The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-06-26
VOL. X.

with thirtythree men and a hundred and thirty
three mules but, misled by his guides, all his
mules and a third of his men persisted in the
SHOWS and cold Of Sierra San Juan, and he
himself arrived on foot at Santa Fe, with the
loss of everything but his life. Not, however,
to be bafled, he refitted the expedition, and in
hundred days, after fresh dangers, reached
the banks of the Sacramento"
A large proprietor in California, he took an
interest in its development as State, and was
in favor of the prohibition of Slavery within its
borders. Subsequently, be was elected to the
United States Senate, where the short term OF
two years fell to his lot. Owing to the late
admission of the State, he was scarcely month
in the Senate, which he entered after the pas.
sage of the Fugitive Slave Act. He was in.
dustrious in attending TO the business interests
of State newly organized, and took no part
in the struggle on the Slavery Question, ex
cept to record his vote once or twice against
certain propositions brought forward by Mr.
Seward or Mr.. Hale. His antecedents are
Democratic-but we are not aware that he has
taken any active part in political matters since
his retirement from the Senate For the last
twelve months, as we know from occasional per
sonal intercourse, he has sympathized with the
general movement for the arrest of Slayery-ex.
tension and the overthrow of the Slave Power.
He belongs to the Republican Party alone, and
ere this has undoubtedly placed himself fairly
and squsrely on the Republican platform.
William l.. Dayton, nominated for the Vice
Presidency, is a native of New Jersey, about
fifty years of age. A lawyer, he practiced sue
cessfully in Monmouth, until he was made
Judge Of the Supreme Court for Monmouth
district. In 1912, he entered public life as
United States Senator, to complete the unex,
pired term of Mr.. Southland was reelected for
six years in l843, and then superseded by
Commodore Stockton. Mr.. Dayton was Whir
of the liberal school--an opponent of the Com.
promise of 1850, and of the Fugitive Slave
Act. He held a high position as a Senator.
We recollect him well; and always listened to
his able, and sometimes powerful speeches.
He, too, is now simply Republican, and has
fully accepted the platform on which he is nom.
mated.
Both these gentlemen, then, are Republi
cans; both are honest and able men both have
done service to the country; both are commit
ted openly to the Principles we have so long
advocated; both are made by the Philadelphia
Convention the representative men, for this
canvass, of the Republican movement: there
fore, we shall sustain the nominations earnest.
ly, and to the best of our ability.
So much for the Nominations: now. let ps
glance at the other two Questions before the
Convention-the Platform, and the Relation
of the movement to other parties. Had there
been radical delinquency on either of these
points, the nominations could not have had our
support. But we rejoice at the noble position
taken. The platform, in our opinion, is better
than any heretofore adopted with similar aims.
1t affirms that the Federal Constitution, the
rights of the States, and the Union of the
States, must and shall be preserved.
1t re- ffirms the selfevident truths of the
Declaration of Independence
1t ahrms that the great design Of the Fed.
eral Government is to secure the rights to lie.
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, within
its exclusive jurisdiction.
1t affirms the right and duty of Congress to
prohibit Slavery in the Territories, the Consti-
tuition having conferred on Congress sovereign
power over them.
1t denies authority to Congress, to Terrific
rial Legislature, to any individual or associa.
ton, to give legal existence to Slavery in the
Territories of the United States.
1t afirms the duty Of Congress to admit
Kansas as q State into the Union with its pres
ent free Constitution.
Finally, inviting the cooperation of the peo
pie of all parties in support of these principles
it afirms liberty of conscience and equality of
rights among the citizens under the Constitu
ton, and its opposition to all legislation impair
ing their security.
Here, then, we have bold proclamation Of
the sacredness of human rights, without respect
to race; of the equality of the rights of citizen.
ship, and of the inviolability of the rights of
conscience, without respect to birthplace or
religion. There is in these resolutions no place
left for the Slavery of the white man or the
black man the rights of man, and the rights
of citizens, native and naturaIized, are both
affirmed.
These resolutions of themselves might have
defined clearly the Relations the Convention in
tended to maintain as to other Parties; but
this question came up in practical shape, so
as to test its consistency. We explained last
week how the portion Of the Know Nothing
n,Jn Oh baI do1
body, had determined to keep up its organiza-
ton, and, disregarding the generous call of the
Republicans to meet in Convention composed
of delegates without distinction Of Party to
nominate candidates for the Presidency and
Vice Presidency, met in Convention at New
York, with view to put itself in the lead
of any National movement against the Slave
Power. We showed how the unauthorized
action of the Chairman of the National Com.
mittee appointed at Pittsburgh, in addressing
q formal note to the Know Nothing Conven-
ton, tended to encourage it in its policy, and
to embarrass the action of the Philadelphia
Convention aud we feared that the result
would be a coalition, involving necessarily
sacrifice Of principles, and the subversion Of
the Republican movement. Thank God! the
movement has escaped this danger; the coun-
sells of temporizing men have failed; to the
bold, clesr-sighted Joshua r. Giddings, sus-
tanned by the good sense of the Convention,
are we indebted for the preservation of the
great Movement against the Slave Power, free
from all entangling alliances. Read the pro-
ceedings. The communication of the Commit
tee appointed by the Know Nothing COnven-
ton recommending a certain ticket and ask.