The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1860-06-14

.lsave tte Convention: 1t was adopted on,y
;aa eSpressive of the view 1, aud soS,inioos az
theys Celnnlbias Convention, Nothiox was
SAID about leaving or withdrawing, FROM the
Charleston Convention on any con ntingeney
whatevsr. Nor do I'tlink any one, nc TINT
time, Thought Of such d colirse for theSo,th
larolins delegatess It. WAS Emo W sthat,Al-
abamn had instructed her delegates toiease
The Charleston Conv ention, unless the inter.
yentlon OF Congress to protect slavery in
the ferritories was distinctly admitted aifd
acknowledged by the N National Demooiatic
l-Sopyention. IF the. Columbia Convention
ing or purpose, surely they ought 70 have
expressed It. as Alabama ditf Btit' so Sfir
IRON, doing this, the Alabatba Resolutions
1ahered Il, substance hy Mr.. Powell were
votl1> down by the Columbus Cony eptiohl
A resoi,. ION proposing TO endorse the ac-
ton of -Alas'an'a and stand by that State,
offered by Mr.. O,Conh or and eloauently ad.
voeated, was'iikewise ignored 6y he Con.
ventionf iWhat,rigIit had I then tosu?pose
that 1t was expected Of nle,ito, withdraw
frSmit Charleston Convention. unless, the
Alabpma or similar resolutions were adopt.
ed by the Conventionf 'N
= Under these circumstances T receivedsniy
appointfRent as q delegate'to,fh fhs Charleston
" act I'm concnrt with the great1D Democrntic
party of the United States, and Abide their
1tction:o The ideG Of separating from them.
breaking up the party and 7sectionalizinS
tbe'two wings gf in, because tie Nor, hef,n
Democrats would not endorse nudsnbscribe
10 the Southern construction Of the Cincin.
nal Platform, never entered my mind I
kncws this Nwns' nhost ardentIy desired t5y
those IN South Carolina vito refused toceo
into the Charlestonr Convention. Having
belonged to the National Democracy all nv
life, and having always acted with, them, /
had .confdenee in their virtue, patriotism
aud honor. / went TO CbarIesten to bar.
fnoiIi&e with them in a proper coen1seE as I'd
the ensuingI'residentia election. No indi.
gidunl, no section, eaa, expect 10 have eve.
rytinng its own way, without regard tn the
wishes and feelings of others. When differ.
ntyiews are entertained, snne must Weld
forthe sake Of harmony and the success of
theparty. unless a vital, principle is mt stake
which requires the severaDce. of. the party.
Was this the case in the Charleston Conyen,
nont Let us consider it.
1t wns wei known before the National
Democratic Convention met i'm Charleston.
TINT there was difference Of opinion be
tween the Northern and Southern ,Democra.
ey in.reference to the slavery question in
the.terriiories. There was q difference Of
opinion between the Southern Democracy
on the same subject. The North.
ern Democrats, genernlly, held that Con.
gress had no powerto exclude slpvery from
tho Ierritories, nor any power to legislate
INTO them; but that the whole question
oil slavery or no slavery belonged to the
people OF The Territories to decide fof them
selves under tile Federal Constitution:-
some of them believed that the Territorial
legislatures conld exclude slavery, and 9th
ers believed that they could not, under the
Constitution. All, however, admitted that
this was Judicial question for The Supreme
Court of the United States 30 decide and
when decided, 'was final add conclusive, of
the question. and such decisionr rnust he
obeyed, This, Was the Northern creed, well
known before we went into the Convention
with them. The Southern Democracy con
tended shat neither Congress nor The Terri.
torial Legislatures eould aexcludei slavery
irom. the. Ierritori.s, or hy unfriendly legis;
latlon impair or destroy IL when there, un-
der the Federal Constitution. There were
other Southern Democrats who insisted that
II was tho duty Of Congress to Intervene
and project slavery in the Territories by
thepassage of q slave code. These were the
differences of opinior and views between
the North and South, and between Demo.
Gratis in the same sections They were not
regarcs oissteh,yital imptr apce, ,as to pre-.
vent the whole National Democracy meet
ing and agreeing on some common plat FORM
In the Charleston Convention. tile North.
ern Democrats were for re-affjrniing the
Cincinnati Platform, which had been adopt
ed four years ago by the National Democ.
facy, and expressinga willingnesst to abide
blythe construction or decisicn Of the Su.
preme Court as TO the rights of the people
Of Terri orys TO, sexclude, slavery. through
their Lcgislatures.. The. Southern Demo
crats wished the acknowledgement Of the
right of Congress TO intervene for the pro.
lection OF slavery In the Territories, aud a
derial Of the right of The Territorial Leeis.
latures To exclude or impair slavery in the
Territories Here the- two wings Of the lie.
mocracy split andatools issue with each
other.
The Northern DEMOCRATS inslsi cd that the
South ought TO be satisfied 10 stand fwl,erc
tiiey did four years ago on the Cincinnati
Platform, which declares that the subject OF
.slasery shall be, Ia akeua from, ,Cenerssssn nd
jeff to The people of the Territories % regu-
'lates ia-thsir own way under the, sEede raj
Constitution They sold us they were fight.
ling the battles of tue South inf the North
ern States, and must have some ground TO
.staId op and maintain themselves aaiinst
the Black Republicans 1t would be, IN
their opinion, as dangerous now, on the eve
rof the Presidential election, to ehan9 9ss cir
platform. .as il would be foe a GeneTdll 20,
!ag. into battle, to change the fiank ,of his
armyi Defeat world inevitably fellow.
They were perfsotly willing thai we Of Tie
South should adhere TO onr own construc.
ton Of the Cineippati Platform, and leave
them The liberty of doing the same. z We
|rwere not asked to abandon any political
principle IN 6urtld platform, but not To 10.
sert into IL what 'tbey deemed's q n ew version
Of IL s They did rot ask usSo endorse their
construction, and begged not to be forced
70 adopt .oprs. a.g9 .s4n. 81 z-S
|.,s oa the part Of the So1tlern Democrats IL
wss contepdedh that the old Cjaeipnati Plat
form denied and erepedisted sqpntter. Sow
sreigny that they had always so .constsued
"; tiet che Supreme Court Of the United
States bad decided the qoestion ip favor Of
the South; but still, as. the Nostherh Demo
eFrsa being hard pressed by the Black Re,
spublIssas. had coptended thst there Was q
sSninting at this terrible heresy, 10 the Gin
elnu0fl - Iakfnru, thau uausf naur eiya ia mr..