The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-28
The Southern Platform in the
Impending Crisis.
speech of Senator CIingman, OF North
Carolina.

The Senate proceeded the Of the follow
'h ultimo:-
evolved That the Committee on be instructed to
r ss sS TIE s 80 q as
ernmenw in New Mexico and Utah REQUIRES that All the
mired " Congress fer approval or rejection
he pending question being on the amendment Of Mr..
an TO insert the eud OF the resolution the follow
I'D committee also instructed TO- inquire into the
authorizing the peose OF each OF sad Territories to
Mr. CuSGxAs-Mr President. it is my purpose to speak
odsy of the condition OF the country as connected with
agitation OF the slavery question. shall do this with
q fleet frankness and with reserve except what par
.t,entary rules and Senatorial courtssies impose By
~,A q course only the real nature of the inn.
aiding evil be ascertaned, aud u remedy suggested
wing carefully studied the subject during the greater
~ fmy political ie and from different points OF
I'd TO express my opinions seriously, and as fully as
casion seems 70 require Before speaking directly
merits OF the subject, shall devote few
ontended that the democratic party ia responsible
tor the antslavery agitation OF the North. retro
lpect into the past will vndicate it most trium
fhantly from the charge The Of the old
Iederal party in the OF 1872 had brought it into
iscredn and disgrace with the American people, Its
ades, with view of recovering the popular favor aud
trough the control OF the government, seized the
fsson of the application Of Missouri for admission into
u Unon and by appealing to the anti slavery feeling of
Northern STATES created sectional party powerful
ugh to prevent, for time, the admission of the State
ing the struggle provision was adopted that
Hissour and north OF the line Of latitude Of 36
Tho igh this arrangement was dstastefu to
South, and by many regarded as dishonorable
Unconstitutional it acquiesced in for the sake Of
2, And when, in ls45. Tax"s e>as annexed TO the
by the democrats parry ,.rinJ, this Missouri line
ttended through II, and slavery, which legally
81 every part OF that State, was abolished and pro-
sorth Of the line. When, subsequently, territory
lured from Mexico, the democratic party. with but
EXCEPTIONS attempted to apply the principles 10
I'd extend the line OF SO 80 through it, The proposition
again and again brought forward by the distinguished
nd 9TH and
N rejected by the combined vote OF the entire WING
y OF the North and portion of the democrats Of that
lion After years OF fruitless struggle was aban
led, and the principle of Congressional interview
"a adopted by the compromise measures OF 1850. In
Aner words, II was then established, In sub
suoce and effect, that the people of the Ter
tories, free from all Congressional legislation on
- subject of slavery, should regulate it for
th1mse yes, subject only TO the limitations of the Con-
Hution of the United States, ntePpreated by the
parts Of the country This settlement like the PROPOSE
os for the extension Of the Missouri ne resisted by
The great body OF the Northern whgs were for the
Wmot provso and against the extension of slavery in
any mode was also opposed by the Southern friends
sreesona intervention and who still cherished the hope
dat might be adopted. In the final struggle they were
educed TO dozen Southern Senators and thirty repre-
yentatives of whom was one. call the attention OF
Senators TO another striking fact in this connection It
charged not only by the Northern opposition but also by
he Southern opponents of the democratic party that 1t ia
responsible for the alleged evils of Congressional
non Intervention and the disturbances Of so-caled
:. squatter soyeregnty' in the Territories. affirm
that, N $780, when this system adopted, it
was sustained by the representatives Of the Southern
wings with the greatest unanimity. exception
to this remark for had announced already my separa
lion from the organization of the whig party repeat
that the Southern opposition Of that day under the lead Of
Mr. Clay, we're the first portion of their fellow citizens
abandon the Missouri line and support the principle Of
intervention by Congress. On the other hand the
last and freet friends Of the Missouri line those
represented at the Nashville convention-whose ultima
fum it was-and such Senator's and Representatives from
the South were In that day denounced uras and
fire eater because Of their not adopting the principle of
IN
line When these facts are remembered, will the pre-
sent Southern opposition and its organs continue TO
sail the democratic party for an act which they them
selves earnestly and unitedly concurred n2 Can they
take the ground that it right TO abolish the Missouri
but that i should not in Ike manner, be obiterated
TO place he South on equal footing north OF h9 After
majority both Of the South and Of the democratic party
had adOtSd the principle Of congressional nonnterven
tion Who had opposed acquesced and the democra
v and yhig conventions Of 1852 both sanctioned it.
