The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-23

honor of furnishing the first Convention where
this new dogma of the Democratic creed was
formally recognised. Among the resolutions
adopted at its last Democratic State Conven-
ton, held some time last winter or spring, at
which Mr.. Buchanan was formally nominated
for the Presidency, occurs the following:
"Resolced, That the Equality Of the States
is the vital element of the Constitution itself,
and that the interference with the rights of
the States by those who seek to disregard the
sacred guarantees of the past, and by all 9TH
ers, should be rebuked with the same spirit
that we would denounce and repudiate all
attempts to erect oDIoUs DISTINCTIONS between
those who are entitled to share the blessings
and benefits of our free institutions"
The "odious distinctions" means the distnc-
tons which most Of the Free States yet make,
in not allowing the STAKEHOLDER to come into
the State with his human chattels, and hold
them as SUCH State Equality is to do away
with all such Odious distinctions, as we shall
presently see. The resolutions of this Conven-
ton were presented to Mr.. Buchanan, and on
the 9Th day of May, 1856, he accepted and en-
dorsed them; at which time he said:
"The duties of the President, whomsoever
he may be, have been clearly and ably indica-
{ ted by the admirable resolutions of the Con-
vention which you have just presented to me,
and ALL OF WHICH, without reference to those
personal to myself, l HEARTILY ADOPT"
One point is now settled: Whatever State
Equality, or. as the resolution has it, the Equal
ity of the States, may mean, Mr.. Buchanan
heartily adopts it Let that be remembered.
These resolutions, and Mr.. Buchanans accept
ance of them. may he found in the speech of
the Hon. j. Clancy Jones, member of Congress
from Pennsylvania, delivered in the House of
Representatives, May l3, 1856.
He who has noted the progress Of the Dem
ocratic party for the last few years, and has
discovered who are its leading spirits, or has
observed its reflections and gradual tendency
Southwark and nigserrard, might, on the morn
ing of April %. 1856, if he had seen the Rich
moad (Va.) Enquirer, have safely predicted
that the Cincinnati Platform would contain the
doctrine of State Equality, though he might
not then have known what it meant. The fol-
lowing editorial is from that paper:
From the Richmond Enquirer, April 25 1850.
"THE CINCINNATI CoNyENTIoN.-An entirely
new issue will be presented in the approach
ing Presidential canvass-an issue which it is
impossible to avoid or evade. The OPPOSE
tion is essentially an Abolition party. 1t pro-
poses to repeal the Kansas Nebraska act and
the Fugitive Slave law. 1t thereby denies
State Equality. The Democracy oppose the
repeal of those laws, and seem thereby to main
tain State Equality. But all room for doubt
or cavil must be removed. We must, an the
: Cincinnati Platform, REPUDIATE Squat
Ter Sovereignty, and expressly assert STATE
EQUALITY. We must declare that it is the
duty of the General Government to see that
no iRcitliouS or injurious distinctions are made
betreen tie PEOPLE or the PROPERTY of
different sections, in the Territories. We do
not mean TO dictate. 1t may be. that the as
sertion in the Platform of the abstract prop.
osition of State Equality may suffice to carry
along with it the consequences which we de-
: sire. But it is often charged that the Kansas
Nebraska bill contains the doctrine of Squat
Ter Sovereignty. and that Squatter Sovereignty
as the most efficient agent Of Free Soilism.
Some Northern Democrats hare maintained
a,iS ground. NOW, THIS GUN MUST BE
SPIKED. Thrust appear, from our Platform,
that we maintain practical State Equality,
aud repuiiate that construction Of the Kansas
Nebraska act which would defeat it. The
South only demands equality of rights"
No "invidious or Injurious distinctions" must
be allowed between the people or the property
of different seciions-in other words the slave
holder must be allowed to 20 into the Terrific
ries with his "niggers for that is what they
mean at the South by properfy-the same as
the man from the North is allowed to 90 with
his horse or his wagon-otherwise, there would
be An " invidious" and luxurious distinction"
And, to carry out the doctrine, the same un-
bounded liber must be given to the slave
owner to take his chattels into the Free States
in spite of local laws and Court decisions, or
we set up "odious, !" invidious," and "njuri-
Gus" distinctions between the people and
property of different sections This is State
Equality-"the equal rights of all the States"
But let US see if it is to be found in the Cincn-
natl Platform.
In the Sd section of the lst resolution Of that
Platform we read: "That by the uniform ap-
plication of this Democratic principle to the
organization of Territories and to the admission
of new States, with or without domestic Slave
ry, as they may elect, the EQUAL RIGHTS
OF ALL THE STATES will be preserved in
tact" And again, in the 81 resolution "A
high and sacred duty is devolved upon the
Democratic party of this country, az the party
of the Union, to uphold and maintain the
s RIGHTS OF EVERY STATE, and thereby
the Union of the States" You know the
Southern Propagandists of the peculiar insti.
tuition say, if they can't have their "equal
rights" State Equality, or the right to carry
their slaves wherever Northern man may
carry his horse, they will dissolve the Union
The Democratic party being the Union party"
of course it "devolves upon it to grant them
these rights" and thus sdre the Union. The
doctrine Of State Equality, you perceive, is
contained in the Cincinnati Platform in words
sufficiently plain to be understood by the nitia-
ted--as the Richmond Enquirer said, " to carry
along with it the consequences which we de-
sire yet IN such language and such connec-
ton as not to attract the attention or excite the
suspicion of those unacquanted with its mean.
ing. But let us hear what this same Richmond
Enquirer thought about it, after the Platform
| was made. One of its Editors (Mr. Ritchie)
attended the Convention as Delegate from Vir-
GINA, and served as one Of its Secretaries
Immediately after the adoption of the Platform
he sent home to his paper its three principal
| resolutions, which were published in the leading
editorial of June 6, 1856, accompanied with
the following pointed statement:
with the utmost possible precision and
emphasis of language, these resolutions affirm
the great vital principles, first, of the CONSTR
TUTIoSAL GUARANTEES of SLAVERY; and Sec
ondly, of the EQUALITY OF THE STATES,
with respect to their sovereign dignity and
political rights. In equally clear and conclu-
sive terms the doctrine Of Sguatter Sorertignty
rs REGULATED by the Platform Of tie
Democratic party"
Let it be borne in mind that the Richmond
Enquirer is the great leading standard organ
| Of the Democratic party in the Southern States /;
that 1t not only reflects the sentiments of the
party at the South, but gives to it tone and d.
rection; it is the Great Dictator and Grand
Mogul of the party. And let it be further
borne in mind, that it is the boast of the Demo.
cratic party everywhere, that its sentiments are
the same, North and South. The party papers
| throughout the Southern States echo the senti-
ments of the Richmond Enquirer boldly, while
at the North and West they do the same as far
as they dare. No Democratic paper of any