what the first positively
asserts. The first denies to Congress the
power to act upon the subject of slavery,
while the second claims for it unlimited
power over the same subject and demands
its exercise The first asserts that the Con-
stituton has prohibited slavery in the Terri
tories, and the second calls upon Congress
to prohibit it. What an admirable exposi-
ton Of Constitutional law! What an inge-
nious platform, and how adroitIy adopted to
the wants of the hitherto antagonist factions
who are now attempting to stand upon it.
Albany A'gus.
The New York news boy is thus described
by correspondent of one of our exchan-
ges.
The city newsboy is galus Buck desert
ed Of his relatives, or else having "growed"
like 'Iopsy, he finds himself at ten years of
age fully enlisted in the fight of fe-it is
fight too for hm-equipped as follows: One
stout pair Of lungs, the memory of a cap
with tangled head of dirty hair aud thick
I, ibb ol,itaI h, Al, hot G., lnv ,.nllc II
des,' two eyes to the main chance, two fists
very dirty and very hard--hs offensive
weapons. One shir which is washed when
it rains but he is always out of doors when
not in the pit of The National Theatre One
pair ventilating tpoGsers which 90 with the
shirt and are shed piecemeal--one pair of
such shoes as all are born in. This is his
outft--lhis campaign is olt0ays, his battles
daily, and he sleeps under arms in the most
comfortable doorway he can quarter himself
in. A tougher, shrewder, dirtier graceless,
uncared for, tribe than the New York news
boys does not exist
SuKEN THouGHr.-A Frenchman, having
thought over the fact that but one creature
is capable of producing silk, and hat but one
sort of vegetable matter-mulberry leaves
is suited for that creatures food, came to the
conclusion that the silky substance did
not lie in the animal but the leaf; and so
began to analyze the composition of the
mulberry leaf and by boiling it obtained
thick paste, from which he makes every des-
criptioh of silk in vast quantities. This silk
is now manufactured for ti1e francs ID. spun
-l20 francs cheaper than the other silk.
SUCCESSION OF ANNIYERsARIEs On the
9Th of September the battle of Molino del
Pau uas fnnmht hu the mplican and Mex