Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-03-20
American Platform. .Misrepresentatious.

entire willingness to support MIR. Fillmore with or
without platform, because the acts OF his admins
traton and the thoroughly conservative and nation
al character of the constituted of themselves a
platform sound enough for any one intent only upon
protecting the just rights of the South and DESTROYS
of preserving the Union. We sverred, and
again, in the very midst of the controver
sy in regard to the 18th section, that wed
ded to particular form Of phraSeology in the mat
ter Of securing what Southern of all parties
contcndei for and insisted upon-that went for
the substance, not caring groat in THAT shape IT
should be obtained. We confess that it hardly &C.
CURED to us as possible that Mr. Fillmore, any
such well-tested conservative, and acceptable
could obtain the nomination. under circumstances
which seemed to entirely unfavorable for such
an suspicious rcSut-that is considering the excited
condition of the public mind of the North in respect
TO the issues growing out of the ongvexed subject
of slavery But we are free to say that we never
saw the moment when were not perfectly willing
to take Willard Fillmore man in whom the whole
South has unlimited confidence and whose admins
unuon, so ''WaShngton-like' in all its acts and
policy comma nded the warm and unheSitating APP
prova Of of all parties and of all sections oi
the country. And in him and his administration,
we maintain that have gotten the substance OF
what was embraced in the 18th Section-the sub
stance Of what the South has been so strenuou>y
contening for during the controversy that has eN-
listed between her and the North since the passage
of the kanSa,-Nebraska bill-that is, we have in
him. as our candidate, the man who both signed and
enforced the Fugitive Slave Law and who is opposed
to all further agitation of the slavery question
who. with equal readiness will sign bills for the ad
mission of slave free States, just as the people of
the Territories when they TO form their State
Constitutions shall see fit to determine. Aud these
two queStions-the execution of the Fugitive Slave
Law and the right of the Territories, with or with
out slavery, admission into the Union-constitutc
the sum and substance of the points insisted upon
by the South. With these points granted there Is
an end OF the controversy between the two sections
of the Union, and immediate restoration Of har
mony and good fecling-a complete cessation of that
miSchicvOus and ruinous agitation which has 50 long
disturbed the peace of the country, and filled the
minds OF good men and patriots, North and South,
with the gloomest forebodingS as the longer pre-
seryation of the Union
But the Democratic press and their correspondents
making great ado about the new platform adop-
ted at Philadelphia-not by the convention that
nominated Fillmore and Donelson, but by the Ma
tional Council of the American party held several
days before. They argue that said platform is lit
teray good for nothing, far as the South is con
cerned because the l2th section of the old platform
is not incorporated in it, word for word. Well 1t Is
not, in all respects, such platform purely
Southern man would have made if the thing had
been left entirely to himself is the national
platform OF any party always such an one-in regard
to slavery-ss purely Southern man would wish
In other words, il Southern men alone were TO meet
in convention with a view 10 lay down platform
which should fully and conclusively embrace then
own views aud opinions upon the question Of SLAYER!
and Southern rights, we presume no one will doubt
that they would construct very different one from
those usually put forth by conventions composed o
both Southern AND Northern men. That is, the
Southern view of slavery, in all its length and
breath, would find full and complete expression il
the one but would it fnd-haS it ever found
such expression in the national platforms Of any o
the great parties Of the country? So, too, in tn,
formation of the constitution itself We suppose j
that instrument had been framd by Southern met
alone, and without reference to the sentiments Of
the scruples Of Northern men, we should have haC
n much more definite and distinct declaration upoi
the subject of slavery and Southern rights than W,
have. In other words, nothing would have been lef
to influence conjecture-nOthing in doubt-bu
ii would have been purely aud essentially a southern
document, embracing exposition Of the Southern
view Of slavery, clear as the monday sun. AnC
thus in regard to party platforms-neither the Norti
nor the South ever get, and in the precise shap,
they desire, exactly what each section would like t.
have. At least, we know Of no platform Of any par
ty-havc never known Of any and never expect Il
know Of any-which corresponds in all respects Il
our own notions as a Southern man
But subjoin the two sections Of the late Phila
delphia platform, which have reference to the que,
ton Of state aud Southern rights in order to sho,
that the doctrine Of the right Of admission Of an
new State, with or without slavery, Is clearly an
expressly recognized, almost IN the very language d
the Kansas Nebraska-act:
" 9Th. The unqualified recognition aud maintenance ,
the reserved rights VI the states and the harmon
anu iraera good will between the citizens Of the sevc
al States aud 20 this end nountererence by Congre
with questions apperaung solely 20 the individual State
and noniniervention by each State With the affairs Of
other State
IN. The recognition Of the right Of the nstive.lo,
and naturlzed ctxens n the United States permanent
residing n any Territory thereof ~ frame their constit
Hon aud Laws, aud % regulate their domestic aud SOL
nhhirs 10 their own mode subject ony 20 tho prnvsn
OF the Federal Constitution with the privilege Of adm
sion into the Union whencver they have the re0u.
population Tor one Representative In Congress Pr9rd
dicdVs that none but those EhO arc citizens Of the Il
ted States. under the constitution and laws thereof +,
who have fScd residence IN any such TERRITORY Dug
20 participate be- the formation Of the constitution or
the enactment oi laws for said Territory or state
These are the doctrines Of the late Phladelpl
platform" the unqualified recognition aud maint,
snce Of thc reserved rights several States n,
interference by Congress with questions appertt
ing solely 20 the individual States aud non.intcr,,
ton 10y each State with the affairs Of any of
State aud the right Of the people Of the Tcrrit
d" to frame their constitution and laws, and TO r,I
late their domestic aud social affairs in their n
mode. subject only IN the provisions Of the fed.
constitution, with the privilege Of admission i,to
Union whenever they have the requisite populat
for one representative in Congress" The Iangu
Of the Kansas Nebraska act j. ths--"to leave
people thereof perfectly free to form and regu
their domestic institutions in their own way. sui
only to tn constitution Of the United States" 4
the language of the late Philadelphia platform
the language Of the Kansas Nebraska bill
reference TO the rights Of the people Of