Daily American organ., 1856-05-10
The Hon. Mr. Watkins,

the Cincinnati Convention, makes some state
ments In regard to the American platform,
which betray such an utter ignorance Of the
points he undertook to discuss, that we feel
constrained, by sense Of duty to the Ameri-
can party, to expose that ignorance, and to
show the laundering fallacy of his attempt at
reasoning on the subject He says, as report
cd in the Union: ,rn 81 s9fat r9
"T3ut, sir, the platform recently adopted by the
philadelphia Convention cannot receive my appro-
baton. cannot support Mr.. Fillmore, oe any
other Distinguished Wing, upon that platform.
The only solitary plank in the Phiadclphia plat
form of June, 1885, was the twelfth section--that
section which denied to Congress the right TO in
terfere with slavery In the Territories, declaring
the doctrine of nonntervention, end of popular
sovereignty In the Territories But, SIR, that plank
in the platform was stricken out BY the conven-
ton recently hed and the sixth resolution Of the
platform then adopted substituted in its place.
Aud what does that resolution endorscs ID there
any non-intervention in the sixth resolution Of the
Philadelphia platform! Is there any denial Of the
right of Congress to interfere upon the subject Of
slavery in the sixth resolution OF the Philadelphia
PLATFORM Certainly notp sst nl IL
1t viii be observed, that Mr.. Watkins says,
in the above extract, that the 18th section of
the June platform denied to Congress tho
tight to intertsre toith sIacery IN the Terri
to, YES, declaring the doctrine n non-inter-
psata on and Of popular sopereignty in the
7srrito ries." The June platform contained
no such q. +nial to Congress Of the right to in
terfere with slavery in the Territories
n;s ;ndee,, marvellous that member Of
CONGRESS- sboul,I undertake to discuss plat
4orms which. il w. Sould seem he had never read,
or the purport of " Rich, if he had ever read
them, he had wholly orgottcn The 18th sec
ton Of the June platfor. y, says: II aaas bs
Aud exnressly preterm, Ting any erprsssion of
,.;,;or unon the power of Ongress to establish
or nrobibs slavery in any Terri ory it is the sense
of this National Council, that Go Sgress OUGHT NOT
10 Iegislatc upon the subject of ssvery within int
Territories Of the United States" So5g II Ess
1t will thus be seen that instca, Z OF denying
to Congress the right to interfere with slavery
in the Territories, as alleged by Mr. Watkins,
Al, op;nior, on that subject was" srpr sssty pre-
tsrmitted " in the june platform ! SSr, wat
L;ns was in rather too much of hurry 70 Join
the Forney and Pierce party, and did not care
f,lly examine the platform whose abrogstion
deoye him from the American ranks But rms
= NOT the worst blunder which that worthy
gentleman committed in his speech. od es
Mr.. Watkins turns to the new platform, and
,,t;on of the lnew) Philadelphia platfotms Is
there any denial Of the right Of Congress- to inter
fore with the subject of slavery in the 9Th res0lu-
tiop of the fnew) PhiadelphiE paasform!"
And he answers, certainly noti" Mr..
Watkins, it would seem, had not rsad further
down than the 9th section of the present plat
form. but even that section contains direct
affirmative answer to his questions as pro-
pounded by him, and his own answer, Ger
tainly notn should have been given without
the "not." The 9Th section pronounces in dis
tinct language the following sentiment "non-
interference by Congress with questions apper-
tanning solely to the individual States" Now,
we apprehend that Slavery is one of the "ques-
tions appertaining solely to the individual
States" where 1t exists, and that even this 9Th
section sufficiently announces the doctrine Of
aon-intsresnt;oa Nth the gusstien Of sIaOsry.
But Mr.. w stkias, we SUPPOSE wosad answer,
that this phraseciogy Is not explicit as 70 son
interpention IN Ms Tsrritorisa Be il 90. 80
We then respectfully ask Mr.. Watkins 70
read lttSs turshsr on, At ls~st 70 the end Of
the seventh section. For the especial edfhca.
tion of Mr.. Watkins, who msyy perhaps, some
time or another, desire to cone sgain within
the folds Of that party, whose doctrines on this
question Of non interventioa In the Terrific
ries are the. only true eitissa soreysignsy doc
trines now maintained by any party, we copy
the 7th section Of the American platform, to
wit: sH9yH60 sslt9sN 5af cf tiiss 4s3asS
"7th. The recognition of the right ofths native-
born and naturalizeC ciaizene OF the United States
permanently residing in any Territory thereof, 70
frame their constitution and lsws, and to regulate
their domestic and social affairs In their mode,
subject only to the provisions of the Federal Con-
stitution with the privilege of admission into the
Union whenever they have the requisite popula-
tionfor one Representative In Congress: Provided,
aL,oavs, That none but those who are citizens Of
the United States under the constitution and laws
thereof, audswho have 9 fixed residence in any
such Tewitosy,ouSht 90 partisipstesinsthe fosma,
tion of ths osastitutl0as ~r IN khe enactment Of
laws foraid Territory ~ 6xsAs.p.. ~ sa.4hrpa3 =.
Here We Bss fsaye y ssk Y sHt y 4. watsans who I,
is doubtless > good lawyer, (0r,i not bs can,
consult; tne, pwasthsr this section, ,sinstsad Of
"preterMittiAg, ddy epsatonn .onths question,
does not. .aupeppce the doctrine that the citii
zens ofthe-UpitAd States .psrmanantay.xedding
in the Ierrit,fiss" have's "vigAt Mo frame
their doRstiti}1i69 md .raws, and U.s. fegufIts
their domestic adaiFs ID, their own mode, apk..
ject only ~ ths Prosisioss Of the Federal GsH.
stitutioixys>A. &o fsi -" S1sg nssa sd =, -,
Does not this section Just IS ss sshphstie,ll