Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-05-18
The Platform mt Baltimore.


The Platform at Baltimore.
10 discuss either the necessity of protection
or the policy of its adoption, is now . waste
of time. Whether such necessity exists, Of
whether its adoption be = wise policy or not
are questions already determined by the South
ern States No argument, however plausible
no appeals however urgent and no considera
tons of party policy however serious, will in
duce the abandonment Of the right of protcc
ton by the Southern States. Defeat ina.
come, lisunion may follow, but sustained
by the Supreme Court in the constituIionalit!
of the doctrine Of protection, the Southern State;
are free from the moral blame that may attach
however much they may be involved in thu
consequences that may ensue. Demanding only
what the Supreme Court has awarded, and seek
ing no triumph over the North, the Southern
States would indeed bc recrraut 10 thcmsclre!
did they submit to the degrading humiliation
Of a denial of equal protection. If the proper
ty of Southcra man is less sacred than tha
of our Northern brethren, Of what use or value
has the Union become:
II, with the decision of the Supreme Court
to whom the question was referred by th(
Kansas bill, in our favor, our right Of protec
ton is denied, what guarantee have We thai
more respect would be given 10 any subse
oueut deciSiony We are told that the narty
solcnnly agreed to leave this question to tho
Supreme Court. Since that agreement was made
in 1856, that tribunal has decided the eprimciple
in our favor; and now the Southern States cal
| upon their Northern brethren 10 carry out the
agreement Of 1856; that, as the Supreme Court
has decided that the ''duty Of guarding "na
protecting Tie orNer in his riyht$," exists in
all the Territories, the National Democra-
cy, in order to quiet forever the agitation Of the
slavery question, should embody the principle oI
protection in the platform, and the party DC
united in principle as well as organization.
Wearc told that the agreement Of 1856, based
upon the Kansas bill, was to refer the question
of slavery in the Territories TO the Supreme
Court, and to abide by its decision. But
the South never expected that each and
every citizen who might own slaves in Ter
ritory, was to test his right by expensive liti
CATION in the Supreme Court but, that when
once the question was decided, the principle
or that decision was to he sustained by the
Democratic party in aN the departments o.
the Federal Government, ut Washington and
in the Territories. II was not an agreement
to eternal and everlasting litigation, that
was entered into at Cincinnati, nor was
any such thing intimatcd in all the
discussions Of the Kansas bill The righ,
of appeal on the Kansas bill was given, tc
test the question Of protection which one party
asserted and the other denied with the dis
tinct understanding that both would abide the
decision That decision has been given, tho
test of the question has been made, and the
Southern States ask the recognition Of this
test as final and its principles us the principles
of the party; but our Northern brethren re-
pudiate the obligation Of the agreement and
still deny the principle Of protection. What
faith can the South have in agreements made
in party platforms, if the Baltimore Convention
does not correct the error made at Charleston
What an insult it is to the Southern States
to tell them that this question is referred to the
Supreme Court, and yet deny the right Of pro.
lection so fully recognized by the decision oi
that Court!
If it was the agreement made at Cincinnati
to refer this question to the Supreme Court
under the Kansas bill, then we say that the
Dred Scott case has decided the question in
favor Of the Southern States, and the only
platform that can make the Democracy again a
national party is one that fully, unequivocally
and unalnbiguously recognizes the right Of pro,
lection, and the duty Of all the Departments Of
the Government to afford il. Upon suc! q
platform the party can be united and be again
triumphant; upon any other we fear defeat is
inevitable; the present division permanent and
irreconcieable.
With such consequences before us-witf the
fact that any other platform cannot and will
not be satisfactory to the Southern Statcs-we
have great hope that the Baltimore Convention
will, in spirit Of fairness and justice, give the
Southern States platform that will preserve
those States to the Democracy, and not one
that must hand them over to the Opposition.
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