The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-05-12
sTRoUDsBURG, MONROE COUNTY, Pa. MAY ls, 1859


to 60 there. You are compelled to
sleep under mosquito bars all the year
/ round; and you do not 6nd scorpions
in your boots in the morning, you will be
more fortunate than was. Lizards run
about in every direction; annoy you
at every turl. This is beautiful place
to emigrate to! And yet you propose to
pay 2O0,000,000 for the island. Iumy
opinion, it is not paying investment
But, sir, as | said before, this bill is
not to buy the island of Cuba, for you are
advised in advance that you caunot get it.
/ This is mere electioneering scheme for
1860. 1t is to be one of the planks in the
Democrat platform in 1860; and pro-
pose very briefly to review a certain other
plank which you have in that platform.
as it has only two left-this one is not
yet in. You have destroyed all your old
platforms; they are utterly annihiated. =
Even the Cincinnati platform of tender
years bas ceased to be; and | am not sur.
prised that that platform has been de-
stroyed. There never was sound plank
in it. 1t is said that everything was left
perfectly free, subject to the Constitu-
tion of the United States;" but the know
ing ones in that convention were perfect.
ly aware at that time that the Constitu-
! tion OF the United States was virtually
subverted by a decision which the Su.
preme Court dared not then make, and
whose iual enunciation depended upon
the result OF that election. If President
Buchanan had not been elected, the Dred
Scott decision would not have been I'D ade
propose now to spend very little time
in examining this last new platform of
the Democratic party. The Supreme
Court of the United States was merciful
in its work of destruction. The Cincin-
natl platform was built precisely as boys
build cob houses-to see who could first
knock them down; and the missile which
the Supreme Court threw at the Cincn-
natl platform. which destroyed it, and
which will virtually oyerturn tho Consti-
ton of the United States when it becomes
the law; that very missile was itself a
Democratic platform, which the Demo
cratic leaders ID made great haste to mount;
and at the North they found it large e.
nougb. There was but one plank to it,
but it would hold all the Democratic par
ty there. They had become iD6nitesi-
mally small and few in number before that
last new platform, and are growing beau
tifully less day BY day.
insist that the Dred Scott decision
for it is needless for me to say that it is
to that | alludc-is the only Democratic
platform that now exists; and if any man
throughout this broad land, who holds a
Government Office of any value whatever,
doubts it, let him try the experiment. Let
him say that be does not consider the Dred
Scott decision the Democratic platform,
does not consider it binding on him, and +,
my word for it, be will be shorter by q
bead within three days after the aunun-
citation. Sir, it is the Democratic plat
form; it is the party test. Any man who
does not swear allegiance to the Dred
Scott decision is no Dem ocrat. / hold in
my hand an exposition of that decision,
from a Democratic newspaper published
in the city of Washington, which | be-
liere is universally admitted to be good
Dem ocratic authority. 1t is more than
that; the newspaper to which allude dis
tills the pure essence, the very essential
oil of Democracy. l allude to the Union
newspaper of this city, some of whose ar
ticles are understood to be written by the
President of the United States and to be
supervised by his Cabinet, and to send
forth the perfectly pure Democratic doc
trine. | believe that when this pure Dem
the opinion of the Supreme Court, and
said that he would construe the Constisu.
ton for himself; that he was sworn to dc
it |, sir, shall do the same thing.
have sworn to support the Constitution o.
the United States, and ! have sworn tc
support it as the fathers made it, and uo
as the Supreme Court has altered it, anG
| never will swear allegiance to that
But am not quito through with the. I'm
ion article. 1t says further:
"The protection of property being next tc
that of person, the most important object o
all good government, and property in slaves
being recognized by the Constitution of th'
United States as we'll as originally by al
the old thirteen States, we have never doubt
ed that the emancipation Of slaves in thos'
States where i; previously existed. by an ar
bitrary act OF the Legislature, was gros
violatin of the rights of property"
There you have it declarad that aboli
tion of slavery in seven Of the old thIr
teen States was unconstitunal, aud, ae
cording to the Dred scott decision. IT was
| ask any man of common seuse-i vii
not ask a lawyer; am no lawyer mysel
but ask any mau of common sense
If he believes that the old thirteen States
seven of which intended to abolish SLAYER.
within a very few years, would have
dopted Constitution which prohibited
them from doing the very act which the.
contemplated doing instanter? | ask an
man il he believes for single momen
that the Representatives OF those sever
States that intended Immediately to abol
isb slavery within their borders, woul'
ever have assented to a Constitution
-.L;b.toI thor ~ from 1alpu the We