Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-06-25

by those who drafted the American platform
Of February last, and It is the view which we
have repeatedly taken in the editorial columns
of this paper, and it was under this view of the
subject, that "the reopening Of the agitation
of slavery" by the Kansas N ebraska act was
censured In the American platform. The Com
promise measures of 1860 had been acquiesced
in by the country, sectional luminosity had
subsidized, the country was quiet 1.-The true
principle Of State equality had been established
in that legislation of 1850, the Missouri Com
promise act Of 1920 had been superseded by
that Legislation, and there was no necessity
whatever for "reopening the agitation of sla-
uery" by any direct reference to any past con-
troyersy.
IL is said by the Richmond Examiner. that
Mr.. Buchanan regarded "the Missouri restric-
ton IS imperative and void after the passage
Of the Compromise measures Of 1850. To this
point we may advert hereafter Be that As it
may, 1t ID certainly true, and we repeat, that
we have often before stated, to wit that the
Compromise measures Of 1850 had virtually,
though silently, destroyed the Missouri Com
promise line as the boundary between the free
and the slsye States, and hence, we repeat, it
was FOLLY "to reopen the agitation of slave.
ry by any direct legislation on the subject.
II was in this point of view that the language
of the 18th section of the American platform
above quoted was Incorporated therein. How
utterly inconsistent would it be otherwise to
embrace the 7th section and the 18th section
in the same platforms
The 7th section, no man viii deny, contains
a totally different doctrine from that embraced
in the Missouri Compromise 1t contains the
true State equality doctrine, which the con-
sentative people Of the whole country adyo-
cate, and which the South especially demand,
but free from the alien suffrage and sguatter
power principles of the Kansas N ebraska act.
The Missouri Compromise act rested upon the
basis of fixed line of demarcation, on one
side Of which, slavery was not to be tolerated
in the formation of future States. Between
the principles Of the 7th section and the Mis-
souri, Compromise act there is a direct repug-
nance, and hence no construction ezcept that
given by US can be given to the language en-
braced in the 18th section in regard to "re-
opening the agitation Of slavery by the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise" The Compro-
mise acts Of 1850 destroyed, though they did
not repeal the Missouri act of 1920; nor was
any such repeal necessary in 1854 when the
act of 1920 had been superseded by the legis-
lation of 1860. The American platform, there
fore, does not condemn the principles. which
were substituted in 1850 for the principles Of
the Missouri Compromise. 1t simply condemns
the administration for "reopening sectional
agitation" which an acquiescence in the Com
promise measures of 1850 had healed a Il
Now, then, be it remembered, that Willard
Fillmore not only signed the several Compro-
mise acts of 1860, including that one DhicA
distinctly recognises State equality By alleao-
ing the Territories to frame their Constitu-
tions either admitting or excluding slavery, as
they pleased, but he also exercised whatever
influence he could legitimately and properly
exercise, to promote the passage of those acts!
The whole country at that time, saving and
excepting the fanatics, approved and applaud
ed Mr.. Fillmore's course; and among those
who were loudest in his praise, were Gen Cass
and other leading Democrats of that day. And
what has Mr.. Fillmore now done, by endorsing
the American platform? He has reabsrmSd
the doctrine Of State equality, which no man
denies is contained in the 7th section of the
American platform. We shall advert to Mr..
Buchanan's position on this question on some
future occasion.
"The Fillmore men are determined, as was in
formed yesterday by one of their leaders, not to
withdraw him from the field. They have no hope
OF electng him. but they are anxious il it is posi-
Bile, to throw the election into the House. Mr..
Fillmore will run the Democratic nominee mighty
close race in the States of Maryland Kentucky and
Missouri" .
We clip the above from the letter of the
Washington correspondent of the New York
Herald, dated.22d instant, and published yes
terday.
1t is by such falsehoods as the one contained
in the second sentence of the above paragraph
that it is hoped by the anti Fillmore men, to
fool the country into the idea, that the friends
OF Fillmore have no hope of electing him, and
A,'o.oo'oa en"e hO HAS uut u SttyHt CHuHce 10
carry such States as Maryland, Kentucky and
Missouri There is not a Fillmore man in
Washington, of common information, who has
the slightest doubt of Mr.. Fillmore's election,
and not one who doubts that he will carry the
aforementioned and many other Southern
States by triumphant majorities, Such letter
writer's as him who wrote the letter containing
the above extract, ought to be well paid for