Gazette and sentinel., 1860-05-26
The Cause Of Secession.


following appeared among the Resolutions,
but was voted down. This was the cause OF
our delegates and those from the other States
who agreed with them, to leave, which was
very gracefully and emphatically done in a
short but decided declaration on the part OF
the Hon. A. MoUToN:
HeSOlred, That the platform adopted by the
Democratic party at Cincinnati, be affirmed
with the following explanatory resolutions
First, That the Government Of a Territory
organized by an act Of Congress, is provision.
al and temporary: and during its existence all
citizens Of the United States have an equal
right to settle with their property in the Te--
ritOry, without their rights, either of person
or property, being destroyed or impaired by
Congressional or Territorial legislation.
Second, That it is the duty of the Federal
Governments, in all its departments, to pro.
tect, when necessary, the. rights Of persons
and property in the Territories, and wherever
else its constitutional authority extends.
Third, That when the settlers in a Terrific.
ry, in pursuance Of proper legal authority,
having an adequate population, form q State
Constitution, the right of sovereignty com.
mences; and being consummated by admission
into the Union, they stand on an eaual. footing
with The people of other States, and the State
thus organized ought to be admitted into the
Federal Union, whether the Constitution pro.
hibits or recognizes the institution Of slavery.
Is there a Louisianian-any one who be-
lieves in the equality Of States, or has some
idea what pertains to the rights and oblica
tons of our Government and people-any
one who loves what is RIGHT because Of its
holy origin, and detests WRONG as the founda.
ton stone Of error, corruption and dissolution
morally, physically and politicalIy-who
can censure cur delegates for the part they
acted after the refusal of the Northern Demo
crazy to admit in the platform the above clear
and uuque,tionable bill of rights, in accor.
dance with the constitution and laws2
Remaining in the Convention after such lust
principles as contained in the above resolution
had been voted down, would look something
Like acknowledging their absurdity, or would
be yielding to the influence of weakness. or
to policy for the sake or hope of power.
Perched high above such cowardly or sci. |
fish considerations, the desire for office and
everything that follows the triumph Of crea,
party, our delegates looked but to tie question.
then and there to be ''or not to be" STAMPED
into the creed Of the Democratic partv-into
the creed Of every man who favored equal
rights and privileges among the States-and
which is plainly and decidedly embraced in
the above reso!ution-tbe question, whether
the South was TO have the same national pro.
lection OF property as the North, in all pos
sessions of Governmental domain, till they re.
celve the seal of separate or State sovereirntv
by the rules as provided in the Constitution
II carried in the affirmative, our lust RIGHTS
would have been accorded and then from
North to South, from East to West. the Ma
tonal Democracy would have stood together
upon the glorious platform of the guarantee,
Of the Constitution!
But we are panied to acknowledge that our
brethren Of the North have deem.
1t prudent, if not right, to veto so clear
and unquestionable a principle as a plank of
the platform, as j, is already shown to the
word. Having their faith and their support
upon a man whose past acts, speeches
and principles all ran counter to the r;oht Of
Southern equality in the Territories-or which
avored a course Of action termed "Souatter
sovereignty" which amounted to the same
hing, whereby Southerners were declared
rom taking their slave property into such ,
lerrtories-or partly through fear of the {
those Northern delegates thought
night influence the masses if principles as
'old and clear as those laid dow in the above /
eSo'uton were embraced in the Democratic r
(Which is most likely) knowing r
nat their Squatter Sovereign King Douglasl t
you'd not mount a platform with any su,b il
as the above resolution inserted in it e
'eemed 1t proper and advisable, rather than :
'eid or sacrifice the man, to bow to the be
ests and hopes of selishness, policy and n
Availability, throw principles ito the dogs" p
nd discard the resolution which called for /
lual rights. ;.
"nat then was the course proper for the a,
of those States to pursue which had
sisted upon the above resolution / Principle Il
Of consequences, demanded thew a,
'"''d retire. Policy might have advised a er
o. presnptory course and one less fruitful Of h,
but in the action that controlled in
was emblsnoned the soul-s,ar of poSop IN
n'cn, though it may lead over . rugged and q,
pathway, never fails to end han. "
Iy and triumpbantly. :