The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-10-04
Who have Changeds

bury--now the locofoco candidate for
Representative in Congress from this
District, and who is perambulating the
District, making speeches in favor OF
f"My great principle, was a mem
Der of the St. Joseph County Wing
Convention, candidate for representa-
tive in the Legislature, and chairman
of Committee on Resolutions. As such
chairman, he reported the following,
the original copy of which in Mr.. COT.
finbury's own handwriting, Hon. Chas.
Epson Of Branch county now has.
These are the resolutions:
Resolved, That we regard the extern
ton ofslavery over theTerritories of the
United States as incompatible with the
true interests and happiness of the peo-
pie, and inconsistent with the spirit of
our free institutions.
Resolued, That we are in favor of the
fundamental principles of the Ordinance
Of 1881.
Resolved, That our candidates for
State Legislature be instructed in case
of their election, to exert their influence
as members of that body, to pass res
olution iustructing our Senators and
requesting our Representatives in Con-
gress to use all honorable means to
procure the prohibition by Legislative
enactment of the introduction or exis-
tence of slavery in any of the Terrific
ries of the United States, now or here
after to be acquired.
RESOLVED, That we believe Congress
has the power, and should exercise it,
to abolish slavery in the District of
Columbia.
Now mark the contrast. On the
2sth of August, 1860, Mr.. Cofinbury
was nominated by democratic" Con-
vention as candidate for Representa-
tive, and in accepting the nomination,
he made use of the following language ::
"He pledged himself to open rebel
lion against the Federal Government
the day Congress should legislate on
the question of Slavery, either to pro-
hibit or establish slavery in the Terri
tories. 1t had no right to do it and he
should resist. The constitution dis
tinctly recognizes the right of property
in slaves just as much as it did that of
any other property. He believed that
right should be fully protected as much
as any other right"
Now we ask every democrat to con-
trast the position of Mr. Coffinbury at
this time, with that of the same gen
tleman in 1S49. Were he to have ut
tered such doctrines then no party
would have claimed him. And yet he
has the hardihood to stand forth and
ask the support of Henry Clay Wings,
and says che occupies the same ground
now as the Wing party did then.'.'
And he tells you that he supports Doug
las "because Douglas occupies the same
ground" Well, perhaps they do, but
we confess they have a queer way of
showing it, either he must have been
deceiving the people of ST. Joseph Co.
then, or he is attempting to deceive the
people of this District now. This we
leave for the National Democrat to de-
termine.
But this is not all. There has been
as great change either in the Demo-
cratic party, or in the mind of politi-
cal aspirant in this County, to which
we wish to refer our democratic read
ers.
In 1s49, Geo. B. Turner, then dem
ocratic Representative in the State
from this county voted for
the following resolution
Resolved, That we are in favor of
the fundamental principles Of the ordi-
nance of 1887; and although we re-
spect the opinions of many eminent
statesmen and jurists, that slavery is a
mere local institution, which cannot ex-
list without positive laws authorizing its
existence, yet we believe Congress has
the poacer, and it is their duty, to PRO
HIBIT BY LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENT
the introduction or existence of slavery
within any of the Territories of the
United States, now or hereafter to be
acquired.
No one will say that the above was
not considered good Democratic doc
trine at that time-so good in fact, that
Gov. Barry was carried triumphantly
into power upon a platform of which
the above was one of the planks.
Is it the doctrine of the (so-called)
Democratic party now, and is Geo. B.
Turner still found battling forit Not
at all. A "change has been going on
in the public mind" and we now find
him repudiating these time-honored
principles. Let us see if this be SO.
The Convention that nominated Mr..
Douglas unanimously adopted the fol-
lowing resolution:
& Resozued, That it is in accordance
with the Cincinnati Platform, that dur
N ~ tbo ov;ctonea Of Torr;t ar; ol Covoru