New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-16
YHE PROGRESS or REPJBLICASISH.
rtfte SPEECH OF
Hon. CASSIUS M. CLAY of KY.
Ssto,s tbe Young Mems Republican Union, at the
s'''i coOrer institute, New-YOrk, Feb, ID, 1861

.cuntry for your activity, and fidelity, 70 tne rcst
principes Of Repubcanism, which were vrf sslS vim
Hsa.ed in 1885, not only in this great re, bat sy the
people Of the Union.
esme up 70 this metropolis Of the Repoblc in no
Yprit Of personal elajJn. Here Is the seat Of COM
neree Hese cente all the interests Of agriculture and
uapufactures ami here is the sun Of that intellectual
keAt which, throueh the press, daily flashes over the
sentiment from the Atlantic 10 the Pacific. Allah IL
Anah to the Freedom of Speech and the Pres.
FOR more than twenty years, relying upon these
afyire agencies, Eore powerful than cannon or the
rveyd have stood by the liberties Of the people and
sAs Union of these States. Thank God have lived
~ ace the downfall Of their enemies and the triumph OF
chair friends James Buchanan was placedn power by
new confessed fraud upon the balOtbox, and by an sd-
ui.ted minority Of the popular vote. In vain did he
ssanpeunder foot the avowed popular sovereignty"
sf the Gin sinnsh Platform: the Republicans Of Kan
sac proved too powerful for Government patronage
she public purse, and the Federal sword Kansas Is
nst Slace but a Free State. The elections since
show a regular advance Of Repuohcanim IN all the
Sss.es; and the election of Republican Speaker in
Sbe popuIar branch Of the National council, procaims
the downfall Of the Slave Power--which has 50 long
Sss.ersted the name Democrats-to rise no more for
sveri
When had the honor last to address you, in 1885,
vexsured TO cav that as our party had not been ad
vsxe,d by success 90 il would not be set back by de-
fat" What was speculation in 1856 is history in
1860. Many supposed that the President, from his
an.ecedents and advancing age, would break away
from the trannes Of party and be just and conserva-
tive was not one of them. remembered the Os-
>Aud Manifesto the pledges which he made 10 Senator
Brown Of Mississippi and others and knew well that
NE Cincinnati Platform Of Donnterference with Slave
yarr konfb Qr1l
pressure. The Slave Oligarchy began by asking neu
syahty in the national Constitution and Government
then equality with Freedom, and at last supremacy.
take up the review where LEFT of in 1885,
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM OF 1852.
THAT Congress under the Constitution to inter
Win shs dO@s'iS institution. Of the several
,Rpe. ain, to ss S1 s sa not @ BY
sSe 70 induce Congress, 70 with Questions Of slavery
take nsgsI sH' IL s1 s.s sd to
What say you TO that, Democrats Although you
declared IN Black and white that IL was dangerous 10
iptsrfers with the subject Of Slavery, what have you
done Did YOU not say was dangerous TO interfere
Answer me that, and let me go on You are silent.
You are condemned out Of your own mouths. ipro-
ceed:
And that all sueh efforts have inevitable tendency to
ish .he happiness Of the people and endsnger the stability
You condemn yourselves again:
ought not to be by any friend Of poll
1 the % Of the g5S1 @
G execution q the acts as the ComprOne Measures
.ts b u. last act for Retaining Of asvs:
carry the express provion Of the Constitution cannot be
Rs:Oissa That the DeHocrsic patty resist attempts
IN CHnsIss or cat Of IT, the ssssio1 Of the sSyes
sssSsS " ""e'' "N'''e' '"'f' VI ''''' '-S -''p'
These were the declarations and avowaIs of the
Democratic party in 1852. Now, what do they do in
1854 Why they 90 under the leadership of Stephen
A. Douglas, when he had made report, saying that
she law Of 1870 was saeredly conserved in the com
promise of 1850, and repeal the Missouri Compromise
Now, believe, they stand condemned by their own
ng1ase and By their own aets aud have here ac-
THE DEMOCRACY SELF-CONDEMNED.
What was the result of all his The result was
that In obedience the declaration that the people
tween Liberty and Slavery, they adopted another
platform. Let me come TO that. will tell you what
they did in lS56-in that year the Cincinnati Platform
was adopted.
In consequence Of the repeal of the Missouri Com
premise, the Northern people interviewed to get their
own Territory, upon the avowal made in the Kansas
forn and regulate their domestic institutions in their
own way subject only to the Constitution of the
{" United States But notwithstanding that syowal
}. made they Immediately as the report of the United
States Congress showed you before a single Fee
Ecer Republican had set mis- foot iAo the new Ter
ritory, commenced on the border OF Missouri the
gsI5EStion Of the " Blue Lodges TO invade snsas,
with the svOwed desgD-peaceaby If they could, and
SorCibly if they mHst-to have that land Tor Slave
Sta.e and damn the Abolitioniss, they would shoot
them down squirrels" as heard leading Demo
going They passed these resolutions in 1856,
and want you 70 pay strict attention TO these, in
comparison with the oher ayowals:
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM OF 1856.
Relssd That rei,erste with neEed energy ofPuPose
A well considered declarations Of former Conventions upon this
sectional sspe Of Domestic Slavery and concerning the re-
served rights Of the States"
That alludes to the former Democratic Platform Of
1850, four years before. II goes on:
%" That Congress has power under the Cons.nton TO In
is.rs With Or centred the domestic institutions Of the
.yey thing sPPesning 20 ber owp shsIs not pIoted oy
~ - nsusS S1 ~ To- ne h 1eons Of svsTy
stale septsD steps In relation theTetothe ye'y thine they
s.usess every nan bat de- not come up their standard ana
ssDs that stands on the squatteT Sove,egty
alarming and dangerous consequences aud that Gil
see efforts been al inevitable tendency 70 d5h the
Happiness Of the people and endsnger the stability and pe1s
en Of the Unor and ought to be BY any
Thai the Orssn proposition and intended to
abss The whole subject Slavery agitation Congress ami
thersfe the Democratic party o. toe Union stsnans On @
t0n efke Compromise measures settled by
The CoDess Of 1880 the for ecniDg fugyes hom ser
viss kbor adod which act being designed carry
sxpses provision Of the Constitution cannot with fidelity
tsseto repealed 10 ehSnsed a. to destroy OF inPs ats
I" Tia the Democratic party viii resist all attempts a.
sewing, so Congress out Of H. the agitation o. the Slavery
sseon asr whatever shape or color the ttemPt may be
Oh yes VIII resist That il the Democrat; doc
EiDe M IS6 in Cincinnati. Die you allude 70 II In
your late kentucky Convention! Yes, you voted
eown that the Democratic party will resist all a.
seMe a. renewing in Congress or out OF Il, the ag'
sauCa o. the Slavery question under whatever shape
ar color me attempt may be made" What DO you say
10 mat There + the Cincinnati platform winch you
eecneW To-Day. You denounced as reasonable any At
eemps 70 renew hat agitation under any shape what
IT, - ne, however, turn 10 another clause;
epls e. ;hs oIESAss q Territories admission Of
new eIstt wtn OF without Slavery they may elect
The eqrs nights Of al the States nt he Orig