Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-09-23

!. .o,o.vet, That the Constitution -; the United
S:.;e- - a cOnipac; between S"'c:e: aud co,eliai
States, united gp0n the o">.> % perfect e'i"a! VI
T. .a:> aud privileges
Er,o.ted. Tu.., tic Territories -: the Union are
common property IN when the States have equal
r.t- ana 10 w!!!ch Tie citizen" 81 every S'ar INA!
= a;igy migrate with a!i! property recognised Is
i. III ANY oi tie States e: the In.'1, ii Il! 'hc
OF tue tu!t,d states.
3. Ecso.vcd Therefor, Tia; tie Congress oil the
u...,cu states has 40 power :" "'J'>h 81 lr"in"N
e.vrv - ANY u. jIc Territories 81 t.e Eic'i S'atts,
AMI -.c! power irF;'!i.- o.'!y L t''v i.'!1 .n'i'.
m. .rv SANE. when 10 tine ,Nvrc'se IL r.htin! au-
,h.r!;y ;iry form their Stat, Constitution "!tl Vic"
:p.t.l.!l>>on into ::c | mon.
d. Resolved That the Missouri restriction Vas
VOCATION Of the ,ore.o.u. principles, ani H. repeal
:. EeSo.yed, That Congress has 10 constitutional
MA; 20 abolish slavery III ;nc District "i '"'"'''
;, ,r.oyy,! That the dG;. 81 ai!ur'!!n- adequate
,,r,-r.,, IA lin, Territories previous - their legal
-.itl.;on - states. 10 cgG! rights Vi person ai1i
,r,,,,r:, r,,pcc;e! u.d-r tao CONSTITUTION "i the
cn.n = incumbent on Tie proper legislative i".'.o
r.;y Thereof.
Sound Doctrine a. the Home Of Senator Douglas
The Chicago Herald, winch had the rep"'
ta,ion of inclning 10 the support OF Senator
Dou-la, Presidential claims, lays down sound
platform. /; understands the doctrine of The
Democratic party, respecting slavery in the
Territories, to be ~ follows
That neither Congress nor the people OF
the Territories can rroAlbit slavery therein;
bu. that the Constitution. H. interpreted 10y 'he
SGprc,nc Court OF the United States, qua an
tee, 10 the STAKEHOLDER the right 10 take his
slaves into the Territories and hold them there
a property; and pledges the Federal toy
cra!ncni to protect him IN the ptaccab!e pos.
session Of such property in ANY TERRITORY OIL
the United States that whcn the people oi
Terrltur, form constitution. preparatory to
their admission A. 4 State, thea, ana not III,
thea. can they decide to prohibit slavery ana
that when they shall have framed Il c"IiStltu-
tion. and ask To be admitted a. State, II their
constitution be republican IN iorin, ana II tnev
have complied with the proper laws IN other
r,.>pccts. Congress should admit the new State
whether It's constitution permits or prohibits
slavery.
The aboyc positions are clearly con>onant
with the uuc construction oi tie Cincinnati
platform. with common sense and equal justice
10 all sections, and with the exposition OF the
Constitution by the great body Of the Demo
cratic party. 1; is no new Interpolation into
our creed, but a simple rcitcratlon oil the SalI-
,ary principles of the party, freed from the
clogs Of equiyocaiion and doubt. 1t does not
in the least Interfere with the rights o. any
portion Of the Conicdcracy. but extends cIua!
and exact Justice to all alike. At the present
moment. when the managers OF all the factions
of opposition" 10 the Democracy are striving
IN their utmost, To- fuse the elements into sue
cc>,iul action which must mainly erurc to the
bc,.eii, Of Seward, the arch enemy Of the con-
st;,utional rights Of the South; when tie trl-
umrh Of tie Black Republicans must shake
the Union 10 It's centre and cndanser the very
existence Of our noble form of government; at
this very moment it is a matter OF vital lmpor-
tance that the Democratic party, the sole sheet
anchor Of continued national safety and pros
ncri,v. should rccur 10 its cherished iundamen-
lal principles and clearly present lis doctrines
in all their simplicity and truth, as meant ana
understood by the great mass Of the Dcmocra-
cv. Let the platform At Charleston be 30
framed AS TO represent tie views of an actual
majority OF the genuine Democratic vote,
and we shall he cOntent-but let not the
vote o. an old Federal State, like Vermont.
coun,,,act the views Of State like Alabama.
chat never vet E.tcrel in the support of
Democratic principles. Virginia has always
excGi,d an immense moral power III acting
upon the motto, nothing for racn, every thing
for principles" That i, still her position, and,
grateful US She may feel for the past services Of
Judge Douglas III indicating the Constitution,
she cannot now bc Swcryed from the i.rnc!
pies which, with his new lights, he has
thought proper 10 ignore. The position Of her
Democracy is well set forth in the following re-
marks of the Murirccsboro' Cit;zcn. endorsed
tv the Raleigh Standard;
"The blind sen,imcnt Of hc:o-wor>hip ina
G.nlv effective as il has been always found in
s1h>rrylnc the purposes Of dcsro;i>nl, la, no
RECOGNIZED place IN the American Democratic
heart. and should even the most gallant OF our
lcadcrs-..the noblest Roman oil them all -
turn conspira,or, and forget his icaity to his
party IN visions of his own persona! promo
tica. lac would bc forthwith hurried, IKE an
other Lrciler. to the utmost depths OF the po-
liiical iladeS, and be buried there forever UNI
der al avalanche of indignant aud undyins
Scorn. In Democracy there Is no Autocrac!'
and no Democrat howS0cvcr foremost III Prov
esS and peerless IN counsel hc may be, can as
sumo to dictate I" the party, aud to ask that
the mountain shall come To Mahpmct The
Democratic Church has no Pope. The People
are taken as the source alike, of political
power and of political doctrine Ii is not the
DEGREES of President, or Secretary. az Senator.
that determine or interpret the Democratic
reed, but the legal and regularly constituted
Conventions of the Democratic party. To
that quarter we look for the authentic setting.
forth of our tcnc,s and our policy; confident
that any apparent deyiations they may see fit
10 make from the ancieat landmarks Of our
faith. are made in wise spirit OF compromise
and Cancellation. and involve no real sacrifice o.
principle.
We heartily ,rus, that there's no foundation
FOR the impression that Senator Douglas, II
case of failing to get the Charleston nomina
ton, designs entering the field as an indepen
den: candidate. Such position would be ut
terly unworthy of one who has been so long 8
true soldier in the Democratic ranks. That
with his late "squa,ter sovereignty" revelations
he cannot obtain the necessary two-thirdS vote
which has been established by our party as
firmly and mmovably as the "laws OF the
Modes and Persians"-no man can reasonably
4.