Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-08-17
M. Chairman and Ffuow-citizens .

Mr.. Chairman and Fellow-citizens
This may be called the commencement of
your canvass for the election of President
and Vice President of the United States. This
CANVASS commences under circumstances differ
ing very much from all former canvasses. -
Heretofore when we have come before the
American people as party, we have come be-
fore them united as brethren, standing upon q
common platform, and moving forward under
a common banner to victory. We have found,
looking back into times past, that the Demo-
cratic party has always been prepared to make
sacrifices in order that there might be union
and harmony. We have found, when NEE T.
ing in convention, that if there was a re-
spectableportion of members of the party hav-
ing strong objections to the nomination of a
particular individual, that mans name was
withdrawn, and man was presented upon
whom all could unite. 1t is not SO during
the present canvass. Our party, it is said, is
disrupted and divided. There are, as it were,
two antagonistical forces striving against
each other, and not directing their warfare
against a common enemy. There is div-
sion, fellow-citizens, in the Democratic party !;
or rather, there is the Democratic party, and
there is party calling itself the Democratic
party, who are now halfway between the De-
mocratic party and the Republican camp /!
| [Cheers. Its great leader said at Hartford /:
"We stand midway between the disunion
party of the South and the disunion party of
the North" What is that disunion party of
the South2 1t is party which has for its
motto the equality of the States 1t is par
ty which has for its rallying cry, that ali the
States are equal and are entitled to equal
rights. 1t is party which, united under its
glorious standard-bearers, BRECKENRIDGE and
LANE, is appealing to all patriots, North and
South, to rally in defence of the Constitution,
and discarding all personal feelings. to move
forward as our fathers did when they united
TO rescue that Constitution from the grasp of
the spoiler. Is that disunion party2 is a
party which stands firmly and defantly upon
the Constitution of the country q disunion
party? Is party which invoices the faith of
the fathers a disunion partyP Is a party
which appeals to the patriotism and disinte-
RESIDENCES of the American people a disunion
party? Not sol 1t is the old Democratic
party ii is the strong, lion-hearted Democra-
cy; and this middle party is a party which
has moved forward halfway to the Northern
camp of disunion and sectionalism. TAP
plause.
Fellow-citzens, in 1856 the Democratic
party met in convention at Cincinnati, agreed
upon platform with entire unanimity, pre-.
sented candidates and went before the people
and aftera mostsevere struggle offour months
they elected their standard-bearers as Presi
: dent and Vice President. We found ever
then, that two interpretations were given t.
the Cincinnati platform and wewere reproach
! ed with having covered up our principles ont
| having so constructed our platform as To hav
one meaning at the North to get votes, ant
another meaning at the South to get votes
But most eminent statesman of the Nortl
drew up that PLATFORM refer to a gentleman
of my own native State, Hon. Benjamin
! Hallett, of Massachusetts. That gentleman
! stands by you to-day and in a speech whicl
he delivered in the city of Washington afte
the nomination Of Breckinridge and Lane, h
gave his construction Of the platform of whicl
, he was the author. And he gave it the con
, struction which is given generally through tn
South, and by many Democrats at the North
t lie gave it n construction which agreed en-
tirely with the majority platform of our owl
recent convention. But, fellow-citizens, W
. find the attempt to incorporate heresies il
that platform. We find spurious interpreta
tions put upon that platform and that is tn
cause of all our troubles. You will recollec
that in the Kansas-Nehraska act, and in tn
, Cincinnati platform, it is declared that tn
people of the territories shall be at liberty t
regulate their domestic institutions in thei
own way, subject to the Constitution Of III
I United States. That great fundamental law i
2 placed over all, TO govern and control all laws
! and all enactments of statutory character
: whether State or Territory, are subordnat
to the Constitution of the country, MS ey
pounded by the Supreme Court of the Unite
! States. 1t was well known, it was boldl
! avowed, twas always conceded by every Dc
!, mocrat, that the Supreme Court having ono
= given its decision, it should be binding upo
, all Democrats. The Court did give its de
U letc No Al.
Compromise unconstitutional. The Court di
a declare that Southern man had right TO O
; to the territories with his slaves as property
! The Court declared that q Southern man wa
entitled to the protection Of that property
equally with the protection of all other pro
: perry. The Court declared further that n
: legislature could interfere with that right
s Now what is the heresy incorporated into thi
+. matter, which has been the prolific cause Q
all our difficultics7 1t is this: that neve
mind what the Supreme Court may declare
the legislature Of the territory could by law
full means expel slavery through unfriendl,
legislation. That is the heresy, and | vii
read from the record. Here is what Mr.. Doug
las said, during his famous contest with Lin
coin in Illinois:
q II matters not what way the Suprem
Court may hereafter decide as to the abstrac
question, whether slavery may or may not g,
into territory under the Constitution, tn
. people have the lawful means TO introduce O.
exclude it, as they please"
He then gives his reasons for this opinion
and concludes thus:
Hence, no matter what the decision of tn,
Supreme Court may be on that abstract cues
ton, still the right Of the people to make
slave territory or free territory Is perfect
and complete under the Nebraska biIl.h
There is the hefcsy which has been attempt
ed TO be thrust into our platform Of princi.
pies. The Supreme Court has declared that
the legislature Of n territory cannot interfere
by unfriendly legislation or otherwise, with
the right Of a Southern man 10 enjoy his pro-
perty in slaves in territory. That, by pre-
yious agreement, has been admitted by all true
Democrats, as the Interpretation Of the Gin
i cinnati platform. Mr. Douglas, standing al
most alone, says, No no matter what the
Supreme Court may say"- in other words,
"a defy the Supreme Court pin other words,
"down with the Supreme Court pin other
words, like Mr.. Seward, there Is a higher
law, and under that the people Of arerritory
can introduce or exclude slavery from a ter
ritory, in its territorial condition. Fellow
citizens, that is the hercsy thrown into our
midst by gentleman who had been all the
time taking the ground that the discussion Of
the slavery question ought TO be excluded from
| the halls Of Congress forever by all true De-
Inocrats and refer 10 these matters in order
| TO impress all true Democrafs with the fact
that Mr. Douglas is no longer safe leader
Much as deplored some Of Mr. Douglas acts,
IL was not until he launched out this heresy
in his Freeport speech, that for one, felt that
1 ~ -. n Ioa dor H.