Daily American organ., 1856-03-04
American Platform.

American Platform.
The Native American" paper published
at Buchanan, Virginia, makes the followingvery
appropriate remarks upon the American plat
form, to wit:
ave confess, that 80 far as the platform goes
upon the perplexng question Of slavery, we can
see nothing so very Objectionable; whether it goes
far enough is clearly the only question that can
be raised by the South. One that went farther
has been tried, and came near breaking down the
party. Every other principle seemed to have
merged into that of slavery and instead OF il be-
lug national party, sectionaites and dissensions
had alienated one portion from the other and rem
dered it impossible to rally the whole party in
national contest. We dislike the necessity Of CIV
iaC up the 18th section but as we could never
accomplish anything with it, and the National
Council has thought proper to lay it aside, we are
perfectly willing TO do all we can without it for the
success Of the American party, and the establish
me 1t of its first and greatest prnciple-American
rule"
This is sensible conclusion, and follows
very correct premises, and we would fain hope
that every Southern press, and every Northern
conservative press, will arrive at the conclusion
that it is the part of wisdom to abide by the
principles enunciated in the new platform.
Our opinion is, that the platform goes Just
far enough to recognise the constitutional
rights of the South, and to lay down a true
basis for the adjustment of the Territorial
questions.
Now hear the Northern ultraists ON this
question. The "Toledo Blade" published in
Ohio by the .tarorite of the Printing Commit
toe Of the House of Representatives, says OF
the 7th section thus
"It is what the South desires and has been fight
Ing for, as it prevents Congress from passing any
law by which slavery shall be debarred entrance
Into our Territories and States If this is not
downright concession to the cause of slavery,
know not what is"
Thus speaks the moutbpiece of Ohio Rcpub-
icanism, affording explicit proof that the Will
mot Provisoists are quite as much opposed to
the new platform as the most rabid Southern
ultraist can be.
The same paper, Toledo (Ohio) Blade, con-
tinues in this wise:
!" But again the 18th section of this new plat.
form uses the following language: The mante-
nance and enforcement of all laws until said laws
shall be repealed, or shall be declared null and void
by competent judicial authority This of course
means that the Fugitive Slave Law and all kindred
laws must be maintained and enforced. Another
glorious concession to the cause of human bond
age, which viii cause chuckling with the propa-
gandist of the South.
"How Northern men could have gone into con-
vention and deliberately supported sentiments di.
rectly antagonistica to the feelings and avowed
utterances of the free States, is to my mind pass
ing strange"
"0f course this means" and it was intended
to mean, just what it expresses on its face, that
all laos shall be enforced till repealed or de-
clarcd coid by competent judicial authority,
and the Fugitive Slave Law is one of these
laws.
The conservative, law-abiding people of the
North, who voted for the platform, and who
will sustain it, understand its meaning. There
is no mystery in it.
1t means that the Union must be preserv-
ed,-that the constitution must be maintain
ed,-that the laws must be enforced, that the
rights Of each section of the country must be
respected, that Congress must not overleap
the constitution, that the agitation Of sectional
questions must cease,-that the naturalization
laws must be changed that foreign pauper-
ism and crime must be excluded from the
country,--th.t t citizen sorereignty in the or
ganized Territories must be recognised, that
Church and State shall be kept asunder,-that
foreign influence shall be diminished, and that
Americans shall rule their own country.
Now If those who sympathize with the To.
ledo Blade think that they can make better
platform, or can find better men to stand upon
it, than the American party have present
ed TO the country, or, if Southern utraists
think they can do it it will afford us pleasure
to examine into and canvass their respective
merits. We opine, however, that the more
carefully this platform is examined, the more
acceptable it will be found to all conservative
men, and the more thoroughly the character
and merits Of the candidates who stand upon
1t are canvassed, the more generally they will
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