The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-07-05
The FusiOn Platform.

What sort of a platform such a heteroge-
neous mass Of political incompatib ilities as
were assembled in the fusion contention at
Philadelphia could construct for all to stand
upon, may well excite curiosity On the
slavery question of course there could be no
agreement between Fremont and Giddings,
Seward and DAYTON. On Hindooism Gree
ley and Johnston, Ford and Cha use would
again be at loggerheads. On the tariff, in
ternal improvements, foreign policy, in
deed every imaginable political principle or
measure, there is no hue of opinion but had
a representation in that assembhge. The
business of constructing PLATFORM, howe
yer, was managed with no extra display of
cunning or adroitness. They simply agreed
to disagree on all these troublesome
''points," and to unite in one simple common
effort to gain the spoils. Their platform,
like the preachers discourse on ''npthing,' is
divided into nine parts, each siGnifylng no
thing" The first declares that 1t pc mantle
nance of the principles OF the constitution
are essential to the preservation OF the re
public" New, isn't it? The second de-
cares that all persons are entitled to the
right Of life, liberty, and the pursuit OF
happiness, and that no person should be de-
prived of these except by process OF law"
Who don't agree to that? The third as
serts what few democrats at the north deny,
and what the democratic party of the whole
Union have agreed to leave to the courts,
where it belongs, to decide, to wit, that
congress have the power to prohibit slavery
in the territories. The fourth is twice as
long as all the rest, md simply decla'ms
against the outrages committed by the Dor
der rufiians in Kansas. If the Massachu.
sets ruffians had been included, and the
falsehood omitted, that the President had
aided advised and supported the perpetra-
ton of these outrages, we should vote for
that plank also. The fifth declares that
Kansas ought at once to be admitted with the
Topeka constitution This plank is an un-
fortunate one, as 1t has just been kicked
sky-high by the members Of the fusion party
position to admit Kansas with that constitu-
ton. The sixth declares against the Ostend
circular, by classifying the nature of that do
cument The seventh is in favor Of rail
road TO the Pacific, copied from the Cincin-
natl platform. The Sth declares in favor Of
appropriations for rivers and harbors of a
national character" Who opposes that {:
And the 9Th invites the fag ends and debris
of all parties to unite with them on the
above principles, and although the conven-
ton was composed largely of iIindoos, they
agree that the liberty Of conscience" shall
not be abridged Of all such as will join them
IN their grand crusade against the democrat
ic party.
And this after all the IIindoo and abolition
thunder Of year, is the lame and impoteut
conclusion ! Nothing against the principle
of the Nebraska biIl-nothing in favor Of
the restoration Of the Missouri compromise
nothing against the fugitive slave Law
against slavery in the District Of Columbia
against the slave trade between the states
against slavery anywhere Not a word of
encouragement for Seward and Aigher-.aw-
ism, for Banks TO let the Unto b slide. -
All the labors and energies of fusionisn-
the defamation, ranting, preaching, and
suffering of the Stewards, Hales, Coddngs,
and Lovejoys are to be whitfield downtO the
single and diminutive point of bringing
Kansas into the Union as free statc-an
achievement she has from the beginning and
stil is abundantly able to compass herself,
if the politicians will only let her alone.