Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-10-05
For the Enquirer.
For Nc enquirer.
An Address 10 the People Of Isle Of Wight
Comfy,


Duty to YOU rs well as to nysclfrcqulrcs that
| should address Il word TO you IN v!ndlcatlon
of the position which | have assumed in this
canvass.
haze been L supporter Of Douglas and
johnson. | sustained their nomination to pre-
serrc the integrity Of tie National Democrat.
ic party. supported them as the nominees OF
the Democratic party upon the past platform
of principles Of that party, and nominated in
accordance with the usagcs Of that party.
Nv position at that time is fully set forth in
4 resolution which | had the honor OF submit
ting TO and which was adopted at Il Douglas
meeting held ut our Court House at august
Court,
"Re.olyed, Tia, We regard The preservation ofthe Uuion
under the Constitution rs the paramount Issue In this can
VAS, and repuhiarins all parties which appeal 10 the pas
sions and p~rejudices Of one section Of our country against
,hr peonle, the rights and Institutions OF other sections Of
our country against the peace and harmony OF The whole
country, and platforms cnncrrihDe doIlesllc slavery which
demand the Intervention Of the Legislative branch Of our
Federal Government TO protect or Impair the rights of pro-
perty In the territories, aud recognizing and adopting the
principles contained In The organic laws establishing the
Territories Of Kansas and Nebraska as e%inb0dylng the only
sGE. solution Of The slavery by
Congress with slavery In State or Territory or the District
of Cnlumbia-tLr basis OF the compromise OF 1850, sup.
ported and sust tanned by the conservative mru OF every Sec
lion, confirmed by National Conventions OF Wings and
Democrats In lsJ2 and ratified by the election OF General
Pierce reiterated in ilc Democratic convention OF lSJb,
endorsed by President buchanan in his letter accepting the
nomination for the Presidency, and re.athTmed by the pco-
pie OF the United States in his election, and recommended
and adopted by a majority nl The delegates ~ The National
Convention at Charleston; it breaks the sceptre OF Con-
yressiUnal supremacy In ;hr Territories and leaves the peo
pie thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their dnrnes.
tic Institutions In their own way subject only 10 the Cons.l.
tuition, by rcfrrflae ali questions concerning the rights OF
property in The Territories and the power Of a Terri,ori'
al Lesis! stature over the subject OF domestic relations to The
decisions Of the Courts"
Judge Douglas stood upon the platform OF
the party, without the dctting of an ii" or the
crossing of Il "i," and vas nominated is Gen.
Cass was nominated in 1913. lie was then
nominated in accordance with the usages Of tho
party and standing upon the platform Of the
party, and | gave him my cordial support.
And while many Of you, my fellow-cltizcnS,
were sustaining another nominee of the Demo,
cratic party and upon another platform, | con-
tended then. rs contend now, that there was
no issue Of ''prihcipte" between you and my
| self, and those who with me were supporting
Judge Douglas, and argue this from facts
with which you are quite us familiar as my
self.
The Alabama delegation came to the Charles.
ton Convention under instructions from their
State Convention to insist upon the adoption
Of q particular PLATFORM platform declaring
the doctrine OF Congressional intervention to
protect slavery in the Territories, and to with
draw il they failed to get it. The Cotton States
united with Alabama. in this demand and upon
it's being refused, they, with Alabama. seeded
from the Convention. The Virginia delegates
refused to seccdc-all Of them, with the cxccp'
ton Of Mr.. Fisher, OF Accolnac, from the Con
~yention and took their position upon the
Cincinnati platform unchanged, which was re-
adopted by the Convention, and proceeded to
ballot 81 times for Il President 10 be placed
upon that platform.
