The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-27
j. G.. W.
THE CINCINNATI PLATFORM.

The world has been told, by carping critics
and enemies, how the resolution which seemed
to endorse the policy of building Pacific rail
road was engrafted upon the pure States-rghts
creed of the Democracy at Cincinnati. Scan
dalous stories were told of the duphcty of
Pennsylvania and other Northern delegates, in
protesting orthodox opposition to that magnif-
cent scheme of internal improvements by the
Federal Government, until the South, and par
ticulary Virginia, was tricked into the nomina
ton of Northern candidate for the Presden-
cy ; but these stories were stoutly denied, with
an oath " and the charitable world was willing
to give the party the benefit of doubt, at
least, as to the truth Of them. But murder
will out" and in the order of Providence truth
will be indicated; and we now have the au-
thentc history of the resolution, upon lunques
tionable Democratic authority. The Richmond
Enquirer tells the story. According to that
journal of the Goth instant the scandalous
revelations which we have hitherto had convey
but faint idea of the trickery and duplcity
which attended the adoption of the Pacific
Railroad resolution.
In the first place, the Enquirer denies that
the resolution countenances the idea that the
Federal Government has the constitutional
power to build the road, either by donations of
the public lands, or by appropriations Of money.
The editor insists, on the contrary, that by i'm
plication the resolution denies this power. In
the second place, the Enquirer tells the history
means creditable to the candor or integrity of
the. Northern members of the Convention, and
According TO the organ of Gov. Wise, the reso-
luton was twice rejected, by decided majorites,
before the nomination, the Pennsylvania dele
gates voting, with those Of Virginia, against it.
But no sooner was the nomination made, than
the slippery delegates from the Keystone wheel
ed about, and voted for the resolution unani-
mously! The Virginians reproached them for
their dupicty, and told them that Mr. Buchan-
an would never have received the vote of the
delegates from the Old Dominion, if they had
not been led to believe that he and his friends
were against the Pacific railroad. This fright
ened the Pennsylvanians who began to appre-
bend boiling, and with great facility they
turned about, and voted with Virginia against
the resolution.
The Enquirer goes still further, and arraigns
Mr.. Buchanan for violating his pledges given
at Wheatand to the committee which gave him
formal notice of his nomination. 1t charges
that the letter sent to California, in September.
1856, in which Mr.. Buchanan takes strong con-
stitutiOnal ground in favor of railroad, was not
only violation Of his pledge to adhere to the
Cincinnati platform, but that he was guilty of
dupicity in Withholding it from the people on
this side fthe Continent. The Enquirer sums
up as follows
SiHtess can zoe approee the doctrine sohich
he erpOunds. To Our mind, 1t IS more o6jec-
tiondbIe, more Latitudindrian, more tederal,'
than any constitutional exposition to be found
IN all the writings of the elder adams, or euen
Of Alexander Hamilton"