The Evansville daily journal., 1860-07-13
Unrortunate RECORDS.

1ue enquirer OF yesterday copies an artl-
Gle from the indianapolis Sentinel, with the
above caption, showing the tergiveISati tions
of Messrs. Breckinridge and Lane on the
slavery question. The Enquirer makes q
pretty fair case of it, and we wish that pa
per success in its efforts to show, MS it is do
ing by indirection, that these and the other
great leaders of the party were uot sincere
in their advocacy of Popular Sovereignty in
1856. Openly and time and again did the
Republican party charge upon the Democ-
racy in 1856 insincerity in their pretended
advocacy of Popular Sovereignty that their
only object was to assuage the popular in
| dignation aroused by the outrageous and
reckless repeal of the Missouri compromise,
and to elect a slavery extension President
under the specious guise of territorial self
government.
But to these :! Unfortunate Records =
they are ugly and unpleasant affairs very
| often, especially for the Interchangeable De-
mocracy, the party which obtained its prin-
cipes from Jefferson a half century ago,
and SO lovingly adhere 10 them get The
Enquirer has shown the "unfortunate rec
ords of one wing of its party. We now
ask its attention to precious bit of Indiana
Democratic history. We have found it
among the dusty records of Democratic
journal files
On the Sth of January, I849, the Democ-
racy assembled in State Convention at Indi-
annapolis. 1t was an important meeting, en-
bracing more of the leading members of the
party than had ever convened before. An
al-absorbing question in national politics
was to be settled at the approaching session
of Congress-the question of slavery or
freedom in the vast territories derived from
MexicO-and the Democracy of Indiana
were to utter the sentiments of great State
party on the subject Without a dissenting
voice it was conceded that the Convention
must take strong grounds on this point.
And what was the position of the dominant
Democracy of Indiana The basis of the
platform was written by Robert Dale Owen,
presented to the Convention by Gov. A. p.
Willard, and incorporated into the platform.
What was that opinion, deliberately drafted
and unanimously adopted by the united
Democracy? Read it, you who denounce
Abraham Lincoln and his friends as aboli-
tionists
" ResoLVed, That the Institution of slavery
ought not to be introduced into any neU Ter
ritoTY 70here al does not HO10 eTiSt.
ResoLUed, That inasmuch as New Mexico
and California are, in fact and in law, free
Territories, IT IS THE DUTY OF CON
GRESS TO oprecent the introduction Of sLaUe-
ry a0ithin their limits"
Here is asserted, not the pocer only, but
the DUTY of Congress to prevent the intro
duction of slavery into free territory. And
the unfortunate record says this plat
form "was hailed with acclamation-thc
resolutions were greeted with the harmo-
nious Aye " swelling from the throats of
thousand delegates !" But now how
changed the scenel ais thy servant dog
that he would do this thing" 2"
The men who did this were not irrcspon-
slble unknown, cross roads politicians. See
the list of Indiana's great democrats, some
VI HnOAl alC w I'LL US ull W tiIS Ody. NON.
Whitcomb, the great leader of the party,
presided over the Convention. Gov Will
lard, Attorney General Joe Mcdonald,
Robert, Lowry, one of the leaders of the
present Douglas branch of the party, and
President of the last Democratic State Con-
vention, THOMAS A. HENDRICKS, Joseph A.
Wright J. A. Cravens, Douglas candidate
for Congress in the second District, f. G..
English, Indianas, U. S. Marshall, John w.
Dodd A. NJ. Ruett, S. H. Buskirk, Judge !
Morrison, and host of others were in the |
Convention. Smith Miller was the delegate
from Gibson, Enoch R. James from Posey, |
G. H. Roberts and c. C. Graham from War |
rick, and N. J. James from Vanderburgh. |
Can the Enquirer tell US who have chang
Ell ? Men may change but principles never
Where the Democratic party stood in 1919,
there stands the Republican party to- day
And yet we are Aboltionistsl