5an theTerritores of Kansas and Nebraska were ad-
ed, u democra attic party applied the principle
them, and in SO doing, found 1t necessary TO repeal
The old +our restriction that there might be
intervSt0n by Congress 10 control in any way the
inhabitantpf those Territories. Were they not commit
ted 70 in the strongest and most emphatic terms
by their rform and their late action as 10 the Mexican
Terrtoriawhle the whig or opposition convention had
professed it's platform, 70 have acquesced in the
principt But ID said that both parties had declared
5hemsevbpposed to further sgitation Of the slavery
question. b they had; but there q specific pledge
in favor Congressional non Intervention in the Terri
tories anthe carrying II ont ought 70 have produced
no astati whatsoever, and would not In . healthy
state of bblc opinion in the North The demo-
did; md d have been liable to he charge had Il fan
cd 70 do g OF shifting its principles from time to time,
and 30 sfng its course as TO favor non Intervention
when Vd thereby admit free States into the Union,
and OF g for Congressional intervention the other
hand, whit might thereby prevent the formation Of
this ocfon would have been justly exposed TO this
charge. 3r opponents in the North, however, on the
repeal sfe Missouri restriction raised at once an i'm
mense ch showing that their friendship for inter-
vention ony pretended and that they had acquesced
in the ares Of 1850 only because they created free
State sq So &c. and did not intend the principles to
be epp1di case in which, by any possibility, the South
might Fri IT'D institutions north of this line We all
know ~ prior 70 1884, they as regularly and
the hfe Since done the Kansas iniquity; but
soon was proposed 70 repeal this restric-
1ntervtio, they suddenly became the warm advocates
OF thissne Missouri line, and depored Its removal.
from Hst 70 the last they showed themselves TO be
share itte public territory of the Union While the
Kansaill Was pending they threatened to hire to
occuppas Territory, and did, in fact, send bodies of
armedfans to hold it by force constituting, the Sc
natOr Inn Illinois (Mr Douglas) said military occupa
ton is movement provoked retaliation, and the strife
thus easioned was referred to by them evidence
againsne policy Of non Intervention. By the same ef
fort oeir part they could have created disorders in
any So Of the Uni0n and might, with much justice,
ave tempted to discredit the principle of State sove
igntJ In fact they refer to the late invasion of the
ent anst the state Of society prevailing In the south
Is undoubtedly true, however, that in conse
\ fence OF the repeal or the Missouri restriction
patriotic defeated in the North by free
sOersid abolitonets When the democratic party had
the maness and the craftsmanship to reform the cur
rency in part by the adoption OF the Sub Treasury
an Sustained severe losses for the time In the more
MISUNDERSTANDING Of placing the slavery question on
yermbnt and solid basis with reference 70 the action
thehaera government, 1t has had to encounter, per-
APPS Esater difficulties am not sure, however, that it
would nvc been as much weakened, but for the acct
deuta circumstances which could not foresee During
the ecitment arising out Of the repeal Of the Missouri
restrain, there occurred that singular organization
calledth American party, which carried majority Of
lmos every Of the Northern States 1t severed,
\ urn( his period Of excitement, and permanently
/ parted from the democratic party, many who
,uld dher wise have returned to it. On It's sud-
n plhpse, most Of its members in the free States
.astec With few outside abolitionists and formed
she present black republican party But for these
rences have doubt that the democratic party would
have this recovered its ascendancy in several Of the
Northern States But again, Mr.. President, when, In the
1857, Robert J. Walker made Governor Of Kan