Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-05-05

7
character, subvcrsivc to the Constitution, and
revolutionary ia their effect.
After this the delegates Of the STATES above
declining 10 vote. together with South Carr
lima and part of DsI,ware, withdrew from
the Convention, Alabama taking the lead.
The following statements were presented and
read to the Conyention as the
PROTESTS OF THE BoIsTIxG DELEGATES.
To the Hon. Caleb Ctl,tng. President Of The Dem
ocrofic Nationof Convention. IN session in
The city Of CiarLestora, Sosah Carolina.
The undersigned delegates. representing
| the State of Alabama in this convention. re-
specially beg leave to lay before your hon.
| orable body, the following Statement OF fact:
On the eleventh of January. 1860. the Dem
9cratic party of the State of Alabarna met IN
convention, in the city of Montgomery. and
adopted, with singular unanimty, series OF
| resolutions herewith submitted.
RESOLUTIONS OF THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
l. ResoIued by tie Deaacrocy of the Site Of
| Alab0naa IN C5nrentio7 assembled, That holding
ail issues and principles upon which they
have heretofore affiliated and acted with the
| National Democratic party to be inferior in
dignity and importance to the great question
| of slavery they content themselves with a
general re-affirmance Of the Cincinnati plat
| form as to such issues, and also endorse said
| platform as to slavery, together with the fol
| lowing resolutions:
| 2. Resolred further, That we re-affirm so
much of the first resolution of the platform
adopted in convention by the Democracy of
this State, on the Sth of January, 1856, as
relates to the subject of slavery, to-wit: The
| unqualified right of the people of the slave
! holding States to the protection of their pro-
/ perty in the States, in The Territories, and in
the Wilderness, in which Territorial Govern
ments are "a yet unorganised.
3. Resolved further, That iu order to meet
and clear away all obstacles TO full enjoy
ment of this right in the Territories, We re-
affirm the principle of the 9Th resolution of
| the platform, adopted in, convention by tie
| Democracy of this State. on Che 18th OF Feb
ruary, lS48, to-wit: THAT it is the duty of
| the General Government, by all proper leg
| iSlation, TO SECURE entry into those Ter
ri,ories to all The citizens of the United States,
together with their property of every descrip-
| ton. and that the same should remain pro-
/ tecied by the United Stat. while the Terri
| tories are under its authority"
T. Resofred further, That the Constitution
of the United States is n compact between
sovereign aud co-equal States, united upon
the basis of perfect equality Of rights and
| privileges.
s. RsoIuod further. That the Territories of
| the United States are common property. in
which the States have equal rights, and to
which the citizens of every State NAV right
| fully emigrate with their slaves other pro-
perry recognised as such, in any of the States
If the Union, or by the Constitution of the
United States.
6. Resolued further That the Congress of
the United States has no power to abolish
slavery in the Territories, or to prohibit its
Introduction into any of them.
z. ReSOired further, That the Territorial
Legislatures, created by the legislation of
Congress, have no power to abolish slavery,
or 10 prohibit the Introduction of the same,
or to impair, by unfriendly legislation. the
security aud full enjoyment of the same with
in the Territories; and such constitutional
power certainly does not belong to the peO-
pie of the Territories in any capacity, be-
FORE in the exercise of a lawful authority.
they form Constitution preparatory to adj
mission rs State into the Union; aud their
action in the exc. else of such lawful authori-
ty, certainly cannot operate or take effect
before their actual admission as a State into
the Union.
g. Resolued further, That the principles
enunciaIed by Chief Justice fancy, in his
opinion in 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 1t
90 be the duty of the Federal Government, in
all of its departments, to protect the rights
of the owner of such property in the Terri
tories; and the principles SO declared are
hereby asserted TO be the rights of the South,
aud the SJuIh should maintain them.
8. ResolCed further, That we hold all the
foregoing propositions TO contain cardinal
principles true in themselves-and just and
proper. and necessary for the safety of all
that is dear to Us, and We do hereby instruct
our delegates TO the Charleston Convention
10 present them for the calm consideration
and approval of that body-from who's is
tice and patriotism We anticipate their adOp
ton.
10 Resolved further, That our delegates to
the Charleston Convention are hereby ex-
pressIy instructed TO insist that said Conver-
IiOn shall adopt II platform CT principles,
recognizing the rights of the South as ert-
ed in the foregoing resolutions; and If the
said National Convention shall refuse TO
adopt, in substance, the propositions EN-
braced in the preceding resolutions, prior to
nominating candidates, our delegates to said
Convention are hereby positively instruc ted
To withdraw thereirOm.
H. Resolved further, That our delegates to
the Charleston Convention shall cast the vote
of Alabama a unit, and a majority OF our
delegates shall determine how a vote of this |
cLdte Snail DC Sifell
II. Resolved further, That an Executive !
Committee 10 consist of one from each COa- |
gressional district, be appointed, whose duty
1t shall be, in the event that our delegates
withdraw from the Charleston Convention, in
obedience To the teuth resolution. 10 Gail u
of the Democracy of Alabama. to |
meet at an early day 10 consider what l. b 81
to be done
Under these resolutions the undersi gncd /
received their appointment, aud participated
IN the action of this convention.
BY the resolution of inStTuctiOD--tbe ten th
In the serIeS-we were directed 10 insist that
the platform adopted by this convention
should embOdy, b" III subsIance," the propo-
siIiOns embraced in the preceding resolutions,
prior to nominating Candidates
Anxious, IL pOssibl-, 10 continue our re-
IatIOus with the convention, and thus to
maintain he nationality oil the Democratic
party. We agreed u cepI, as the substance
OF the Alabama platform either of the two
reports submitted to tue convention by the
majority of the Committee ON Resolutions,
this majority representing not oBiy a ma jOri-
~ Of the States Of the UdIOu. but also the
only States ut al likely 10 be Carried by the
Democratic party IN the Presidential con-
te>t-
We big to make these reports part Of the
co immune alton.
lHcre follow the reports
These reports received the endOrsem mt,
in the Committee on resolutions. OF every
SOutae. State, aud had either OF them been
adopted Ibe platform OF principles of the
Democratic party, although. possibly, in some
respects sui Jet Ia criticism, we should not
a a n sUN