The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-05-25

that the Senator from Mississippi
had given in his adhesion to this doctrine of
non.intervention. I had supposed that he
looked with pleasure upon the passage of
the Kaskas-N ebraska act. had supposed
that he considered that as great measure
of relief to the southern States of this Union,
and that he would have been the first to de.
fend 1t, as in duty bound, having held the
Office under the Administration that glories
in the passage of the act. Now we find he
takes pleasure in citing those very abuses in
justification of his course when he fought
the principle, and as veri6cation of what
be told us before the southern States agreed
to acquiesce in the principle. 1 was not
prepared to hear this from the gentleman Of
Mississippi.
MIR. Davis: You do not pretend to quote
it?
Mr.. Douglas: l do not pretend to quote
the language. l pretend only to say that,
in substance, he did declare that this princi-
pie had its first trial on the plains of Kan
sas, and bore its first fruits Upon the plains
of Kansas; that it was accompanied with
unmitigated and untold evils, and produced
all sorts of mischief; and the inference was
that these results justified him in his original
opposition to the principle.
l now pass to the next chapter in the his.
tory of this principle of nonintervention,
which you will find in the proceedings of the
national convention, held at Cincinnati, in
1856. You all remember that Alabama
sent her delegates to Cincinnati, demanding
that the usages of the party should be re-
versed, and that platform should be first
made, and then furnishing the ultimatum
which, if not exceeded to, must be the cause
for an instant withdrawal of the Alabama
delegates from that convention. The ulti-
matum was that the convention, in its plat
form, should recognize the principle OF non
Intervention by Congress with slavery in
the Territories. The convention yielded to
the Alabama ultimatum. The convention
incorporated that principle into the platform
in language so explicit that no one can mis-.
understand it. ask to have 80 much OF
the Cincinnati platform read as announced
this doctrine of non.intervention.
Mr.. Pugh read, as follows:
The American Democracy recognise and
adopt the principles contained in the organic
laws establishing the Territories of Kansas and
Nebraska, as embOdying the only sound and
safe solution of the ''slavery question:" upon
which the great national idea Of the people Of
this whole country can repose in its determined
conservatism of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
BY CONGRESS WITH SLAVERY IN THE STATE AMI
TERRITORY, OR IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
That this was the basis of the compromise Of
1850, confirmed by both the Democratic and
n rfio in cd ~
the people in the election of 1852, and rightly
1854. " ~
That by the uniform application of this Dem
ocratic principle to the organization OF Terri
tories, and to the admission of new States
with or without domestic slavery, as they may
elect-the equal rights of all the States will be
preserved intact--the original compacts of the
Constitution maintained inviolate--and the per
petuity and expansion of this Union insured ia
its utmost capacity of embracing, in peace and
harmony, every future State that may be con
stituted or annexed, with a republican form oil
government.
Mr.. Douglas. There it will be found that
the Democratic party affirmed, at Cincinnati
in language too explicit to admit of any
possible misconstruction, the doctrine of non
intervention by Congress with slavery in
the States or Territories, and in the Dis.
trict of Columbia. only call attention to
it now so far as relates to non>intervention
in the Territories. The platform also de-
clared that the same principle of non>inter>
vention was affirmed by both parties at Bal.
timore, in 1852; showing that the Demo.
cratic party understood in 1856 that the
convention which nominated General Pierce
upon which nomination General Pierce
was elected President-did affirm this doc
trine of non-intervention. 1t declared, that
both parties (Whig and Democratic) had
affirmed the doctrine. 1t declared, also
that this principle was correctly applied in
the Kansas N ebraska bill; and that it was
the great conservative principle upon which
alone the peace and perpetuity of this Union
could be sustained.
l wish it also to be borne in mind that
the platform of principles was declared at
Cincinnati unanimously, the vote being ia.
ken by States, and every delegation, from
every State in the Union, was unanimous in
its vote in favor of the principle. There
was no one man in Mississippi then protest.
ing against it; no one man in Alabama
protesting against it; no one man in South
Carolina protesting against it; none in
Georgia !; none in any southern State of this
Union. Are we now to be told that a
platform adopted by the unanimous vote Of
every delegation, from every State in the
Union, in 1856, is so unsound and so rotten
four years after, as to justify the very States
who dictated it then in breaking up the
party, because we insist upon adhering to it
now?
But, sir, not only did the party unani-
mOusly affirm this doctrine in 1856, but
your candidates nominated at that time ac-
cepted the nomination on that platform,
with construction which they then put up.
on it for themselves. will now show you
that they then put upon that platform the
Identical construction which | have ever
placed upon it. ask to have read an ex~
tract from the letter of acceptance of Mr..
Buchanan on the 10th, of June, 1856.
Mr.. Pugh read as follows:
6 THE agitation on the question of domestic
slavery has too long distracted and divided the
people of this Union, and alienated their affec.
tons from each other. This agitation has as
sumed many forms since its commencement,
but it now seems to be directed chiefly to the
Territories; and judging from its present cha
racter. think that we may safely anticipate
that it is rapidly approaching dnality.' The
recent legislation of Congress respecting do.
nestle slavery, derived, as it has been, from
the original and pure fountain of legitimate po
litical power, the will of the majority, prom
ises ere long to alay the dangerous excitement
This legislation is founded upon principles as
ancient as free government itself; and in &C.