The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-20
The ChariestOn Convention and II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Proceedings 4

The Charleston Convention and It's
PiAtform-Important Proceedings In
Alsb~ma.
la another page we publish from our special
correspondent report Of an important mass
meeting OF the democracy held at Montgomery,
Alabama, ratfying the resolutions of a recent
into the account of the proceedings These
resolutions were enthusiastically adopted at
the mass meeting, and contain cardinal prin-
ciples' which the delegates to Charleston from
the State of Alabama are instructed to insist
upon as indispensable in the democratic plat
form to be adopted at the National Presidential
Convention. At the State Convention the ma
joriiy of the resolutions were adopted without
q dissenting voice, and one of them, which was
particularly Objectionable to a distinguished
leader of the democratic party" was carried
by vote of AL to IL. The leader alluded to
is evidently Mr.. Douglas, whose squatter sove-
reigDty doctrine and course of action are de-
nounced throughout the whole proceedings.
Forsyth, who, in revenge for his removal from
the mission to Mexico by Mr. Buchanan, has
been backing up the Douglas schism in the
party with all the influence which his little
paper could command, has utterly failed to
effect anything for his man.
The resolutions proclaim the following prin-
ciples:-The slavery question the great issue
which absorbs all others; the unqualified right
of the people of the slaveholding States
to the protection of their property in the
Il. ~ =
in which Territorial governments are as yet
unorganized; the duty of the general govern
meDt by all proper legislation to secure an
entry into those Territories to all the citizens of
the United States, together with their property,
of every description, the same to remain pro.
tected by the United States while the Terri
tories are under its authority; the Congress
of the United States has no power to abolish
slavery in the Territories or to prohibit its in
PRODUCTION; the Territorial Legislatures, created
by the legislation of Congress, have no
power to abolish slavery or to prohibit the in
PRODUCTION of the same, or to impair by un-
friendly legislation the security and full enjoy
ment of the same within the Territories; the
principles enunciated by Chief Justice fancy,
in his opinion ON the bred Scott case, deny
to the Territorial Legislature the power to
destroy or impair, by any legislation whatever,
the right of property in slaves, and maintain it
to be the duty Of the federal government in
all of its departments to protect the rights of
the owner of such property in the Territories
Such are the principles enunciated at the
endorsed by the ratification mass meeting at
Montgomery and these are the principles of
every State in the South The squatter sove-
reignty doctrine, which gives Territorial Legis-
latures the right to prohibit slavery in the Ter
ritories is repudiated; and so opposed were the
speakers at the meeting to the champion of this
political heresy that they declared they would
prefer Seward as their candidate to Stephen A.
Douglas. It's not very clear who is the man of
their choice; for Lane, Black, Wise, Hunter and
Fitzpatrick were named as men who would sat
isfy them; but Douglas, they say, would never
answer for the South And this, no doubt, is the
expression of the general feeling at the other
side of Mason and Dixon's line; for with the
exception Of the Memphis district of Tennes-
see, Mr.. Douglas appears not to have single
delegate in the Southern States, and that dis
trict avails him nothing. South of New Jersey,
therefore, squatter sovereignty is at a dis.
count Nor is the dogma popular in the North
ern States, as is assumed by some politicians
who reckon without their host In every
Northern State in which it has been tried and
do ~ Nv bo 10, In, hor
nally failed. In Ohio, in Illinois, in Min
nesota, Iowa. Wisconsin, Michigan and
Maine, they have been beaten worse
on this issue than in any other pre-
vious campaign. On the other hand, the
democracy in Oregon and California succeeded
by the anti squatter sovereignty platform, as
they have in every State Of the South, including
Mary land, in which the democrats were beaten
in 1856. In Pennsylvania, too, at the last cleo
ton, when the democratic party fought under
this banner, il pulled down the previous ma
jority against it. An address was issued by
the State Committee, combating squatter sove-
reignty, the principle of which was afterwards
elaborated in the reply Of Judge Black to the
article Of Mr.. Douglas in Harper's Magazine
The result was that the democrats, who were
beaten in 1858 by 10000 majority, succeeded
in reducing that majority one half, and in the
next election they will probably remove it
altogether. 1t is, perhaps, safe to say that not
a single State in the Union could be carried in
favor of squatter sovereignty.
1t is mistake to suppose that the North is
friendly to it The anti-slavery party have al
ways opposed it, for they have contended for
the right of Congress to deal with slavery in
the Territories, and it was in opposition to the
anti slavery wilmot Proviso that General Cass,
his Nicholson letter, first promulgated
he doctrine Of squatter sovereignty, which
was soon exploded, and remained dead
and buried till Mr.. Douglas recently
raised il from the tomb With INV nartu