Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-05-24

The Black Republican candidates and
platform are beiosc the people. Lincoln
and HArnlin are the nominees for Presi-
dent and Vice President, and VIM. H.
Seward, the real organizer Of the party
and its principles, is thrown aside as
worn out and useless politician. He ba,
exhausted his availability in bringing up
the organization to its present condition,
and now Its control is passed into other
hands.
! The platform exhibits manifest evil
dence of the fears entertained BY the
Black Republican leaders Of the rising
tide of conservative feeling among the
masses of the people, in the attempt
which is made to cover up the real aims
Of the party with a mass of verbiage-
of pliable Interpretation By local ex-
FOUNDERS. 1t sets forth that the causes
which called the party into existence
'are permanent in their nature" but re-
trains from stating what they are !; the
generalities Of the Declaration of Inde-
pcndcnce are lugged in, and it is an
nounced that "thc federal constitution,
the rights Of the States and the Union"
must be preserved; disunion speeches
are denounced; the lawless invasion of
the States is denounced protection by
the Federal Government to the right Of
property in slaves is refused extrava-
gance in the government is condemned;
the Constitution is declared to be an
anti slavery instrument in the Terrific
ries the normal condition Of all the
territory ofthe United States is declared
20 be that of freedom, and the right of
Congress, Territorial Legislatures and
individuals to give it legal existence in
any Territory is denied the rcopening
Of tie African slave trade is branded a.
burning shame the vetoes by the
federal Governors Of the acts of the Ter
ritorial Legislatures Of Kansas and Ne
braska against slavery are condemned
Kansas declared entitled to admission as
a State protective tariff is cautiously
advocated the House Homestead Bill
is endorsed; Know Nothing legislation
against naturalized citizens is abiured,
and river and harbor improvements, the.
Pacific Railroad, and daily overland
mail, are pronounced objects worthy Of
patronage by the Federal Government.
Here We have platform in which any
dcmagogue north Of Mason and Dixon
line may find text to suit his audience,
expressed in language pliable and elias
tic enoug h for any purpose. The chief
characteristic Of it is the adoption of
the Spooner and Seward theory, that
the Constitution is an abolition instru-
ment, and the attempt to place political
abolitionism on legal and consttu-
tional ground. Lawless invasions OF
the States are denounced, the worship
pers of John Brown are fouted. and
the necessity Of preserving the Union
for the purpose OF abolishing slavery in
the Southern States is clearly proclaimed.
How this is to be accomplished under
the color Of law and constitutional RIG hit
we already know-thanks to Messrs.
Spooner and Seward. The former has
set forth the whole scheme, with all its
logical deductions, and the process of
llberating the slaves by writs of ha6eas
corpus issued by abolition judges; ard
the latter has announced, on the floor of
the Senate, the determination of the
Black Republican party to reorganize
the Federal courts. The ''irrepressible
conflict is to be continued under the
shadow Of the law, if Black Republi-
can President can be elected.
In adopting the theory, the Black
Republicans place themselves in direct
antagonism to the Interpretation of the
Constitution which has been accepted
from the time Of its adoption to within
very short period, and which the aboli-
tionsts of the Garrison and Wendell
Phillips school admit to this day. The
attempt is revolutionary, but it is revolu-
ton in disguise, and not openhanded and
honest. like that Of the radical abolition
lists. 1t is the policy Of set of politi-
cal hucksters, adopted for the purpose Of
making desperate effort to obtain
power. All its professions of love of
peace, Of respect for State rights, Of re-
lection of John Brownism are hollow
and false, for the use of power under
the guise of the Constitution, and for
the purpose proclaimed, would involve
fifteen States in armed resistance to
Federal invasion, and place Federal
troops in the stead Of John Brown and
his followers. The following extract
from speech Of Abram Lincoln, the
Black Republican candidate for the
Presidency, delivered at Springfield, Ill.,,
on the 18th Of June. 1853, gives us the
tue Interpretation of the platform, and
and the personal sentiments Of the Black !
Republican candidate:
believe this government ca mot endure perma. |
nentiy half slave and half free. do not expcct |
the Union to be dissolved. 1 do not expect the |
house TO fail but do expect it will cease to be |
divided. 1t will become all one thing or the other
Either tho opponents Of slavery will arrest the
further spread Of it and place it whcro the public
mind will rest in the belief that it is in the course
Of ultimate extinction, its advocates will push
it forward till it shall become alike lawful in all
the States, old as we'll new-North ~ we'll as |
South.
Mr.. Lincoln knows that the latter al
Tentative, which he puts forward with so
much apparent honesty, is as impossible
IS that the sun should rise to morrow in
the West.
The clause of the platform treating
Of the tariff is lame attempt to secure
the support Of the old Wing protection
lists, and the free soil and free trade
Democrats, who are to-day enrolled in
the party ranks. 1t is a compromise
between the Tribune and the Evening
R,cf which o;<ho. cop ;ctorpro% % -.