Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-06-18
PLATFORMS OF THE PARTIES.


In order to bring as nearly as possible in ~juxta-
position the resolutions of the tive State Nomina-
ting Conventions, we have taken the liberty of al
tering their arrangement somewhat, which ofence'
we trust. is not a very grave one.
OF the Democratic resolutions we have nothing
special to say they are not different from what
was generally anticipated, and are probably fully
equal to the moral cslibrc of most Of the members
of that PARTY.
The Republican resolutions were not adopted
until after the nominations had been made, which
strikes Us az being rather a novel proceeding in
platform building. 1t used TO be- thought neces-
sary for a nominating convention to first declare
its principles, aud then select men who we're judi
ged 10 be qualified to maintain those principles
through a political campaign. But times have
changed, and the nominees and nominstors alike
Ego it blind !" the convention FIRST arraDges the
ticket, and then hands over a list Of principles
subsequently, adopted, which it expects the nomi-
aces to endorse and sustain.
Our space will not permit US to mako many re-
marks upon the resolutions, but two or three
points we feel constrained to notice. The resolu-
ton which charac,erizes the Fugitive Slave Act,
is not too strongly expressed, but it will be noticed
as unlike nearly all of those which have been
adopted at the recent gatherings of the people,
inasmuch as il does not declare the law to be I'M
constitutional. At the indignation meeting held
in this place, as we'll as at those in many other
places, its unconstitutionality was insisted up
en- as the strongest point, and so it must be In
the estimation of a political party. A law may
be unjust, %inhuman, a gross violation of all natural
rights, but with politicians, unconstitutional is the
climax, and unless it is that, all else amounts to
but little. Corwin, as Chairman of the Committee
on resolutions, refused to report one declaring the
law to be unconstitutional and he and his friends
opposed it so strongly that the obnoxious phrase
was stricken Out. And yet. with this action Of
the Committee, and the endorsement of it by th,
Convention with the ink hardly yet dry, we shall
probably be told by the frstRepublican with whom
We speak upon the subject, that the Republican,
of Ohio hold the law to be unconstitutional.
Another resolution worthy of notice, is that il
which the action of the several state officers i
pointed to with 'entire satisfaction and pride!
The Supreme Court of Ohio pronounces the Fugi
tive Slave Law to DO constitutional, and endorses
10 far as a State Court can, the action of the U. S
District Court in the case Of the Wellin gton Rescu
ers. There stands the Supreme Court Of Ohio to
day! And the Republican Nominating Conven
ton points with entire satisfaction and pride to it
action and present position. No wonder the Con
vention didn't choose to call the Fugitive Slav
Act unconstitutional
Any person unacquainted with current events
who should read tie resolution upon the Right o
Suffrage. would suppose that the Democrats o
South Carolina had recently been engaged il
abridging the rights Of naturalized citizens, whii
tho fact is, the Republicans of Massachusetts
have been guilty of it. The condemnation o
such q measure would have been more manly AM
honorable, had the Convention used Nathan-lik
directness, and said to the Republicans of Massa
chussetts, "Ie are the men who did the decd. w
mean you, and not the people of South Carolina.
The adopters of that resolution we're 30 engrosse,
with the salvation of foreign born citizens iron
the devouring jaws Of the Democratic wolf, tina
they evidently had not the colored man in thei
thoughts, unless the Republicans have become s
progressive-which we dare not hope-that the.
are ready to strike the word Whie, out Of our Stat
Constitution. "We claim, " they say, 'for all cti
Gems. y equality Of rights, and the freess exercis
Of the right of suffrage" Who will explain
what this is intended to mean? Is it that the Re
publicans Ego in for niger equality, and uigge
voting" as the classical language of the Democrat
affirmed Or do they not regard the colored me
of Ohio as citizens? Or was the resolution write
in such haste that its phraseology was not sua
eiently guarded We pause for a reply.
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