The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-08-01

people, to the peace, the welfare, the con- !
tinusl preservation OF that Union which has
has made US miracle among the nations.
CHARLESTON CONVENTION.
When our National Convention Assem-
bled in the city of Charleston, on the 23d OF
April, it exhibited condition of affairs un.
like that Of sny other other political conven-
ton of this year. Every Stale of the Union
was fully represented. What American
citizen, whether OF Southern or Nor.
thern birth, from the Atlantic or the
Pacific cpast-from the inland seas which
border upon Canado, from the valley OF
the imperial Mississippi, from the State
looking out Of the Gulf Of Mexico-did not
rejoice on beholding what seemed to be, in
very truth, a council of the whole republic!
Why that council fsled in its purpose
wherefore it was distracted, by whom and
in what manner, we must now proceed TO
relate.
The Democratic Convention Of Alabama
assembled at Montgomery in January, 1860,
to appoint delegates from that State to the
Charleston Convention. 1t chose to declare
the opinion entertained by a majority Of its
members, that no Territorial Legislature
had any right to prohibit the institution OF
slavery, and that the constitution of the
United States was under immediate -obitga-
linn to maintain and protect that lnstltu-
tion everywhere, sin the States, in thu
Territories, and in the wilderness in which
territorial governments are as yet morgan
lied" To such declaration OF opinion by
the States of Alabama, there could bs no
reasonable ground of objection upon the part
of OF her States, each of them being at liber.
ty to concur or to dissent. But Alabama
did not pause here; she instructed her dele
gates to present those resolutions to the
Convention at Charleston; and in case the
opinion therein expressed was not adopted
by that convention, her delegates were i'm
mediately 10 withdraw and, as il conscious
uf the antagonistic attitude assumed by such
instructions toward the democratic party at
large, the Montgomery Convention appoin.
ted a committee upon whom should devolve
the duty es soon as the Alubsma delegates
had withdrawn from the Convention OF
Charleston, of ealing q State Convention
TO decide upon ulterior measures. We de.
sire to speak with entire respect Of the State
of Alabsma; and without questioning her
right at any time to adopt such resolutions
as to her seemed best, we are constrained to
say that the att tude which she thus assum-
ed, with regard to the democracy OF other
States, was a violation Of the usages and
principles upon which only national organ.
zation o. our 'democr attic party can b. main
tained. If each o the States had followed
her example, and each of them was the
peer Of Alabama-the National Convention
could not have proceeded one step; there
4 tor for
. interchange Of opinion or sentiment, or con
, cilation, harmony, and united action.
After the Charleston Con ve veDtiunAhad pre-.
, scribed the rules of its proceeding and veri'
fed the credentials OF oil its delegates ia
the usual method, it appointed committee
/ of one from each State to report platform
, of principles. That committee, alter long
and tedious sessions, made three reports
: one by the members from seventeen States
one by the members from fifteen States, anc
one by Mr.. Butler from the State of Mas
sachuse,ts The first (mriority) report was
, in substantial accordance with the instruc
tons of Alabama to her delegates; the sec
ond consisted OF an addition to the Cincin
natl pInt!orm, declnring that the democrB-
tic party would abide by whatever decisions
had been, or might thereafter be mude by
The Supreme Court of the United States
the third was the Cincinnati platform with
out any important addition. After full
Z and earnest debste, il became evident tha
the Convention was not satisfied with an!
of those reports; and accordingly motion
y was made and carried TO recommit all o
them-Alabama, as we'll as the rest of tn
G States which afterwards seeded from tn
Convention, voting for this recommitment
On the some day (April 2s) the commit
tee again reported, and again the report
were three in number; the third, by Nj
J, Butler, of Massachusetts. being the sam
II which he hud previously submitted. Th
e second report OF the majority consisted q
= these three resolutions:-
!, First-That the government CT Territory, orgar
lied by an act of Congress, is provisional aud tempo
rary; and, during its exi tence, all citizens of III
Unitpd Sates have TN equal right to seltl with the
properly n the Territory without ;her rights, eitht
of person property being destroyed or impaire
= by Congressional or Territorial legislation.
Second-lhat il is the duty of tho Federal Govern
men in all its departments, to protect, when nece
sary. the rights of persons and property in the lerr
~ tories and wherever e.se its constitutional author
:, extends.
l. Third-That when the settlers In Territory havn
Al an adequate population, form a State Constitution
the right Of Sovereignty commences, and being cor
1 equal footing with the people of other State
70 and tho State thus organized ought to be admittt
- into the Federal Union whether its constitution pr
( hibits or recognizes tho institution OF slavery.
!. Nothing could be more vague and unsati
'e factory than those resolutions; they deal
l. "trucisms" Of the tamest significance,
pit rather, as the controversy then stood, of q
8. significance at all. It.woud have been
y sufficient reason for their rejection Gf n
Il. other resolutions had ever been presented
ii that these msgnified thousand fold the a
y, legged faults OF the Cincinnati platform.
,e The second report from the minority
nr the committee, presented by Mr.. Samuel,
I'd Iowa, consisted of the Cincinnati pIat(or
m with this addition -
Or Democratic party 10 the nature and extent of
le powers Of Territorial Legislature, and as to 4
m powers duties Of Congress- under the Constit
W tion of the United Sates over the Institution oil sa
al cry within the Terrt Iies,
h Resolved, That the Democratic party will abide
" the decision Of the Supreme Court OF tho Unit
OF States on these questions Of constitutional law.
or No further amendments or resolutions b
s. ing admissible by parliamentary rule, Il
OF Convention proceeded to vote; first rejec
W ing the report of Mr.. Butler. and then 50
1t stitutiDg the report OF Mr.. Samuel for tn
he of the mojority. The question recurriI
he upon the adoption OF Mr.. Samuels resol
by ton, a delegate from North Carolina On
ne Brown) obtained the leave, by unanimo
he consent, to address the Convention, a
be thereupon expostulated against the resoI
& ton (as it then stood) in very earnest tern
n It was Immediately rejected by vote
o. 23s TO 81; the States Of Alabama, Miss
G. sippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia,
W. Florida declining to vote on either side.
&c With view to the amendment of that res