Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-03-28
The lst proposition was the chief one of the 12tl


article The South impelatiyely demands that the
agitation of the subject of slavery in Congress shall
cease, and especially that it no longer shall legisate
on that subject in the Territories.
The South demands, and has right to demand,
to every platform, democratic, wing or American,
specific language the subject of slavery. 1t does
not want to be told that laws constationaHy enacted
are to be obeyed until repealed decided null ty Ju
dcial authority 1t does not want to be told that a
new State shall have the privilege of admission 1t
is tired of antiquities, and sick of generaliies and
as the matter stands, when man reclaims his
slave at the risk of his life and at ten times the expense
of the slave-when cergymen preach sedlton, and
States pass personal---very. acts-ambigulnes and
generates are mere transparent cheat and 1rauo
on the South.
And such fraud is any platform that studousy
omits the word Slavery, and uses roundabout phra.
ses crcumIocutions, to Avoid expressing plain ideas
If the nev platform is the same in substance the
DID, why the change? If it is not, the South has
no use for it.
! The new platform leaves the northern who
stand upon it perfectly free TO agaie against the fu
gtve slave law, for the abolition of slavery in the
District for suppressing the trade in slaves between
different States. and for the restoration of the Mis-
souri, Compromise; and it specially donounces the re
peal of that compromise BY denouncing the Presi
dent for abetting it.
! do not envy the Southern man who undertake.
t o defend the new platform after once standing OF
the old one.
/ L
June and in February. In June desired at first t,
exclude the question of slavery from the platform
denouncing, and not unless could denounce, in do
ing so, the men Of the party in Massachusetts, AM
elsewhere in the North. who had declared ant-slaye
~ to be part of the National American creed, a
having done so without authority, and so perverte
and prostuted the organization to improper purpo
SEES
Met by unanimous resol 70 on the part of tn
Northern members to have a declaration that tn
Missouri Compromise ought to be restored, aided il
establishing the 18th article Oace upon it, ant
deeming i eminently right in principle it became
impossible for to abandon it, OR consent TO it,
modification. When it was struck out, | withdrew
from the Council, and destroyed my credentials as
delegate to the nominating Convention, in which
| refused to take my seat.
he American party South cannot stand on tn
new platform. 1t must necessarily repudiate it. Or
it it would not carry single county anywhere
1t is said that the men nominated are platform
enough That might be so, if we had no platform
if they were on no platform; if we had never had
platform.
1t is said that the new platform is sutStantiaAyth
same as the old one. Then how came it 10 be of
fered by free soer from Illinois, who declared at
ter it adopted, that he would vote for the admis
sion of no State permitting slavery? IF this suit
him, it cannot suit me.
1t is not substantially the same. 1t was framed il
Washington to get rid of the 10th article. 1t wa
offered and adopted for that purpose in Phadelph ia
and we may as well look it frankly in the face.
yields up all that we fought for and gained the Jun
before.
And now as to the candidates. That may no
be misunderstood, let me say that | was alqcays
Wing until joined the American party. | was
supporter of Mr. Fillmore's administration. | wa
indignant when he was thrown aside for Genera
Scott. What thought of him then think now.
But when formed the American party, we as
sured our Democratic friends who joined US that
was not meant to be the Wing party in Disguise
They Joined us IN that belief. On my motion m
State council declared that the nominee for Presiden
ought to be Northern man whose antecedents hat
been Democratic. was playing fairly.
The old Wing organizations reviving all owe
the country. The old Wing committees and club
are alive and astir again Our Democratic brethre
will say that we have deceived them and that it
the old Wing party in disguise. | think that it wa
not fit and proper 10 nominate who had bee
so deeply identified with the Wing party-a VIII
and nothing else, do not say it was bad faith 10
it. | do not even nsnuate | do say that if | ha
aided in such nomination, should have felt that m
, Democratic brothers had some right to complain
me.
They do feel all over the South that they have bee
trapped and, my arord for At, they acW not stay
} the trap. The new platform war; .nts them in leay
ing the party, and the Wig nomination will tyg
them to do it; and they will go hack to their Of
faith if the matter is left as it is.
Southern Democratic Americans can neither stan
on The platform nor support the candidate.
No Southern American can successfully defend tn
platform.