The true Democrat., 1856-04-15
From the Aluhamu u,e Sentinel.
Flun Ine AIaDanlu S-ate Nentll1eI. Letter from Alex. White and Judge ShcYtYiSoe

marty (of Alabama) at Montgomery, and tn
 ather having publicly ratified and approved tn
 oction of that convention since its adiourumen
 and Icing both of us delegates appointed b
 that convention to the national convention c
 inc American party, we deem it duty t
 make public our views in reference to the con
 vention and its proceedings lately assembled a
 Philadelphia.
 By resolution of the Montgomery conven ton. the Hon. Percy Walker and Wm. R Smith were appointed delegates to represen tbe American party of Alabama in the con tempated national convention of 22d of Fe bruary, and were instructed to exert all their in Anence to postpone the convention for nomi hating a President and Vice President of the United States till the 4th of July next.
 The particular and earnest request of the convention grew out of the wish and belief o ifs members, that full and entire representa-. ton of the American party of the United States could be had in national convention in July and the fear that neither could be had in Feb ruary. The result has justified the apprehen- sious The convention of the 2Oth, Cor the two conventions as nominally designated. ] met refused to adjourn till July, adopted ne,U p2at- torm and nominated candidates for the Presi- dency and Vice Presidency. In this conven- ton. Georgia, North and South Carolina Ala bama Mississippi and Texas were not repre- sented at all, and Virginia by SIC, Missouri four, Louisiana four, Arkansas two and Florida one delegate. The State of New York and Pennsylvania together had more delegates in the convention than the whole south.
 The platform of principles which is put forth by this convention as the platform of the American party of the United States, iqnores the question of slavery. It nowhere mentions t. It does not leave plausible ground for a belief that it is the design or wish of the party to uphold the rights of the slaveholding States in our territories, and leaves it debatable question whether it will protect it where it ex- ists
 Descending from the high national ground taken by the American party in June, 1t plans itself upon sectional platform, which does not even deign to resort to the equiUocay to temper to the south its contemptuous disregard of her constitutional rights, or palliate the cold indf- ference with which it is proposed to offer her mp au unresisting sacrifice to the Moloch of num- bers
 There was a moral sublimity in the position taken by the American party in June which is only equaled by the moral debasement of the convention of February at Philadelphia Our
 
 surge-b beaten rocks, for it was founded upon justice, equality and truth. It commanded re- spect even where it did not receive assent It fell grateful as the light of Heaven upon the ungenerous wound and prejudice itself was fast dissolving beneath it's happy influences. It was splendid example of noble action and patriotic devoton-a aational pa,ty, c national pl1tt0rm LooSing themselves from all party bonds. expressing all sectional feeling, then planted themselves upon the constitution and the Union, and gave the south, beset as she was by foes at home and enemies abroad, the asSu- rance that this great national party would throw around her the 8gS of its strength.
 Now the picture is reversed and another face is presented, which looks alone to the north The party which first became a trnly national party now becomes northern sectional party, and must soon degenerate into fusion with the fanatics who have stood the tempest be- heath whose force the convection of the 22d of February was prostrAted.
 What can be done by us as Americans and as soWherners, willing and reSolute to maintain the rights of the land which gave us birth, and preserve the honor and welfare of our country? Gan we follow, can we taint the air of a south en land by flinging to its embrace banner which dare proclaim no southern rights? h. suit our people by advocating before them the claims of men who will not, or.dare not, say to them that they will protect you from the as- Saults of the aboitioniss ?" Say to them that we will thus give the go-by to principles sacred as freedom and valuable as life to the people of the south? A1d MiS Jor raat? That we may secure temporary and transient success, and which must recoil upon us with crushing and deadly force.
 But the American party of Alabama, or at least the members of the late Montgomery con- veiton, are we think, precluded upon this question. By that convention the following resolutions were adopted:
 lst. ResolUed, That as the institution of slavery existed in the States of the contederacy prior to the adoption of the constitution of the United States, and as the right to hold slaves, as property, was conceded by the tramerS of the constitution and fully recognized thereln, there fore slavery exists independent ot the constltu- ton and as slavery is recognized and sanc- toned by the constitution, Congress, winch de- rves all its powers from that instrument, can not legslate on the sub ect of slavery, except for its protection where it legally exists; that the territories are the common property of all the States, and therefore, the people ot the States have the right to enter upon and occupy any territory with their slaves, as well as other property, and are protected by the constitution and flag of the country; that Congress has no right to legislate slavery into nor exclude 1t from>a territory, and that neither Congress nor a territorial Legislature has any right or pow CT to legislate on the subject, except so far as may be necessary to protect the citizens of the territory in the possession and enjoyment of their slave property.
 Doaoy,.eJ That tho DOWpr to exclude slavery from, or establish it in territory, re- sides exclusively in a convention of the people of such territory, legally assembled under the constitution of the United States, to form a state constitution preparatory to admission into the Union. In that constitution the people have the sole right and the exclusive power to determine for themselves whether slavery shall or shall not exist in such territory
 "3d Resolved That theopposite of the doc trineS embodied in the two preceding reSolu- tiols commonly known as "Squatter S0ver- eiguty," Is hereby utterly repudiated, as viola tive of the spirit of the constitution and an ln- sidous and dangerous infringement upon the rights of the slaveholdng States, that It IS as indeieasible in principle and dangerous in prac- tice as the Wilmot Proviso, the most mon- strous doctrine ever advanced by an American statesman;' and the people of the south ought hot and will not submit to it.
 By the fourth resolution that body Pledged itself, and its members pledged themselves to each other, to affiliate with no party, nor sup port any man for office under the government of the State or of the United States who does hot puJlicly and uned eduivocally 0vOlo the pnnc!- pies of these resolutions without change or abatement"
 This indicates plainly and dnmistakably the course prescribed by the members of that con- veuton, for themselves and the party in Ala bama, upon the happening of such an event as that which has transpired in the February con- yenton at Philadelphia.
 We must take back our vaunted resolves and truckle to the behests of party, or we must maintain our position, let party go, and stand by our country. This is not the time for south ern men and patriots to be indifferent or unde- cided. The elements of human passion are stirred from their deepest recesses in the heart