This conduct on the part Of the Virginia
delegates was strictly in accordance with the
known position Of II majority of the party IN
Virginia. Any democrat, who reads at all, re-
members the famous controversy between the
two wings Of tie Virginia Democracy appeT'
tanning to the doctrine of Congressional inter
vcntion to protect slavery in the Territories
All we'll remember that Wise advocated with
all his energy and intellect, and that the friends
of Hunter as steadily opposed the i'lcorpora'
ton Of this nen test into the platform OF the
party. The Richmond enquirer" WAS the
champion of intervention, aad the Richmond
"Examincr'' of the Cincinnati platform un'
changed. \. large majority Of the press in the
State, as it was trirllnphantly paradcd issue
after issue in the EXAMINER" declared against
Intervention, taking the position that the CIn'
cinnati platform should he re affirmed at
Charleston without change or modification, be-
licving us they did, and as the result has shown,
that any attempt to cngralt this new doctrine
into the platform or to give 10 Inc PLATFORM
Il construction to accommodate the views OF
one candidate or another candidate, OF one
section or another section, would DC attended
with Consequences fatal to the party.
Upon this issue thus aud distinctly made W
delegates were chosen 10 the Charleston Con
v~entiorl and two-thirdS Of them committed
against anv change OF the platform. The queS'
ton was not raised in this district and Wise
delegates were sent to the Convention.
have nothing to 10 here with what in my
opinion induces! the delegates thus shown to
abandon their position in uniting with A!laha'
ma in favor Of Intervention my purpose Is on
ly to show what that position was, and that
that position was the position Of the party.
The Virginia delegates. | contend, misrepre'
scented the declared will of Virginia when they
voted for Congressional Intervention rs 4 party
test.
They REPRESENTED Virginia when they refused
to secede npon the rejection by the Conycn-
ton Of the doctrine Of Congressional interview
ton.
They 1rD,eSen,ed Virginia wllcu they voted
81 times to place Mr.. Hunter upon the Cincin,
natl platform.
They misrcprcscntcd Virginia when they
Withdrew from the Convention upon the lTOs'
vcct of the nomination Of Mr.. Douglas.
I have asserted and have been cndcarorirg
to show that there was no issue OF principle
between the supporters of Mr.. Douglas in Vir'
ginia and the friends Of Mr.. Brcckir:idge in
this State.
Virginia, in the Charleston Convention, had
taken her position upon the Cincinnati plat.
form, the same position which she held before
the Convention assembled, and had vntcl 81
times 10 place Mr.. Hunter upon that platform.
After Il session Of 10 days the Convention
was unable to make 4 nomination, and upon
the motion of Mr.. Russell Vi Virginia, adjourn
ed over to Baltimore. Here is the resolution
"Resolved, That when this Convention ad.
journs to-day it adjourn to re assembled Galti'
mere, Nd, on Monday, the 18th Of June, and
that it be respectfully recommended TO the
! Democratic party Of the several States to make
provision for supplying all vacancies in their
respective delegations TO this Convention when
it shall rc-asScmble."
When the seeding delegates Withdrew from
the regular Convention at Charleston, they as
sembled in Convention of their own at st. An
drew's Hall, on the 30th Of April, elected per.
manent officers, adopted rules and appointed
committees on organization and resolutions.
| have nothing to do with the temper Of this
Convention, or what disposition its ruling spir,
its showed towards the regular Convention, OF
.l.t -, .,. -. ,,.,l., IT.. ...
ders remained in Convention scvrra! days, and
upon the adjournment Of the regular Conven'
ton to Baltimore, they adiournerl to Richmond,
as is indicated by the following resoleton,
which was offered by Mr.. jackson, Of Georgia,
and unanimously adopted by their Convention
"Rcsolvel, That the Democratic party of,he Limited States
who are opposed to the doctrine Of Squa:ter Sovereignty,
md In favor Of the platform Of principles recommended by
q minority nj the States In the Charleston Eonrrn,ion, and
unanimously adopted ny the drIrgstes Of In. eight with
drawing States, he Invited 10 send delegates 10 \ Conven.
ton to be held in Richmond, Va, on the Ind Mondny OF