East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-05-17
From tho Detroit Free Pres
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

point that was rendered unlntelllgible by
the Geographic report, relative to the ex-
act nature of the resolutions finally
adopted. 1t was known that the minor
ity report, pledging the party to abide by
the decisions of the Supreme Court of
the United States on the question of
slavery in the Territories, was substituted
for that Of the majority, which declared
it to be the duty of the Federal Govern
ment to protect, when necessary, the
rights of all property holders in the Ter
ritories, including shareholders. When
the resolutions in the minority report
came to be acted upon separately, how
ever, the telegraphc despatch left the
matter in doubt whether the second res
olution with its preamble, plcdging the
party to the decisions of the Supreme
Court, was adopted or rejected. The in
ference was that it was rejected, and such
proves to have been tho fact So that
now the democratic platform, so far as
the question of slavery is concerned, is
nothing but simple re affirmation of the
4 Cincinnati platform, nothing more and
nothing less. Upon this platform there
is no controversy. Dcmocrats every
where profess 90 stand upon it, those of
the South az we'll as those Of the North.
Here are the resolutions as they were
| finally adopted ] a.ea.S s. ~ r5ool'
1. ResOlred, That we, the democracy Of
the Union in Charleston assembled, here
by declare Our afirmance Of the resolu-
tons unanimously adopted and declared
as platform of principles by the demo-
cratic convention at Cincinnati, in the
year 1856, believing that democratic
principles are unchanged in their nature,
when applied to the same subject matter;
and we recommend as the only further
resolutions the foH6wing:" .7sjs'S.'oo o
I .. Resolrea, That it Is the duty Of the
United States to afford ample and com
plete protection to all its citizens, whether
at home or abroad, and whether native or
foreign.
3. ReSolcea, That one Of the necessities
of the age, in military, commercial and
postal point of view is speedy commune
cation between the Atlantic and Pacific
States; and the democratic party pledge
such constitutional government aid as
will ensure the construction of railroad
to the Pacific coast at the earliest prac-
ticable period.
A. Resolred, That the democratic party
are in favor of the acquisition of the is
land of Cuba, on such terms as shall be
honorable to ourselves and just to Spain.
5. ReSoleed, That the enactments of
: State Legislatures to defeat the faithful
: execution of the fugitive slave law are
, hostile in character, subversiyc of the con-
stitution, and revolutionary in character.
The doctrines of this platform will
meet with no objection from democrats
in any quarter. The Cincinnati resolu-
tons were good in 1856 and they are
| good now. With them the democratic
party went before the nation and achieved
a splendid victory and we believe it can
be done again. There is no democrat in
the country who insists that what was
: sound then is unsound now. There was
no pretence of this kind even among those
who seeded from the convention. -
What they wanted was, not the over
throw of the Cincinnati platform, but an
addition thereto, or, as they termed it,
? an explanatory clause, asserting the duty
/ OF the Federal government to protect
q slavery in the Territories This the
convention refused to allow, owing to the
i doubt among many Of the soundness OF
the doctrine, or from conviction Of the
inexpedienoy fsuch declaration. The
n majority did not deem it necessary to an.
nounce those doctrines as essential prin-
= ciples which are neither legislative, but
I wholly judicial in their character, and
n which are to be interpi eted neither by
the President nor by Congress, but by
the Supreme Court Either AFFIRMING
or denying the power of Congress to
legislate upon the subject of slavery in
y the Territories by political convention,
:, is matter of no practical Importance
: 1t is question for the courts, and to
: them it should be left, and when the
: highest tribunal in the land decides the
: point, then the democratic party stand
. ready and willing to abide by and sup.
= port the decision whatever it may be.
|. A portion of the delegates, because
y this point was not conceded, chose ia
|, secede, and secede they did. Fifty-one
: Of them went out, and thus severed d,
J toto their connection with the convention
: Their constituents will see to it that their
. places are filled when the convention as.
!, sembled again, and with men of differ
: ent stamp, too. Their action was con.
demned by a majority Of the delegates
from the southern States themselves, who
= refused to go out with them. Sixty oil
them remained, while but fifty one went
out, and it must be conceded that this
majority was as well qualified to Judge
E Of the rights Of the South, and what was
= necessary tomaintan them, as the scceders
were.
= = The resolution which was struck out
= of the platform, pledging the democratic
= party to abide by the Supreme Court
!, was inserted to propitiate the southern
!, members, but, as they were unwilling tc
accept it, the North seconded the actor
: Of the South and struck it out as super
: erogatory. 1t is principle of the dem
= ooratic party that needs no re-affirmation
to stand by the laws and their consti
= tutional cxpounders, and just here is one
: of the great radical differences that sepa
:, rate them from the black republicans.