Weekly national intelligencer., 1860-08-04
VALUE OF PLATFORMS.

PREVIOUS TO the meeting OF the democratic Ma
tonal Convention at Charleston, as also before the
assembling of its adjourned session at Baltimore,
frequent and loud protests were uttered by the
representatives of the Southern Democracy against
what they deemed the antiquities of the Cincin-
natl platform. All that had ever been alleged
against that political structure by its oppo
nents in 1856 was now more than admitted by
portion of those who, at that date, had been its
supporters and defenders As though deriving their
traditions from that fetichism which alternately
adores and skaters the idol of its own creation
Democratic friends grew SO dscontented with the
masterpiece of their former political wisdom that
nothing would satisfy them but new edition OF
the work, accompanied with such explanatory notes
and comments as might preserve it from perversion
on the one hand or misconception on the other.
In pursuit of this purpose, it SO happened
(whether from the too great eagerness with which
the matter was urged or from the radical diver
gency of Democratic opinion, we need not pause to
inqure that the unity of the faith as held by large
number of its adherents could be maintained only
by their resoute withdrawal from those who stub
bornly refused, as it charged, to give to Demo
cratic principles the crown and complement which
the latter had received in the Dred Scott decision
To this purport Southern contemporary, as if
deeply impressed with contrite sense of the
double dealing" unconsciously practised by the
whole party four years ago, but now confessed for
the first tiOe by way of accusation against one
branch of the offenders holdsthe following language
"The time for double dealing with the American people
with platforms looking North and South to catch the popu
lar breeze has passed once and hope forever The
people, long deceived by false promises and hypocrca
compromises have arisen at last in their might and power
to throw off the yoke which politicians aud demagogues
would asen upon them for corrupt party purposes and
have determined to purge all parties of the sin of double
dealing in order that the Government may be restored if
possible to the principles of its original purity and thereby
the great ends for which it instituted be faithfully
red out"
The country has been left to understand that the
seeding Democracy at Baltimore renounced all
further afiation with the adherents of the Cincin-
natl platform pure and simple, in order that they
might display to the people banner bearing on its
face no ambiguous device, but declaring in charac-
ters clear and large the duty of the Federal Co.
vernment in all Its departments to afford protection,
whenever necessary, to slave property in the Terri
tories, or wherever else its jurisdiction extends"
1t will therefore surprise the Southern members
of the Breckenridge Democracy to learn that their
allies in the State of New jersey as represented in
their recent Convention, have thought it prudent
tognore the only distinction between themselves and
the Douglas Democracy, by omitting all mention of
any Explanatory resolutions" necessary to pro-
per understanding of the Cincinnati platform We
cite from the declarations of the Breckenridge Con-
vention the following resolution, more remarkable
for what it omits than what it contains
" Resolred, That the Democratic party of New Jersey
in Convention assembled do hereby rearm the platform
Of principles adopted by the National Democratic Conven
on in 1856, and readopted in 1860 That the electors
nominated by the Convention authorized to cast the
electoral vote of New Jersey to defeat Lincoln aud
Hamn and to election possible, by the people
of President and Vice President from of the nomna
tions of the Democratic or Union parties
This attempt to conceal the fact that the modern
Breckenridge platform differs in any respect from
the ancient platform of 1856 is Justly regarded by
our contemporaries virtual confession Of the
popularity conceded to the "Douglas principle"
among the Democrats of New Jersey. Whether it
also involves any trace of double dealing we do
not to inquire, still less to charge The most
sincere attempts at reformation, we all know, are
often impeded by the force of ancient habit or old
associations