Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-06-28
IT CANNOT BE AVOIDED.

ton of slavery in the Territories Il Richm0pd
! Examiner
Docs our ncislhor pre,c!d tllat We advocate
/ the enrlorsalion oi any views in which Gov.
Wise stands isolated from the Conservative
Democracy Of the whole Union, Or of any
view, which are peculiar 10 him: 1t would
scem that such was his meaning especially
when we take into consideration his repeated
and ital;zed filings at "jndirjdn"l riewx." And
vet the Examiner announces its own entire
concurrence in these ''yews Of Gov. Wise"
We do advocate the endorsement Of views al
ready endorsed by Governor Wise, by Senators
Hunter and Mason, by john Randolph Tucker.
James \. Se,ltlon. John t. Floyd, by George
". Hopkins, by r. X. Meade, hy McSSlS
! Silants. Edwards, Clarke, Thompson, Banks,
Booker, Isbcll. Williams, Graham Chapman,
I.aync Jackson. Russell, Nccson, Hubbard
}ocock, Powell, Fisher, Garnctt, Conway
! Barbour, McMulln--in the name and by the
authority of the entire Democracy of Virginia.
by the Democratic candidates HOW before the
people throughout the South, by the "ExaIni-
ncr ITSELF by the press of the Conservative
Democracy in the North and in the South-hr
the entire body of Southern Democratic Scna-
tors-and by every Southern Democratic Repre-
sentative III Congress whose views have been an
nounccd; endorsed, too by the Kansas-N Nebraska
act, and, consequently. 10y the Cincinnati Plat
form-cndorScd by the Drci Scott decision, Il
doctrine which has never ceased to be recognized
hy the Democratic party-and which has been
questioned only Of late and by sna!! minori-
ty Of the party.
/ We do advocate the full and clear cndorSa-
ton Of our constitutional obligations, because
we are at all times, as honest men, opposed to
any cnor>a,ion which is no; full and clear"
( but dark, equivocatng and ambiguous imply
! ng necessarily an abncgation of principle; and
especially, at this time, We advocate the en-
! dorsation Of the doctrine in question: because
there is no escape for the Democratic party
from its cndorsation, except by the endorsaton
of the opposite doctrine, which has already
been justly pronounced by leading member
Of The Black Republican party as 4 most cxpe-
dicnt means by which to secure the triumph of
frcc-soiii>m.
There i no escape. The advocates OF this
J now ".qu.ttcr sovereignty" doctrine will 90 70
Charleston, and, in one form OF another, Will
there demand the endorsement Of their rccu
liar and erroneous Interpretation of the Gin
cinna.i platform. To refuse this. will be at
once TO pronounce clearly and fully in iayo:
Of the doctrine Of constitutional protection.
! Again. The Charleston Convention cannot,
dare not adjourn without an express endorse
mcnt of the Drcd Scott decision. And, our
cotemporary agrees with us, this decision enl-
bodies the same doctrine Of equal protection.
Again. II it were possible to pass by tho
Drcd Scott decision in silence, and to choke oil
the direct efforts Of squattcr sovereignty mca,
if the platform by itself could be made to say
nothing on the subject, M,a re noHld hacc 10
Tank .ior rs interpretation IL hc crpreS'cd
ticrS et tie Prcs"itatial' al'aHdid0tc who &do"ld
rceicc Me Gomjnati"n. Every man holding
to either doctrine would necessarily he cXcu-
ded from the choice Of the Convcntion-othcr-
wise, one Interpretation or the other would
necessarily and justly be affixed to the plat
form.
Where could we find Z non-comlnittii candi-
date to stand OH this non-comm;ttal platform:
And, when found, would he be entitled t" the
support of any political party:
No. The candidate chosen would be known
1T once as the advocate or tie opponent OF
"Squattcr Sovereignty
How then? Suppose the Examiner should,
in order to countc:act the Interpretation
necessarily incident to tic selection of the
candidate. introduce resolutions like the follow
ing:
Resolved, That the doctrine which asserts
the right and duty of the General Government,
and OF every department Thereof, 10 exercise
its proper functions, in case Of nceG, Tor the
protection Of persons and property in the ter
ritoricS of the Union, although maintained By
Il portion Of the Democratic party. is not row,
and never was, recognised! as principle Of De-
mocratc faith.
Resolved That, OH the other hand. the re-
lection or reputation of the same doctrine,
although insisted OIL by portion Of the De-
mocratc party, is not now, and never was re-
cosniscd as principle of Democratic faith.
Resolved, That whatever may be the opinion
of the candidates nominated by this Conven'
ton for the offices of President and Vice Prcsi.
dent of the United States, the Democratic par
ty is in no manner committed to their views o!
this question as to constitutional protection.
There These resolutions embody the full
and clear" assertion Of the attitude maintained
bv the Examiner al the present time. Would
our cotcmpUrary offer such resolutions al
Charcstony If offered, would the "Eyami
ncr' vote for their adoption: If not, why:
We do not think our cotcmporary woud
subject himself 10 the odium of this full and
clear endorsement Of the position into wh:c!
he has inadvertently slipped
But suppose he could obtain the adoption o
such resolutions. Would they better the mat
ter: NaY-the qualified repuda;ion Of the
Presidential candidate would still leave tiIC
platform TO DC interpreted by his known opir
ions on the vcxcl question; and, at the sam;
time, would place the Convention in the Iitiabl'
situation Of yan!y attempting to escape the con
sequence O.! It's own action.
Turn it ard twist it in any possible iD';H.
! ard the Examiners proposed compromise Is
utterly impossible Of adoption. The attempts
Of politicians, at the contrivance of non-com
initial platforms, are ike the ingenious effort,
Of mcchanicians to secure perpetual NOTION
Talk about them or write about them, never Sc