New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-05
CuARLFsrON PLATFORMS.

CHARIFsTON PLATFORMS.
The Cincinnati Platform expressly SETS forth, "as
" the only sound and safe solution of the Slavery
" question" nonintervention by Congress with
" Slavery in State or Territory or the Dstrict OF
Columbia"
All ghoreeard the preservation Of the U1ionunder
the Constitution as paramount issue are invited 10
meet the Democratic party and cooperate with 1t
on this platform, which is represented as having
been the basis Of the compromises of 1850, con-
Grued both by the Democratic and Wing parties in
National Conventions, ratified BY the people IN
1859, in the election Of Pierce, applied by the
Kan. as Nebraska act Of 1854 TO the organization
of Territories, and, it might now be added the
mean:-iraud and bribery apart-by which Bu-
chapan succeeded in getting the Northern votes to
which lie owed bis election as President
Tsp r, solutions offered to the Charleston Conyen-
ton by the majority of the Platform Commit
| lee-@hle normally affirming the Cincinnati
platform, propose 10 give to the above doctflne Of
noninterferenoe by Congress the follow ng 'expla
| 90 nation" THAT i. is the duty of tho Federal
! " Government, in all its departments, TO protest
| "whsn necessary, the rights Of persons and prop
erty ii. e., the holding OF slaves in thu Terrific
" ries ard wherever its constitutional authority ex
tsnds." According TO this "expanrtion," non
interference by Congress with Slavery in the Terri
tories means interfering just 80 often as the proEec-
ton of Slavery there seems to require it. The
Northern delegates we're esked not only to swallow
this doctrine Of Congressional Intervention on be-
half of Slavery but at the time to declare that
when at Cincinnati they proclaimed noainserierencs
by Congress with Slavery in the Territories to bo the
OILY sound and safe solution OF the Slavery question:
and appealed t, the dsbsnded Wings TO stand with
them on that platform, what they really meant was
that Congress ought to interfere to support Slavery
IN the Territories whenever the inhabitants OF the
Territories refused to sustain it, or sought to get
rid of it,
The Cincinnati platform was pronounced on the
floor of the Charleston Convention an arrant hum
bug. With this explanation attached to 1t, it is
neither more nor less than contradiction in terms.
The re olution proposed by the majority of the Plat
form Committee, and adopted by the seeding
minority, of the Convention, under pretense OF
"explaining" the Cincinnati platform, amounts in
fact to a total and complete reputation of it.
Nor can the resolutions OF the minority of the
| Committee, offered by Mr.. Samuels, and in
tended for compromise, boast a much greater
| consistency. These resolutions begin, like the
other set with reassertng the Cincinnati platform,
Il at is, with declaring that the non-intererence by
Congress with Slavery in tho Territories, or any
where else, is the only sound and safe solution of
| the Slavery question, and the only one consistent
with the preservation Of the Union; aod yet they
Immediately 60 on to propose, since differences of
opinion exist in the Democratic party as to the right
and duty of Congress to interfere with the question
| of Slavery 10 the Territories TO abide BY tho de-
cisons Of the Supreme Court on thatquestion IIay.
ng first Ieafrmed the Cincinnati Platform, this
luton hands it over to be adjudicated upon by the
Supreme Court. Hitherto the Democratic party has
thought itself competent TO make ,s own platforms
and TO determine for itself the true Interpretation
of the Constitution, without appealing to Judicial
assistance. Thus the Cincinnati platform in its
seventh article, expressly declares that Congress
has 10 power to charter United States bark
statement Of doctrine in the face and eyes, end
intended to be So Of repeated decisions of the Su-
preme Court. Yet to that Court, which could notbe
,ru,ted To settle mere question OF financial power,
| il is proposed 10 mske the arbter oil question
| on which the Union 10 said TO depend, aud which,
| by strange tumble of ideas is first positively
decided by the Convention, and then banded over
to the Court to be acted upon with pledge to
| abide by their decision.
The minority Of the Convention seem to have
been perfectly ready TO swallow this Inconsistency
and no doubt would have done 20 had it been salts
factory to theextreme South But having discovered
that secession could not thus be prevented. they
struck out the jurisdiction proposed to DO conferred
On The Supreme Court Of making platform for the