Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-07-31
Judge BrInkerhOn'S Abolition
Platform I'm IS51--In what
does lt differ from the Re-
publican Platform Of 1901

In a previous article we have referred to
the men who were prominent participants in
the Free Soil State Convention of 1851, and
shown that all Of them are now active mem
bers in the Republican organization. We
to-day publish the resolution Of the Free
Soil Convention of 1851, and the resolution
Of the late Republican State Convention in
regard to the Fugitive Slave Law. We have
claimed that there is no material difference.
at least in spirit, between the resolutions
that if the first was unworthy of the support
of the conservative people of Montgomery
county, the latter is equally unworthy, that
if Mr.. BRlNEERHoFF, standing upon the plat
form he did, nine years ago, could receive hut
HiRety.tour rOtes in the whole county of Mont
gomery, we could not see unless those Who
roted against him then had changed in their
pieics and embraced Abohfonism, why he
should receive more than that number of votes
at the coming election.
BY referring TO the proceedings of the Con
v%ention of 1851, we find that a committee of
seven, consisting of RUFUs p, SPALDrNG, j.
NJ. Roof, j. A. BINGHAM, b +. HOFFMAN,, J.
G. VAUGHAN, JAcoB HEAToN and LYMAN W.
HALL (all active Republicans now was APP
pointed to draft Resolutions expressive of the
sense Of the Convention. This committee
reported, among others, the following
Resoired, That the Fugitive Slave Law,
enacted by the last Congress, is in derogation
of the genius of our free institutions, an un-
warrantablc encroachment upon the sover-
eighty of the States, a r~ioidtiOH of the prin-
cipies of natural and rerealed religion, an
assumption IF Legislative poEer not consti-
MtiondL and a mOHshoUs exhibition Of ty-
rdnny, injustice, cruelty and oppression.
WE WILL NOT REGARD 1T AS OF ANY
BINDING FORCE, OR EFFICACY WHAT
EVER, In the language of Patrick Henry
we say, IF this be treason, make the most
of it,"
The Convention adopted the report of the
Committee unanimously. 1t will thus be seen
that the members of that Convention placed
themselves in the attitude of traitors to the
Government, for, as TON CoRwIN says, 'the
law is constitutional and lit is treason TO
oppose the authority of the United States"
Mr. BRINKERHoFF by accepting the nomina-
tion, and running as the candidate, upon that
platform, is just as liable, and just as much
entitled, to Ton CoRwGS' designation of "trai-
tor" as any man in the State,
Now let us look at the resolution relative 10
the Fugitive Slave Law adopted by the late
Republican State Convention. As regards
the Introduction and passage Of the resolu-
ton, the Ashtabula Sentinel the Republican
organ Of GIDDINGs county, said, some weeks
since:
ut had been customary for the Platform to
be adopted before the nominations but as the
nomination ofJudge Brinkerhotf seemed inevi-
table, it was proposed to report the resolu-
tions after the nominations instead of before.
This course iCas opposed By Mr.. GiddiHgs as
unprecedented, lohea The old order ioas re-
stored The resolutions on being reported,
goere found only to endorse the Chicago reso-
buttons and omit oar Stdte Platform Of last
year, ghich contained a resolution denOun-
ciny the Fugitire Stare Act Those who
were willing TO obey the act and catch slaves
felt that it bore heavily upon them, and pre-
ferred to omit Then they urged that there
Ieere certain togies tcho stood shirering in tie
cold, outside all "heaithy organizdhons,"
who would glLdly come into the Republican
ranks and take office, or even condescend to
control the party if we would only be mum
on this subject, have a mum campaign, and
mum administration. This very ''glittering
generality is said to have dazzled even some
members from the Reserve, and the report
Ioas mum as 10 last years platform. Then
came the strife, Mr.. Vance Of Knox would
not be mum, aud demanded that the platform
Of 1859 be reafhrmed- In this he was sup !