Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-09-04

earliest manhood, and since ls62 have acted in
full harmony and fellowship in is organization, aud
whyf There had been in 1850 and 1861, in most
Of the Southern States, contest between what was
called the States Rights and Union parties growing
out Of the passage Of the Compromise measures.
It resulted in dissemination on the part Of the
South to acquiesce in it; and when the copventi0n
met at Baltimore in June, 1852, TO naminats. cah-
dates for, the Presidency and Vice Reside2stTa
found there (as . spectator, and not g deaeeeel
both wings Of the Democracy-the States Rights
and Union. They affiliated in making the ncniaa-
tons, and both heartily united in adopting plat
form Of principles The contest Of 80 and 81 had
revived into living issue the old States Rights doc
trnes of 90 and 90. Except perhaps in Virginia
and South Carolina previous to that time, they had
nearly become obsolete. The States Rights men in.
sisted that these resolutions should be incorporated
in the platform, and become q vital article in the
Democratic creed 1t was unanimously conceded,
and the resolutions of 80 and 99-the very corner
stone-the highest exposition of States Rights wss
incorporated in the platform. 1t made the Demo
cratic creed perfect and from that moment, deter.
mined upon hearty and cordial affiliaton with the
party in its organization. In 1856, at Cincinnati
these principles were re-adopted and the Democra.
cy from Maine to Texas, and from the Atlantic to
the Pacific. are pledged in the most solemn manner
to the support and maintenance Of the srcest read
ing of the States Rights doctrines. Every man,
therefore, of that faith, must affiliate with the De-
mocracy if he expects aid in enforcing his views
the administration of the Government. The Demo
cratic party if it continues true to its creed and
principles is as good States Rights party - de-
sire to associate with. l 60 further-no conscien-
tious man can be Democrat standing on that pa.-
form who is not States Rights man. With these
undeniabe facts before US does not the assumption
of few persons in the South that they are par
cellence the States Rights Democrats, rest upon
narrow basis? The feud between the two wings
was buried at Baltimore in 1852 by all uniting on
common platform; the treaty of amity and friend
ship was affirmed at Cincinnati in 1856, and is it
good faith in either of the former wings to make
peculiar appropriation of any of the tenets of the
common party? If Madison and Jefferson are
thority, then the Democratic party is imbued with
all the elements of State Rights. If their views
considered too moderate for any modern statesman,
then such may except to the creed of the Democra-
cy; but believing as do, that it is the only princi
pie upon which this Government can be safely or
justly administered, l am perfectly content to take
the exposition of the able and patriotic men who
formed the Constitution, and who calculated Its
principles during the administration of Mr.. JEFF
ferson.
Mr.. Pierce placed himself on the platform of 1882
when he accepted the nomination. Did not every
act of his Administration exhibit answering 6deli
ty to its principles? Mr.. Buchanan did the same
thing in 1856. In what single act of his Admins
y
any article of the State Rights creed? So it will be
in 1860, and will continue as long as the Democratic
party maintains its organization 1t could scarcely
be otherwise-the Executive, upon his nomination,
solemny pledges himself to his friends and oppo-
nents that he will administer the Government in
strict conformity to the principles laid down by his
friends; if those principles do not reflect his sent
ments, and he cannot carry them into execution,
every sentiment of honor would impel him to de-
cline the nomination. When he accepts to prove
faithless to his pledges would entail on him such
deep Gishonor as 10 drive him in shame from the
face of society," and I undertake here to say, that
no man who will ever become the standard bearer
of the Democracy for the Presidency will have the
temerity to traitorously abandon the principles and
platform upon which he is elected What has the
Democ,atic party done to manifest its faith by its
works? The statute book of Congress will show
that all your constitutional rights full
ly recognized, and more efectually protected-that
your cherished principles more intimately incor
Ros.ated in the laws and policy Of the Government
debted to the Democratic party for it all. It has
done much very much to restore the principles that
siSnalized the Republican Administration of Mr.
Jefferson. 1t was the Democratic party that crush
ed the Bank, that reduced the Tariff, and placed it
upon a revenue bass-that wiped out the bankrupt
and distribution acts. 1t annexed Texas; and here
let me say, that important as was its acquisition to
the whole country, to the South it was ndispensa-
BILE for her safety foreign and domestic and yet the
elections which resulted in the triumph of that poll.
cy, when Polk and Clay the candidates. show
ed larger relative vote in favor of annexation BY
the North than the South. Mr. Clay who was Cd.
posed to it, received larger pro rata vote in the
South than he did in the North, and Mr.. Polk re-
ceived a larger pro rata vote in the North than the
South. The issue made in the platform of 1874,
and the Northern Democracy maintained it with a
noble energy that crowned our common efforts with
success. 1t annexed California, Utah and New
led he uno -oIo nod
the policy Of non-nervention in organizing Terri
torial governments; repealed the odious Missouri
restriction. and restored to rights in the
ritores-panted itself upon the doctrine that slave
States had equal rights to admission in the Union
with free States, and party voted to admit Kan
sas as slave State. under the Constitution. 1T
passed the Fugitive Slave Law, and will acquire
Cuba for us at the earliest practicable day. Every
measure detrimental to your rights and vioative Of
your Interpretation of the Constitution that has
been defeated, has been defeated by the Democratic
party. In saying what I have said for that party
with reference to slavery, do not intend to convey
to you the impression that it is pro slavery party
1t does not profess any such thing-many, perhaps
most of its members, are opposed to slavery in the
abstract and opposed to introducing it in their
pective States; but what intend to assert and
maintain is that as party in its platform and uotss
it recognizes all our Constitutional rights the
slavery question, and the Northern portion of it,
notwithstanding their abstract opinions, with manly
courage and catholic patriotism sustain and enforce
those rights by their votes in the State and Federal
councils. We have never asked more of them--we
have never asked the Government to use its power
to extend slavery. All we have claimed has been
that the guarantees which the Constitution gives US
shall not be broken, and the Democratic party have
steadily maintained them and will continue to main.
tain them II is the only party that meets and COM
bats the sectonalsm of Republicsnism, and the only
hope of keeping it prostrate is the Democratic party