The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-03
A DID r e S s
TO THE
DEMOCRACY OF THE UNITED STATES.
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE RooMs, }

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL ExECUTlvEl
COMMITTEE RooMs,
WASHINGTON CRY, D. c.. July ls, 1860.
Fellow CITIZENS: The undersigned,
have it in charge, at the instance OF the
National Committee of the Democratic
party, to address you some words OF ex,
PLANTATION and counsel. You are all ADVISED,
by this time, that a minority of the dele
gates seeded from our regular national
Convention, at Baltimore, and have pro-
posed John G. Breckenridge and Joseph
Lane as their candidates for the Presidency
and Vice Presidency of the United States.
It is an occurrence without example in our
history; and for the consequences which
NAV ensue-involviDg, possibly, the exis-
tence of that Union which our fathers be-
sought us constantly to maintain-there is
a grave responsibility somewhere. II the
responsibility be upon those of US who have
adhered to the ancient organization of the
Democratic psrty, whose banners now dis
play the honored names of Stephen A.
Douglas and Herschel V. johnson, as the
regular Democratic nominees, we can pro-
test, in all sincerity, that we sought no un-
just advantage of our seeding brethren,
and have erred, if at all, through mere mis-
judgment. 1t appears to us, however, upon
a careful and deliberate view of all that
transpired at Baltimore, as well as at
Charleston, that the supporters of Messrs.
Breckenridge and Lane, in violating the set
tied usages of the Democratic party, and in
abandoning the regular Democratic crgani-
zati0n, have taken the whole responsibility
upon themselves.
THE QUESTION OF SLAVERY IN THE TER
RITORIES.
Before proceeding 10 narration OF the
disturbances in our National Convention,
at Charleston, and afterwards at Baltimore,
we deem it necessary to explain the past
conduct of the Democratic party with re-
gard to the difficult question of slavery in
the Territories of the United States. This
question arose, distinctly, for the first time,
when the House of Representatives, on mo-
ton of MIR. Wilmot, of Pennsylvania,
August 18th, 1916, added Proviso to the
bill appropriating money in aid of the ne
gotiations for peace with Mexico, in the
following words:
Provided, That as an express and fundamen.
tai condition to the acquisition of any territory
from the Republic of Mexico by the United
States by virtue of any treaty which may be
negotiated between them, and for the use, by
the Executive, of the moneys herein apprOpri-
ated. neither slavery nor involuntary servitude
shall ever exist in any part of said territory,
except for crime, whereof the party shall first
be duly convicted
The bill was lost, in the Senate, by rea-
son of controversy upon this particular
clause; and so, the very introduction of the
question into Congress, by Mr.. Wilmot, re-
suited in defeating bill Of the utmost i'm
portance, embarrassing the Executive, in the
midst of foreign war, and in prolonging that
war twelve or eighteen months, expanding
the treasure of the nation, and sacrificing in
subsequent battle the lives of so many of our
cOuntrymen.
We need not pursue the alarming agita-
ton thus mischievously cOmmenced; an agi-
tation which defeated General Cass, our
nominee for the Presidency in 1916, and, at
last, in 1850, brought our Union to the
verge Of dissolution. That catastrophe was
avoided, however, by the firmness and wis
dom of the Democratic party in Congress,
and throughout the country, aided by the
most eminent chieftains of the Wing party;
and the basis Of settlement then agreed upon,
and afterwards unanimously affirmed by the
Wing as well as by the Democratic Nation
al Convention at Baltimore, in 1852, was
that Congress should not interpose its au-
thority, under any circumstances, whether
to prohibit or introduce, abolish or main
tain the institution of slavery within the
Territories. A total exclusion of the SUBJ
ject from Congress thenceforth and forever,
was the branch held out and accepted,
North and South, by the two great political
parties into which the American people
were then divided. We say, fellow. citizens,
that the North and South alike accepted this
settlement; because not only did agitation
and discord cease, but as well the Abolition
party of the North as the secession party of
the South, became almost extinct.
In January, 1854, at the first session OF
Congress under General Pierce's Admins.
tration, necessity arose for the establish
ment of Territorial governments in Ne
braska and Kansas; but fearful obstacle
seemed to lie at the very threshold The
act Of Congress approved May 6, 1920,
sometimes called the Missouri Compromise,
prohibited slavery in all the domain over
which these two Territories extended. OBJ
viously, such an enactment was inconsistent
with the principle adopted in 1850, and
ought then to have been repealed by name.
But it had not been repealed, and, although
never operative in fact, had required all the
authority of age; and of the many eminent
statesmen who, waving their scruples in
regard to its constitutionality, had accepted
it as the determination of another contro.
versy which, in 1920, babe fair to rend the
Union asunder. The difficulty seemed at
first insurmountable, inasmuch as repeal
OF the Missouri act might renew the agita-
ton quelled in 1850; whereas, upon the
other hand, to leave such an act of Congress
in existence would be an abandonment of
the very principle through which that hap
Ply result had been obtained. The Demo.
cratic party, after some hesitation, resolved
to pursue the principle of 1850 to its logical
consequence; to abrogate the Missouri Com
promise line, so called, even at the hazard of
new and more dangerous agitation. 1t ap-
pealed to the Wing party for assistance, and
some of the Southern representatives of that
party in Congress responded to the appeal
But the Northern Wings, with few excep.
lions, abandoned their Southern allies, and
uniting with the remnant of the old Adolf
ton party, raised an alarm throughout the
North, that the Democratic party had thus