, 1860-08-02
THE DOUGLAS SLAVE CODE PLAT

THE DOUGLAS Hn4X s1axE CODE PLAT
In recent article We stated that the io!tow'
ipr resolution was the first plank in the Doug
las platform, adopted at Charleston. and pro-
cecdcd to comment On it ut nome length:
"That iuasmuch - differences Of opinion ex..
ist ia the Democratic party q to The nature and
extent Of the powers Of Territorial legisla-
turc, and rs TO tue powers aud duties Of Con.
gress under the Constitution of the United
States over the institution Of Slavery within the
Territories:
"R&sole<d, That the Democratic party will
abide BY thu decision Of the Supreme court oi
the United States on questions Of Constitutional
law"
Tho late Chicago Times denied that The
Squattcr platform contained such plank.
We contented ourself with replying that the
Wickliae plank inserted at Baltimore covered
substantia:ly-tho samc ground, worded in
more strong and comprehensive Language.
Neither the Times nor the Herald objected to
our statement. We may here remark, that
we clipped the above resolution from lhe N. Y.
Herald and saw it in many Of our Eastern
e1chapgea
We wero confident TINT such plank had
been offered and acted upon at Charleston;
aud to satisfy our curiosity, we took tho
trouble to look over the record Of both the
Charleston aud Baltimore Conventions, and
hera ia the result Of the investigation:
On april 9th, being the ti[th day Of the
Charleston Convention, tie Committee Of
thirty.thrce-onc from each S:ste, made their
first Majority and Minority report. Tho Ma
jority Report was signed by the fifteen South
crn States and California and egou-making
seventeen States. Tho Minority Report re-
ceived the signatures Of the members Of the
Committee from fifteen Northern States, and
was presented to the Convention by Edwin
Croswell Of New York. Among the names
attached to it are O. 3. Ficklin Of Illinois, IL
B. Payne Of Ohio, 4. S. Palmer Of Wisconsin,
Ben. II. Samuels Of Iova, and T. C. Dunning
Of Ind!a1a~-all Douglasites.
The SECOND plank in the minority (Douglas)
platform reads as follows:
R<soIced, That all questions in regard to the
rights Of property (slaves) in States Or Terrific
ri.s, arising under The Constitution Of the Uni.
ted States, are judicial in their character, and
the Democratic party Is pledged to ae'ne oy ana
faithfully carry out such deter oi IL enfbe ,
supreme Court Of the United States.
This resolution contains a pledge to pass 4
slave code, in the expression "the Democratic
"party is pledged to carry out the determine
"tion made or to be made by tho Supreme
"Cou1t, in regard to tho rights Of property in
4the Territories" and it is clear and un-
qualified surrender Of the doctrine OF "un-
friendly legislation or the "1ight Of the peo-
pie Of o Territory to govern themselves.
This resolution received the signatures Of all
the Douglas members Of the Committee.
L long debate followed the report Of the
two platforms, Payne Of Ohio, was put for
ward By tie Douglas members Of the Convsn-
ton to advocate the adoption Of the Minority
report Among other things he said: "We
twill abide BY the decision Of the courts. The
"Drcd Scott decision having been rendered
"sinca the Cincinnati platform was adopted,
"renders this proper. Wo will take that de-
"cision, and abide by it. like loyal, steadfast,
"true-hearted men. Is not that enougl?'
Butler Of Massachusetts, replied to Payne.
Among other things ho said: .
"The second resolution was very dangerous.
It pledged the Democratic party To all the de-
cisions the Supreme Court might make. Was
this the doctrine old Hickory? Why it would
be enough to make the bo nes of Gen. Jackson
rattle in his coffin to hare such q resolution as
that entertained by Democratic Convention
Finally, after q long debate, on motion Of
Bigler Of Pennsylvania, both the majority and
minority platforms were recommlttcd by the
close vote Of yeas l52, nays l5l-the Douglas
members all voting against recommitmcnt.
On the afternoon Of the 18th Of April the
Committee reported back two platforms.
Samuels Of Iowa, On behalf Of the Minority,
(Douglasitcs,) reported q platform which he
presented yesterday by the Minority Com
mittee, except the second resolution which.
had been stricken out, and substituted by tue
following:
That iunsmuch az differences Of opinion exist
in the Democratic pa1ty as to the nature and
extent Of the powers OF Territorial LcgisIa-
ture, and as to. the powers and duties Of Con:
greas, under the Constitution Of tue United
States, over the institution Of Slavery within
| the Territories.
Resolred, That the Democratic party Will
abide By the decision Of tue Supreme Court Of
hftt1FR nj 6
| tional Law.
Ben. samuele, Of Iowa, consumed an hour
! with a pompous speech advocating the above
plank. Others spoke pro and con. On the
following Monday . vote was reached on
the motion TO adopt the Minority (Douglas)
resolutions, in Lieu Of the Majority report
This was the decisive rote, and the ono
that led to the split in The Convention.
The vote was taken by States, and the Minor
ity platform was adopted by yeas 166. nays
138. Tue main plack in it is the one lven
above.
The Minority report having been thus eut-
stituted for the Minority, it was moved to
adopt each plank sepaEat ,ly. The Southern
| members objected to the second resolution as
not being explicit enough. Amidst babel q
noise and confusion the vote was taken upo1
it The Douglasiles first voted affirmative
ly upon it, but finding the South REUSED Il
vote, changed their own votes TO the mega
tire, amidst cries Of "What's tho dodge
now7 That's back DOWN. and the like
Stuart Of Michigan said, "1f the gentleme,
from the South did not want that plank, the,
Of the North did not" The disruption Of th'
Convention shortly afterwards took place
Such, in-brieI is the history Of this Suprem
Coutt Slave Code plank. The Douglasites,
will be seen, deliberately adopted it, thcreb,,
bow.sHipging their bantling, squatter sove
reignty. That they afterwards threw it out il
huff, takes away none Of their guilt Whe;
they again assembled at Baltimore, Wicklift
Of Louisiana, presented tt 0 same Slave Cod
doctrine in stronger and palmer Terms; an
on motion OF Payne, Of Ohio, Douglas chit
spokesman, it was adopted unanimously. 1
his letter Of acceptance Douglas makes specia
mention Of tho Wickllfte auti.squatter planl
. and gives It his unqualified endorsement an
appreciation
In order to prescott this matter in clea
light We place side by side the Char!esto
plank that was supported By every DougE'
delegate in the Convention on the test vots
aud the WickLffe resolution, adopted unau