The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-07-27
Douglas, Forsyth, and the Gin
cinnaIi Platform.

Mr.. Forsyth, late minister to Mexico, has
written another political letter 10 the Mobile
Register, of which he is the editor. 1t is
made grave charge against him that he is
not opposed to the nomination OF Douglas
fof the Presidency Of 1860, and that he does
not insist upon slave legislation for the Ter.
ritories. in his answer, which is important
just now, in view Of his having control of an
influential Southern press, he suys:
"My solemn conviction is, that the South
ern mind has been led astray on this ques-
ton, and that its leaders are hurryng it on
to point where our vital interests in the
Union are to be jsoparded anI our honor
compromised. ! ask you, as a man, if, hav-
ing these convictions, should not be pc.
litca and moral coward, unworthy of my
post on the watch-tower of the press, did |
foil 10 rase my voice against such O career
Of madness, because TO do so is unpopular,
end as you say, "will injure my paper in the
country 7"
The chief risk run in assuming my po.
sition is from the clamor | knew would be
raised against me OF being "Douglas man."
and his advocate for the Presidency. am
in favor Of the nominee of the Charleston
Convention, aud am in favor Of the harmo-
nous action OF that Convention. The Dem
ocratic party is now the only barrier to the
designs Of the Abolition party. Break that
down, and we are oil ot sea, and good and
patriotic men will not know where to turn
for succor and the public safety. scrub
race for the Presidency, its final decision by
the House of Representatives of Congress
and the election Of on Abolitionist, will be
the sequel. l am unwilling to risk this fear
ful future for an abstraction. II it il an
swered that this abstraction is q principle,
and we are bound to stand on it, answer
granted that it is so so, but it is a principle
which the Democracy Of the North W est
claims that we agreed in the Cincinnati
Platform to yield up, for the sake Of harmo.
ny and the public good, and for valuable
consideration faithfully paid down by them,
and that consideration was the yielding up
of another principle on the part Of the North,
to wit, that Congress had the power to inter.
vene and settle the question of slavery in the
Territories, and to unite with US the South
in preventing the Black Republicans from
enforcing that principle in the prohibition OF
slavery in the Territories. And, answer
further, that if every department of the gov.
ernment, and the unanimous voice of the
North, were to yield 10 US our principle, it
would not possess the value of pin, s lave
or free territory. For these reasons am in
favor of standing on the Cincinnati platform,
of readopting it at the Charleston Conven.
tion, and OF leaving the question of slavery
in the Territories where we agreed to leave
ito wit to the laws of climate and geog
raphy, to the judicial tribunals of the land,
and to the Executive authority TO enforce
their decisions, and to the political commu.
mites OF American people who are 10 be af.
fected by it. Except by this course, see
no escape from the greatest political calami.
ties, and in this course am utterly unable
to perceive how the South is to suffer even
an infinite small loss, either in honor Of
profit. JOHN FORSYTH.