The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-29
THE CINCINNATI PLATFORM IN NO DANGER.


The Richmond Enquirer, in AN ilnatured reply to
our remarks the other day, in which we showed
that Judge Douglas would not assist in procuring
from Congress legislation for the protection of slave
property in the Territories, says: r."
"We scarcely expected it would have the hardihood
to attempt to make point against the for stand
ing by and predicating his upon literal and
batim quotation from the Cincinnati platform Judge
Douglass to Lincoln question: reproduced by
the Union, is: answer him it is fundamental ar
tcle of the democratic creed that there shall er
ece, nurpenoa By Congress all The STATES and Terrific
ries o The democratic party have always stood
by that great principal of nontererence ninterven
ton by Congress with slavery in States and Territories
alike and he says further Isand that platform noar
The words of the Cincinnati platform are, mon interior
of Congress with slavery in the Territories Thus
the Union, in its envenomed malice against Judge
Douglas actually initiates against the Cincinnati plat
form in its warfare on the Illinois senator
The Enquirer had called upon Congress to 'sinter-
for the protection of slavery in the Territories"
by new legislation auxiliary to the Nebraska Kansas
bill; and had strongly minated the belief-nay,
had spoken in terms indicating conviction that
Judge Douglas would be the foremost man in that
body to take part in the movement It so happened
that Judge Douglass competitor in Illinois had Just
propounded to him the inquiry whether he would
do so; and Judge Douglas had replied, point blank,
THAT he would not, because he stood upon the doc
trine Of non-interference, noninterventon by Con-
gress in territorial affairs We cited this declaration
Of Judge Douglas not to complain of it per s not to
question it's unsoundness but to show that Judge
Douglas had no intention of responding to the En-
quirer's call upon Congress "to intervene for the
protection Of slavery in the Territories"
Judge Douglas had declared that the people of the
Territories had the power under the Nebraska bill -,
Notwithstanding the bred Scott decision to exclude
slavery The Enquirer had said on seeing this dec
aration that this was true, and hence the nccess-
ty of legislation by Congress to protect the in
stituton. We had replied to the Enquirer that
this might be So but that Judge Douglas would not
give any aid in procuring such legislation. Sure
enough, in few days, we produced declaration
from Judge Douglas, emphatcally asserting that he
still held to the doctrine of non-interference non-in-
tervention by Congress. Whereupon, the Enquirer,
instead of complaining of Judge Douglass doctrine
that the territorial authorities may exclude but Con-
gress may not interfere intervene to protect got
angry with us for laying before it Judge Douglas
true position
In reviewing this little controversy, we see no
cause to be in bad humor with ourselves in con-
nexion with it, and shall not vent any lima
ture upon the Enquirer, We have not the slightest
intention to ''miltate against the Cincinnati plat
FORM" disposition to do the like thing against the
Enquirer. Moreover, the g envenomed malice
against Judge Douglas which is charged upon us by
his supporters, has far more existence in their own
figures of speech than in passions.