Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-01-03

WAsHNeros January J., 1855.
Judge Ellis:
DEAR sra: In the Auburn Daily American of
Dec. 26, notice most able and temperate edito-
rial, upon the subject of the 18th section" and
Americans North and South. Il take great pleas
ure in according to the sentiments advanced In the
article my hearty approval They are identical
with my long cherished convictions, nor do com
promise in the slightest degaee my patriotism, by
endorsing them as the only true and rational basis
of unity for the Americans in every porticFeof the
country While there is nothing in The 18th sec
tion Of the Philadelphia platform to offend me per-
sonally, or which / might not approve, / am yet
unwilling to make it test Of the orthodoxy OF my
brethren. American doctrines and principles are
sufficiently comprehensive for all, Independent Of
The question Of slavery, nor has the American par
ty anything to do with 1t, whatever it may seek
to accomplish. g Led0e slavery to the States and
the Territories, to be disposed of the people Of
each may elect" Neither anti-slayery nor pro-sla-
very sentiments are national. There should be
nothing sectional in any party, and least Of all
should there be the slightest faint Of it in the
American party.
Very respectfully, &c,
WIN. w. Walk.
enclose you the article.
Tnx TWELFTH EcrloN"--AMERIcAEs NORrh
AND SoUrH.--Most OF the American members
Of ths present Congress who represent constitu.
encies in the slave statee; insist upon Y. the
recognition of the 18th section of the Phila-
dephia Platform OF Principles, and plainly say to
American representatives from the free States,
that they will neither act with them nor stand by
them, unless they plant Themselves squarely upon
the doctrine contained in that section. II they
firmly maintain this position sectional division OF
the great American party is inevitable. Experi-
ence has already demonstrated this fact. Every
sensible man, North or South, must be aware OF It,
The American party South did not do half as well
with this plank in its platform at the last State cleo.
tons, as the American party North did without
it. Every free State repudiated 1t. Not one OF
them could have been carried with it.
Even as it was, the party everywhere at the
North suffered partial paralysis in consequence of
it, and its energies were sadly crippled by II. shs
king it off was their only hope, their only saliva
| ton. With it, New York and Massachusetts
would have rolled up overwhelming " Republican
msjorities, and Americanism would have been
crushed put through all the free States. This
fact is palpable, and caiinUt be denied, Do not
these Southern Americans k,aoD it, Ia not the
history of the whole movement that the North was
driven into in consequence of the supreme folly
that foisted~the proslayery plank into the Ameri-
can platform, as well known and as fully under
stood by them as IL is by any Northern statesman
or partisans Men who keep even the most ordi-
nary and cursory track OF political events, fully
aware of it therefore it is nonsense to suppose
that these Southern members of Congress are ig-
norant OF H.
Taking it for granted, therefore, that they are
well informed upon this point, we must conclude
that they have resolved to pursue the course they
seem to have marked out for themselves, regard
less Of all possible consequences to the nationality
and the permanent and effective union of the great
Amsricari party that now exists in the United
States We are reluctantly driven to this con-
clusion by the force of circumstances. We could
wish that the case was otherwise, and that the
Southern Americans were willing to meet their
Northern brethreh OF the broad, tenable, and inn
uTeynable ground Of national organization, based
upon simply American doctrines and principles,
independent of the question OF oasygery which has
not necessarily anything to do with the American
party, or the objects it seeks TO accomplish. But
just now they evince no desire or Willingness to
unite with i,s upon such basis.
We trust they viii yet, for they are, almost
without exception, noblalhearted men, who love
their country WELL but who are az much slaves TO
the institution Of slavery, as their bondsmen are
by it, As the upholders and defenders Of that
l0BI1tuGlOu LNcy AbbuIuc pTc6cuL httlbuuc
keep their Northern American brethren at arms
length. They claim concessions, but concede
nothing. What they now claim cannot and will
not be conceded. The Americans of the North
entertain no idea of deliberately committing po-
litical suicide. To yield to the demands of the
South would be destruction. They are not dictated
by either policy or necessity The 18th section
was both impotic and unnecessary. 1t was inter
polated into the national platform of principles by
men who regarded slavery before Americanism.
It had no business in that platformdid not right
fully form part of twas not asked for or ex-
pected-and while every free State Indignantly
spurned it, the slave States chung to il and even
with it met defeat in every State election that suc
ceeded its aduptioni How can these men, in the
face Of this fact, demand its recognition and en-
dorsement by the North
AS we have said, it will not be recognised or en-
dorsed by the Americans of any free State, or any
portion Of any one Of them.
The true course to pursue is that urged with
ability and candor by the Washington american
Orgdn-ignore the 18th section altogether, and
steer clear ofthe doctrine 1t embodies. Leave ala
very to the States and the Territories to be dispos
cd Of as the people of each may elect. The Ameri-
can party, great national party, has nothing to
do with slavery, beyond resisting its extension in
Territories now free of it. The free States oppose
it, and the slave States defend and cherish it, and
that viii be the case 80 long as It exists But
neither antislavery nor proslavery sentiments are
or can be national The causes and circumstances
that make one man oppose and another man up
hold slavery, are necessarily sectional
Why then is this question, upon which men OF
different sections of the Union must differ, forced
into the national creed Of the American party? If
the success or the discontinue Of the American
party was to decide whether the institution Of hu
man slavery, as it exists in the United States
to stand or fall, then the case would be changed,
and that would became national ISSUE But this
is not the fact with the American party, any more
than 1t is with any other party and therefore the