The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-06-22
Inc Three ru des for the Presidency and
-" Three Platforms.

purposes may be considered as the only political
parties now before the country. Into one or
lnoth' r of these three discordant organizations
All ne outside party fragments and factions Of the
% ,ur, excepting few scattering ultra abolition
ists will be absorbed In the consideration then of
the politics of the day, we may safely limit our
observations to the three aforesaid parties These
three parties, separated as far as the North is
from the South upon certain distractions, and as
widely as the poles upon others, have yet, in
their respective platforms betrayed what is the
most remarkable feature of this peculiar canvass
"a perfect unanimity of sentiment upon one all
important point-the preservation of the Consti-
tuition and the Union
The Cincinnati democratic platform speaks
with the holy fervor of religious enthusiasm the
attachment of the party to the Union the Fill
more Americans, placing it above all possible
contingencies Of sectional aggression declare the
Union the paramount good;" the republicans,
with inspirations of patriotism g as ardent as
Northern sun can make them,' rest their pro-
gramme of principles and measures, their pur-
poses and their hopes of success, upon the pre-
servation of the Constitution and the Union. Nor
do we find in the platform of either of the oppo-
siton parties any design expressed or implied to
disturb the Fugitive Slave law, the Nebraska
bill, slavery in the District of Columbia, or any
law of Congress upon the subject of slavery.
This, we say, is the most significant, remark
able and satisfactory feature Of this canvass
this spirited rivalry between these three hostile
parties in their generous, patriotic and religious
devotion to the Constitution and the Union. 1t
is but short time since that secession was daily
paraded before the fre-eaters Of the South as the
universal panacea against abolitionists and
Northern aggressions, while rifles, reyolu-
ton and disunion were as boldly preached in
the North; but when these fire-eaters, secession
lists, and free soil disunionists are brought for
ward and present themselves for the sulfrages of
the country at large they become as amiable and
tractable as Bowery boys or border rufians ad-
mitted into decent society upon the promise Of
good behavior Hence the first thing in the
Cincinnati platform, and the opposition platforms
for the Presidency, is gracious asseyeration by
the party concerned of its fixed and unaterabe
devotion to the Constitution and the Union. 1t
is however, an extorted declaration from all
these politicians eAtorted by the pressure Of the
universal sentiment Of the solid masses Of
the American people, which is senti-
ment of honest loyalty to the Constitu-
ton, and Of honest attachment to the Union
of these States. These party platforms, first Sc
cond and third, thus afford US convincing evil
deEce OF the perfect soundness Of public opinion,
and of the necessity devolving upon all parties
and conventions to respect this public sentiment
if they would command the public support. The
Union is safe: for when all parties thus bound
and pledged to preserve it, there can be no dam
ger.
There is however, constitutional issue,
Territorial issue and slavery issue between the
democracy and the republicans, which places
them as widely apart as South Carolina and Mas
sachusetts. 1t is Kansas. Kansas is the diff
Guilty and the question whether Kansas shall be
free State or slave State is the absorbing
ultimatum of this momentous struggle.
The republicans, clearly and emphatically, in
many words, declare their purpose to be 1.-The
immediate admission of Kansas into the Union as
free State'-a State from which slavery is ex-
PEELED and excluded by the organic law Of the
commonwealth. On the other hand, while it is
morally certain that the fixed purpose and policy
of the democracy is the exclusion of Kansas from
the Union until the free State propaganda shall
be overwhelmed by superior numbers Of pro
slavery squatters to the end that Kansas may be
made a slaveholding State, we see nothing of tbs
in the Cincinnati platform. The truth is not told
The truth is not implied in the equivocal Cincn-
nati resolution upon that exploded humbug Of
squatter sovereignty. On the, contrary, as the
democracy had not the moral courage to nomi-
nate any living embodiment Of the Nebraska BILL
but fell back upon an absentee from the country,
who could prove satisfactory ditJi-so they
have fallen short Of the boldness required to de-
clare, in white and black, that from their pecu-
liar obligations to the South they are pledged to
use their best exertions to secure the admission
Of Kansas as a slaveholding State. This is the
living predominant issue of the contest; and the
Cincinnati Committee on the Platform, with all
their experience and dexterity in keeping the
word of promise to the ear and breaking it to the
hope" have failed to cover up in equivocal alb
stractions and vague generalities their Kansas
policy, as accepted by Governor Wise, of Virgil
MIA, and as universally understood throughout
the South.
We congratulate the honest masses Of the peo-
pie that whatever the issue Of the November
election may be, the Union is perfectly safe tight
and sound all parties being solemnly and reli-
giously pledged to love it and cherish it. We
also congratulate the conservative body of the
voters of all sections that there is to be no dis
turbance Of the Fugitive Slave law, no attempt
to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia,
nor any effort to restore the Missouri compro-
mise should the anti-slavery republicans be
elevated to power, their present domestic quarrel
with the democracy being confined to Kansas.
Stripped Of all verbiage, the foreign and domestic
issues between the democracy and the opposition
oro c;vn Tho Of fha