Daily national Democrat., 1860-07-18

instructed to demand the incornoration into
the platform Of the party of the pronosition
/ lhat Congress should intervene for the nro-
lection OF slaves in the Territories. and to
Wlthdraw If the demand should be refused
hat delegation did retire and with them n
large portion from the cotton States. Wbv
| should they have retired ? The record shows
That II they had remained at their post tbev
hau the power to have prevented the nomi
nation ol any candidate who might be OBJ
hoNious to the South. Thus reduced hv Sc
ces'lohs' the Convention adjourned to Balti,
more, and requested the States to fill the va
cuhcicS IN thelr respective delegations. The
TohVehuon &c Feasssembled on the 18th inst.
me seeding delegations were returned, some
accredited to Richmond and others to Balti
more 10y the way of Richmond. and instruct.
ed TO take the same demand, and to with
draw if it should be refused. DELEGATES yere
appointed in Louisiana, Alabama and Geor
gla 10y the National Democrats ofthose States
TO NIL the vacant seats of the seceders. Those
OF AlaOama and Louisiana were admitted to
seats. Ihey all took umbrage at the decis,
ION oil the Convention touching the various
contests tor seats. They retired organized
ana nominated candidates for the Presidency
ana ice fresidency, and they claim to be
! the National Democracy of the United
states. Now, if they were aetualel h.,
principle" if it was their purpose in goo3
iHlth to obtain the recognition of the nrinci.
PIE OF Congressional protection for slavery in
the territories, why not wait until proner
Tune arrived to bring that subject before the
| convention, and then according to their in
structions, withdraw from the body? The
reason Is papable: they were waging war
against distinguished man. not for tbc
maintenance of principle; :" they were will,
ing to leopard the integrity OF the Demo
cratic party and the triumph of its cherished
principles rather than see its will proclaimed
IN the nomination of its favorite. Admit
nng' Tor the sake Of argument, Mr. Douglas
I to be as obnoxious as they allege he is. there
never was time when the South united
could not have defeated his nomination
why, then, should they have seeded Why
not remain at their post? Why seek to
dismemOer and destroy the party? | ques
tlon not the patriotism of any, but the peo-
PIE Will hold them responsible, sooner or
later, for all the Ills that may flow from their
errors. | said the demand for Congressional
intervention was properly rejected at Charles
ton, and why do | do So ? Because it was
the agreement between the North and South
that the slavery agitation should be removed
from the halls Of Congress, and the people of
the Territories be left perfectly free to regu-
late their domestic institutions in their own
way, subject to the Constitution ofthe United
States.
This was the principle of the Compromise
measures OF 1890 and practically applied in
the Nebraska Kansas Act in 1854 1t was
adopted by both the great political oarties Of
the United States in 1852. 1t triumphed in |
the election of Franklin Pierce in that wear
and of James Buchanan in 1856. 1t is per |
haps the best ground of compromise between |
the North and the South which human inge- |
nuty can devise, and by it the Democratic
party at least, Of all sections, of all sections
should be willing to abide. 1t gives advan.
tage to neither section over the other, be-
cause 1t refers all questions in dispute be- |
tween them either as to Congressional or |
Territorial power over the subject of slavery. |
to the final arbtrament of the Supreme |
Court of the United States. 1t is therefore
safe for the South Its practical working is
not,witbout satisfactory results. Where the
people of a territory desire slave labor, and
the soil and climate are suited to it, slavery
will go-where these conditions do not exist
it will not 60 This finds an illustration in
New Mexico, here slavery is established. |
and that in tho5e territories where it is ex-
cluded Only Il few days ago, propositions
to repeal slavery laws Of New Mexico were
made and rejected on the one hand, and the
anti-slayery law of Kansas on the other was
made and rejected in the Senate Suppose
these propositions, or either of them, had |
prevailed, is it not certain the country would
have been thrown into the highest excite
ment? Bat by their rejection uon-lnterven-
ton was practically adhered to, and the pub |
lie mind is satisfied and quiet Let us main
tain it firmly and faithfully. We are bound |
to it by every consideration of interest and
Of compact. Its abandonment will |
prove fatal to the National Democratic par
ty, and ultimately to the Union itself 1t
will drive the South into intense sectional
ism, and the North into the ranks of Black
Republicanism. ] do not say every man of
the North, for know that the great body Of
the Northern Democracy will remain true to
the Constitution, despite the Overwhelming
flood of its relentless foes. But the free la
bor States would be controlled by Black
RepuOlicanism, and would not be able to re-
tain Il single member to either House of Con
gress friendly to the Constitutional rights of
the South. | trust that such a condition
of things may never exist but if it should,
know Of no way by which the Union can
be saved. Hence the doctrine of Congress
sional Intervention, as advocated by this
new-uorn sectional party is fraught with
peril to the country. The question is now
distinctly presented to the people, whether
they will adhere to the doetrince of non
Intervention, or whethor they will abandon
it, whether they will reopen the slavery az
itation by requiring Congress to take juris-
dietion over it, or whether they will give
repose to the public mind and security to the
Union by leaving it where the compromise
leaves ito the free action of the people Of
the Territories under the Constitution Of the
United States. The issue is fairly made up.
1t is Intervention or non-inter, cnti0n. Its
decision involves the destiny Of this great
Republic, and the highest interests of the
civilized world. Compared with it the as
Pirations ofmen and the fate Of political par
ties sink into utter insiguifcance. Where
shall we look for deliyerance from these
threatened evils 1t has been the mission
of the Democratic party Of the Union, in
thousand perils to rescue our country from
impending caamiies. Its past career
abounds with heroic passages and is illustra-
ted with the most glorious achievements in
the cause Of constitutional liberty 1t is the
party Of jefferson and Madison, and jackson
and Polk, whose administrations constitute
grand epochs in our national history 1t is
the party Of the Constitution, and look to
it with confidence. Where else shall the pa.
triot look in these times of political detection
and sectional agitation? Let its integrity be
permanently destroyed and the doctrine of
non-intcrvention overthrown, and then the
best hopes Of the Statesman may well be
clouded with gloom and darkness. 1t is to
maintain these that | consent to take the po-
sition now assigned me, and welcome the
consequences of personal good or personal ill
~, Nh that ,,os;tinr may, lrinr NotLinU