Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-07-22
,o,,o, .a.n,oa - ~. n~rsctical ful6lment Of all

And. last of all, let the Administration or its
organ venture to dictate the Interpretation of
the Cincinnati platform, or pretend that it can
offer a safe guide to a party which owes every
difficulty which now surrounds it to the misgul-
ded policy and the broken pledges of the very
Administration which it has placed III power.
When the President accepted the preSidentia'
nomination, he s%clemnly promised TO s'a'iu o"
the Cincinnati platform, without taxing Il
plank from it, or adding a plank to 1t. Even
before the canvass was ended, he did attempt
to force into i, an Internal Improvement plank
Which WAS rejected at Cincinnati as a rotten
n,,,t and the attempt was made in a very
unsound manner.
Since then. it would be difficult 10 enumeraie
the sound ,lanks which this Administration has
,,Lcn out, and the unsound planks which 1t
has attempted to force into the CINCINNATI
platform.
Let us take Il few examples. The very first
plank cf the platform inculcatcs the doctrine
that 1.-The grants of power made in the Constr
tuition ought to te strictly construed BY al tic
departments and agents Of the government;
and that it is incxpedicnt and dangerous 10 ex-
crcisc doubtful constitutional powers,
Rejecting this plank the Administration has
furnished another, authorizing unlimite" resort
to la,itudinarian construction, and where even
this could not be evolved from the powers OF
peace. appealing 10 the war-mahins power for
4 still more extended us;rratl"n 81 power "y
the General Government.
Pianl; >. THAT the Constitution does not
confer upon the Federal Government the power
to and carry on a genera! system OF
internal improvements"
Rejecting this plank, tire Administration has
inserted another. TO the effect that the Federal
Government may commence and carry on any
works Of internal improvement, under the war
making power. and in = tine o; profound peace.
The fourth plank assumes that justice and
sound policy forbid the Federal Government to
foster one branch Of Industry 20 the detrimcnt
Of another
The Administration takes this out. and puts
a ncw plank in its place. providing that specific
tariff duties shall DC res0rtc1 10 in exceptional
instances, Tor the purpose Of discriminating in
favor Of certain branches OF industry and
against others.
The fourth plank also provides ",hat every
citizen and every section OF the country has a
right to demand and insist upon an equality OF
rights and privileges, and to complete and an
pic protection n perso"S a"d property iron:
domestic %ri0lenee or JSoreign agyrssi9n."
In lieu Of this, the present Administration
now denies protection from domestic riotence
to per>ous and property CT the common
Territories Of the Union-and also refuses
TO protect our naturalized citizens from .toreign
aggression,
The fifth plank inculcates 'the most rigid
economy in conducting our public affairs"
VIVA, the Administration has done with this
plank, lc, the rate of expenditure and the large
increase Of the public debt decide.
The sixth plank provides that even 1.-THE
proceeds of the public lands ought to DC 81
credly applied to the national objects specified
IN the Constitution.
The Administrator attempts to devote tue
public lands themselves to an object not speci-
tied in The Constitulion-the construction Of
works Of internal improvement,
The seventh and eighth rianhs exhibit all
precauiion against any attempt calculated to
place the business Of the country within the
control OF n concentrated money power"
The Administration has urged on Congress
the adoption oil u corporation bankrupt law,
the inegitablc tendency Of which would bc to
place the business of the whole country within
the control of a few leading capitalists ut the
great centres Of trade,
The tenth plank asserts the cntirc equality
Of native and natura!ized citizens.
And tins has been directly denied hy tue
| present administration
\ number os succeeding resolutions nil 60
! 10 assert the equality Of rights of persons and
property. winch the Administration is now a:ri-
virg to deny,
Yet this is the Administration whose or.an
now attempts to dictate to the Democratic par
! ;y the construction of the Cincinnati platform.
| Let the Executive orgrn place it, hand over
! lts mouth, and hide its face in the dn<t. II the
Democratic party shall once DC convinced tina;
| the prcscn, administration is authorized to
| dictate the Interpretation of the Cincinnati
| platform. that the platform is to be rc-adoptcd,
| sub;cc, to the Executive interpretations, they
; will deridc anl dcuounce it from; preamble to
! postscript. If this Administration is entitled
! to dictate the interpretation, then the Cincin-
| rat platform AUST he regarded BY every FAIR
minded man as the most extraordinary conca;e-
! nation ofblue.light Federalism, o w-Nothing-
| .s,n. Black RepuLlicanism, Shutting evasion
and vacillation. which ever marked The record
Of a political party.
No. We will haze tllc Cincinnati platform
as it is. uncontaniaated by the interested die
tation of any selfish interest, and, least Of all,
Ly the dictation o. such al Administration as
that which now presidcs at Washington, and
whose entire course for the last eighteen months
has been the occasion of 4 series of unprccc
dented disasters to the Democratic party; an
Administration which has deserted every pc.
Utica. friend which it once possessed, and which
has incurred the just contempt OF its enemies
within and without the Democratic party; an
| administration which has made literal obedience
to its own orders, from which it timidly re
treated, the occasion for the condemnation Of
a public functionary; all Administration whose
vindictivc prescription Of anti-Lccompton De-
mocrats has disguised even the leaders Of tue
Lccolnpton Democracy; an Administration call
ing itself Democratic, which swallows the old