Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-06-11
The Democratic Platform and the
Rights Ofthe south.


The Richmond Enquirer. replying 10 a para
graph in the Richmond Wing in which it avo wed
its inability to perceive 10 what portion of the
Democratic Platform squatter Sovereignty was
repudiated, says:
The Wig will not deny that the affirmation of a
narticuar principle involves reputation Of its OPP
nosite The following resolution OF the Democratic
Platform asserts the constitutional theory Of popular
sovereignty:
Resolved That we recognize the right Of the peo-
pie of all the territories including Kansas and Neba-
ka acting through the fairly yrrsses 'ru II TIE HGor
sfv of actual resissfs and rAeEero Ae number q her
ohlgpts jussfes H. TO form a constitution, lh or
scsfAouf domestic sIdperg, ant 70 be adaed ms fns u
mon upon ferns ofperecf equality rak ne efher STATES
This language clearly oRnnciaies the doctrine That
the people of territory, whenever the number of its
inhabitants is sufficient, may admit exclude slavery
through hs terv erBres,ed 'os Of gg5srtts q as ae
fsal 1siitxe and BY CONSTITUTIONAL KSAerHEST.-
Does the Wig deny that this is the true rriueiplof
The resolution quoted by the Enquirer does
not touch the vital point in the perfect equality
of the States. The question which the South is
most interested ia having determined is whether
its citizens shall be permitted 10 go into the Ter
ritories, NTH their sfarss. and hold and them
there as properly, sHder The rroteefiea Of ht
federal geuefnaeRf, until the people of the Terri
tory by right Of numbers and Of authority shall
assemble in Convention to frame State Consii
tution: whether. in ether terms the constitution
of the United States carries slavery whit. The
South holds the affirmative of this question-iho
North denies il. The Platform lodges all refer
ence to a-and that not by accident, as we hive
reason to believe but because those who CON
structed It knew that therNorth would never as
Al c. nn.;t,aa A daut
of the New York Times, writing from Cincinnati
under date Of Thursday, says;
I'm the Committee on Resolutions last night Thomp-
son, of Mississippi moved the adoption of the Geor-
qua platform-that the Constitution carries slavery
into the Territories II lost by nearly tic vote
We have no doubt this writer truly explains
the absence of all allsson in the Platform to that
primary md fundamental point in the seotiona
controversy upon which all others depend, and
without decision of which, Others are of no mo.
inent. The universal Northern doctrine is that
slavery is local, and can only exist by virtue of
laws establishing it. This dogma prohibits the
STAKEHOLDER from taking his slaves into Terri
tory, until the inhabitants of the Territory have
given him permission by law to bring them. The
obvious and certain Interpretation therefore, that
will be given by the Northern Democracy to the |
resolution which the Enquirer quotes, is that the |
people Cd the South will not DO permitted to emf
CRATE with their slaves into any Territories where
slavery does not exist as n local law. until actng
through the fairly expressed will of tho majority |
of actual residents, and whenever tho number of |
their inhabitants justfes'' them, they shall
"form Constitution" establishing slavery. Civ |
ing it this Interpretation, as they assuredly will.
they will readily convince themselves that, if not
permitted to carry their slaves with them, the peo-
pie fthe South will not choose TO abandon the
States for the Territories that the latter will be
filed up by Northern and foreign immigrants
that as a consequence, when they undertake to
form state constitution "a maj ority of tho &C
tua settlers''will be opposed to the establishment
Of slavery that as another and final conse.
quence,n not another slave state Ito quote the Ian
guage of President Pierce, will DO added to tho
Union, though should acquire the whole of
Mexico We ask the Enquirer hat there is in
the Platform of its party that forbids this North.
ern Interpretation of the resolutions relating to
we appeal to it in all candor to tell |
us what principle valuable to the South is settled,
while that involved in this Interpretation is left
open!