Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-03-29
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From the Washington Union.
70 the American Party Soul

1t 10 necessary TOR the RANK aud lie ol HE
American party South 10 consult together II
regard 10 the PLATFORM adopted by the nation
al council a, it's called session, std the can
id atss placed upon it BY the naisnal conven-
ton.
The 18th article of the platform Of June
1865, announced these four proportions as The
deliberate sense of the Americas party:
LIST. Tia, The existing laws on The subject O
slavery ought to lie sbdsdb by and maintained
as final settlement OF the whole matte in
splri and substance; and that hele ought TO be
no further legislation by Congress on The sub.
ject.
81. That, whether it possesses the potnsr OF
not, Congress ought net 10 legislale on The sub
ieet o slavery III The Territories.
81. That it would be violation oil The COM
pact bsiweea the United Stat es AND Mary land
and contrary To good iai,h,.. to abolish slavery
in the District of ColuU bia
4lh That when new State presents herself
tor admission into the Union she has riekk TO
come in if her constitution is republican, ana
she has the requisite population, whether that
constitution recognises or prohibits slavery.
1t was a very general feeling al the South
that we yielded something too much in 'pre-
tsrmllllnS' an expression OF opinion as TO The
power OF Congress 10 iegisae III regard 10 sla-
very in the Territories. In most OF The south
srn States The State councils made platforms
stronger Oh this point than the national one =
None made them weaker.
But in framing that platform we were not
making one Tor the South alone, but one that
Northern conservative men could safely stand
on and it was right that he should not ask
them TO declare one opinion as TO the power of
Congress, while they entertain ed another d.
amelucally opposite II they would agree that
Congress OUGHT NOT 10 exercise the power even
II II has 1t.
he Julle platform does not declare that
Congress ought TO do ANY affirmative act
about SLAYER, but only thai It ought 10 Do noih-
Ing.
No Southern American, once having p an,ed
his ieel upon that platform, can step oil from 1t
To another without de1eryed risk OF poIlt cal III.
IL, and annihiatlon.
No Southern man ought to abandon or can
safely aDandou, any OF the four propositions -
II he dues. the South onShl 10 and viii abandon
him.
The material conncil, meeting on the call OF
States which had repndialed the June platform,
was asselnbie, In February UI The purpose OF re-
peaing the l2in article. Tbs Nofshern men
wrong basis OF representation, and kept that
ceaiioi.
The 9th article, with all the rest of the
platform, was stuck out and new one suLsti-
tu.ed.
=. Ina, new platform declares that the people
oil Territory have ri ht 10 frame their own
constitution aud laws when ami regulate
heir own social and domestic affairs but the
word starery is carefully avoided (; aud il con-
oedes them uot the right, bul the PRIVILEGE, oil
adealsslon lnlo the Union when lhey have The
requisite popnIalon.
il certainly gives Up the three first PROPOSE
tons oi the IL h article, and 1t matels tbs 4th
50 thai II amouhts To little or nothing.
The lsl proposition was the Chief one oil the
l2th article. The South iTnpefanvey demands
HAT The agitation OF The su |ecl Of slavery IN
Congsess snail cease, and especially that Ii shall
no longer ieglslate on that subject III the Ter
HOLES.
The south demands, and has right To de-
mand, III every Platform, democratic, wing or
Aneflean, spetyjc language cn the subject OF
slavery. Ii does dot want 10 be told that laws
enacted are 10 be oheyed tut il
repeated ., drcid6d null by judicial altholity.-
have the pf,riiese OF admission, 1t is tired OF
antiquities, and sick Of senelalities, aud, as
the uiallef nov stands, when man recltlms
ms slave al The risk oi his lie, and al len times
the expense Of the slave-wheu clergy men
Preach ssdlIlon, and Stales pass Personal Iber
~ Acknowledgements. and 2eHerailties are a
mere transparent cheat and fraud III The South
And such Il iiaud Is Gny platform that stu
dluusy omlis The " ord slatery, and uses round
abou. phrases, clreumlocutlons, 10 au0id eX-
pressing piain ideas
l. the Het0 platform is the same in substance as
tho old, why The change! Il it is not, the South
has Ito Use Tor II
! he new platform leaves the northern men
who stand upon II perfectly Tree 10 agilate
against the lug live slave law, for The abolition
Vi slavery III the District, for suprresslng the
trade III slaves be,w cen different States and ior
the restoration oi tie Missouri Co.. premises
and il specially denounces .he repeal OF that
compromise b, denouncing the President Tor
abel'lns 1t.
do not envy the Southern man who under
takes TO defend The new platform after once
standing on the old one.
was member OF the National Council both
Ia June aud IN February. In June desired a.
lirst 10 exclude the question OF slavery from The
plaloin. denouucins, and not unless could
dtnounce, III doug SO, The men Of the party III
Massachusetts, aud elsew here IN the North,
v no had declared anu slavery 10 be part OF the
National American creed, as having done 50
without authority, and SO prevented and prost
tiluted the organization TO Improper purposes.
Met by unaninous resolve Oh the part OF
The Northern members 10 have a declaration
hat The Missouri Compromise ought TO he re-
stored, aided in establishing The 18th article.
Once upon II, and deenn2 ii emlneutly right
III principle, 1t became Impossible for me 10
u audon il, or consent 10 lis notification
When II was struck Out, l withdrew from the
Council and destroyed my credentials as dele
late 10 The nominating Convention, IN which
felused 10 lake my seat.
The American party Sonlh cannot stand on
the Low platform. 1t must necessarily repudi-
ale il. On II ii would not carly single county
any wheie.
Il is said that the men nominated are plat
t,um enough. Tina, might be SO, il We had no
platform; II they We're on no platform; II we
had never had a platform
Il is SAID that the new platform is substantially
The same as the Old one. Then how came II To be-
Offered hy a free soler from Illinois, who de-
clared, alter il was adopted, that he would vote
ior the admission Of no State permitting SLAYER, !!
Ii this suits him. Il cant suit me.
1t is not substantially the same. 1t was fran.
ed IN Washington, To get nd OF the 10th article
Il was offered and adopted for that purpose in
Philadelphia and we may as well look il franz
ly In the face, Ii yieds up al that we fought
tor and gained ii The June before.
And now as 20 the candidates. That may
not be misunderstood let me say that WAS al
arays Wing until joined the American party
I a a