The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-06-01
CAN A UNION BE ErFfcTED AT BA1T1-
MnRRf< n

a HlooIeu question: aG preScnt, ana SoDe OF
absorbing interest to- Defnooratic politicians
relates to the practicabity and policy Of effect.
sing union Of the party at Balsisiore., -.
First: Is the union prncticaSie: aud, iif SO,
upon what basisi Itlis not. to bea supposed
for amomept that. tho Baltimore CeGvention
as an inducemeht to bring back The Charleston
seceders would adopt the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
aud the .latterscannot- with fiafy. cohsfstency
come;in on. the platform already adopted
BUTT been urged in certain quarters. that
. fair compromise might be effected by the
adoption of the Tennessee resolution, 'introdns
ced,into the Charleston Convent;onlsby Mrs
'HowARD. But moinents 3consideratiop,, we,
think would. satisfy ysany one that the South
:sould neither honorably or consistently accept
'it as q platform. -,
Indeed we cannot conceive how the Balti-
more Convention could adopt this or any other
resolution as a substitute for the platform Of
the Charleston Convention, when it hos already
entertained motion to reconsider, which mo
ton was laid on the table. And Old this ground
the presiding officer ruledathe introduction OF
the resolution, not to be in order But suppo-t
sing that this formal objection to the adoption
Of the resolution were removed, there is that
in its terms and effect which would render it
anything else than acceptable to the South
The resolution.is as follows:
,. ,Rcsozred, That all citizens of the United
States have an equal right to settle with their
property IN the Territ ories. and that under the
decisions. of the Supreme Court which we
neither their rights of person nor 9f property
can be destroyed or impaired by Congressional
or Territorial Legislation.
The objection to this resolution is the same
which applies to the Cincinnati platform, that
it admits of double construction, aud that it
may consistently be endorsed by the strongest
squatter sovereignty advocate. The resolution
ind. ed denies to Congress or the Territorial
Legislature, the right to impair or destroy the
privileges of person orproperty. but according
to Judge DOUGLAS property in slaves Il except
in the case of fngitives, does not exisF: beyond
the limits Of the State whose laws recognise
establish ndprotect the institution. Congress
or the Territorial Legislature may thus destroy
the relation between master and slave in the
Territory without violating the terms of this
resolution. : With such construction it would
equally justify Congressional or Territorial in :
reference, and thus affords a platform upon
which q Bhck;Rerublican or Squatter sover-
eigutysnian could equally stand. But even
though the resolution he construed to mega.
tion such interference, it would still fall far
short of the majority platform, which dist tincts
lyjafirms the duty. of Congress to afford protec-
tior' to slave property in the Territories. This
duty is fully recognised in Senator DAVIS res
olutions which hayesjust passed the Senate /;
and with less than this the South will scarcely
be content Butthat this concession will be
made.is not ataalli probable, and thus the sole
basis Of reunion will fail SAT all events It
isscertain from recent indications, that the
'adherents of DOUGLAS will oppose the return OF
the seceders, and reject all offers at tcompro-
mise. The result will be a separate nomina-
tion at Richmond, and this leads us to consider
the policy of such a step. ~
Separate nominations ut Richmond and Bal
timore could not enure to the success of the
Black Republican party, as they must in any
event get a majority of the whole eleStoral
vote. Indeed two Democratic candidate.
would be more likely than one TO- diminish
their chances Of success y A : single candidate
would not be alike acceptable 10 the Nortt
| and the South. whilst the nominati on Gbg sepa.
rate Conventions would bring out theslstfengtt
Of the party and thus carry the doubtful
States. The failure of the Black Republican
IN the ELECTORAL College would ,thus throw th'
election into the Housasof Representative
whereSthe South would have every prospect o
success, In pursuing this policy she woul,
only be carrying out Constitutional 'provi
sion, which was designed to give due promi
nence to the States Rights element in tn
Presidential election bH Congress. Each Stat
casts assipglel vote anda ahus tile smaller State
WELD power equal to !.hss larger IN ever:
point of view issesms that the saenihation q
separate candidates upon distinct issues. .eoui
ontysweaken the,seapse of Rspublicanism, an
might enure largely to. our benefit It wi
thus appearthot every considera tion OF dut
and self interest should urge tbs South t
manly ndindepsndeus action. This is the trn
conservative policy.