The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-07-11
S SPEECH
OF HON. B. F. HALLETT,


Monday Of
S E ECH
OF HON. B. F. HALLETT,
At the GRIND ISerepade to BreekinriaJe m.
Lane, the nominees Of tie Democratic Ma
tioraf Csgsucittt0rs, at Washington, oitaae 70
1860
Intervention and the Democratic
Platform.
Mr. Hallett. Of Massachusetts,, was introdu
eel, and sad:
FELLow-cTrTzESs: Ny voice is from tn
North. | propose to say some plain word
for that POI. ion Of the North who in this IN
happy, trust temporary, division Of the de
mocratic party. have ielt it their duty, calmI
and without reproach to others, but firmly. L
take the side of Nationality, of the Constitu
ton and the Union. under the just interpre
tation of that Constitution for the equal right
of all the States in all the Territories. w
are here, not for secession, but for the Union
We have looked through the history fpartie.
in our common country, and we find that thu
empire of democracy under which these
States have grown from thirteen to thirty.
three popular sovereignties. and have unifedIy
become second to no p0wer OF the earth has
been sustained only BY the union OF the North
ern and Southern democracy. We find that
this united Southern and Northern democracy
has achieved every acquisition OF teFrifery,
maintained successfully every war, and accom-
plished every measure of great national policy
that has marked the progress Of tn people in
the grand march of popular empire and we
have also found that this union is in danger
only when the opponents of the democratic
party have been permitted briefly to hold pow
er by the temporary division OF the Northern
and Southern democra Y. And therefore it
IS that the North is here with the South in
this movement which is to decide the aues-
ton to whom that national flag belongs. which
is broad enough to cover with its ample holds
this whole Union.
We have Just come up from the divided
councils Of the democratic party at Baltimore
For the first time since 1928 we have
failed to unite upon men and measures Com
mencing with the severence of eight of the
democratic electoral States from the Conven-
ton at Charleston, the division has been con-
summated at Baltimore by the seventeen de-
mocratic electoral States, with FIVE other
States m whole or in part, forming what their
delegates believed to be national Democra-
tic Convention, and making the only nomina-
tons that can secure the votes OF those seven
teen reliable States, without which the dem
ocratic party cannot even hope for Success
The other convention has been left without
single entire State remaing IN it having an
assured. if, indeed hopeful, democratic cleo
toral vote-reduced to less than two-thirds of
the electoral colleges, even with all their ad-
tod
compelled to make their nomination only by
the entire abandonment of the common law
of democratic conventions, which never before
went into presidential contest without two
= thirds vote Tor their naplinaes. 1nlaet there.
fore, there s no nominations binding on DEM
ocrzts according to the uniform usages of the
party.
Tbs disruption. 50 momentous. so painful
to every lover OF his country, must be for some
cause. And what is that cause 4 division
in part. on platform, but more especially a
division on candidates, and forced and IN
just reorganization of the Convention to ex-
clude legitimate and admit Unauthorized dele
gates without democratic constituencies in
order to change the majority.
In the preamble of the Cincinnati platform
@the democracy place their trust in the dis
c7inliHatiRg iasstice OF the American people,
The North, in the Convention at Charleston
and at Baltimore, persistentIY denied to the
South this discriminating jastice'' BY refusing
to make that explanation Of its misinterpreted
.splatform, wherein the South has plain right
to know what the North means touching the
equal rights OF the South in the common ter
ritory.
That has been the dividing difficulty on the
platform, and as to the caniidate, the forced
numerical majority in that Convention insisted
upon having one man and no other, while all
the rest were ready to unite on any other man
in the parry.
But tave no purpose and no desire to
censure or condemn | mean to utter TO
words Of reproaeh or bitterness in this can
vass. Opposed as we are now, let all demo-
Gratis treat each other not as vindictive enc
mics, but as hoping again 10 be friends. |
take the fact just as it is-a divided democra-
tic party, and not the less divided no
matter who or what is TO blame for it ::
and out Of this division the country must
calmly select the materials for reconstrnction
of the democratic party o. sure foundation
of the Union, a just Interpretation Of ths con-
stitution, and an entire abnegation Of all sec
J tionalism and all negToism. We think it will
be found in this national nominatono Of Breck.
inridge and Lane, whose names and antece-
dents and localities are the highest pledges Of
devotion to the Union, and [ trust It will vet
be found in the reanion Of the democracy be-
fore the election.
And now permit me to point out to you the
line OF division which clearly marks the two
positions Of the democratic party touching the
platform. believe IN platforms as essential
10 the very existence of political iaith The
democratic party has always relied on plat
forms since the resolutions of '98, and it has
never before refused to explain its platform.
when subject to double construction i
not that the present condition Of the Gincin
natl platform which both Conventions hay,
adopted entire In that connection, ] ma,
saw here tonight that I made all Of the Gin
cinnati platform which bears on this question
and therefore think understand it and hay
some little right TO expound it. And affirm
af that platform that il has not, nowhere in
ar under it. BY line, or sentence. or word, 0
construction, or possible conception, one part
Gle of ''squatter sovereignty
aSquatter sovereignty, !" if it haTeany mean
inc means that the legislature OF 4 newt
or9anizsd Territory. at its first session, caI
nrohibit and destroy the right Of the citizen
af all the States to come into that Territor
a. live in that Territory with their Save pro
nsrty. But the Cincinnati platform denie
hat rover in the most explicit terms. Al
,sr announcing 4.NoS- INTERFERENCE by Cor
sre,s as the rule, it fixes the precise time whe
sIone. and not before, the People Of a TerritC
can intervene and act upon slavery an
hat is when forming constitution for Stat
7, sums up the whole power Of the Territorie
aver slavery thus:
ss3eSolyed. That we recognize the right
~. T., ~. al,
,''.,-o1 whenever the number of their inhab
tants iustities It, to form constitution, wit
,~;fhout slavery, and be admitted into til
gin;on upon terms of perfect equality swit
the other States"
tpS Thns Il is defined that the right of the pei
;. 70 Territory to settle the status Of slas.
p. s,,;ns only when they beginto form cor
y ION and not before. That is tho Cineir
SUI .: .,Istform. clear and pslpable, and in n
Ia. fI;ahle Justly to donbie-faced c0nstrus
wy And it fixes this sovereign power
.fes ...,,.;p or irlpairing property, at the tim
asssl ,;nT a constitution, for very sound res
o OF n,-' t. 2 this A territorial legislature ca
son. =, revenues from the people, but Is itse
raiSs II he paid agents and servants Of th
Ine~.al Goyernment, and therefore can hag
os. .N,.,sr to take property from citizens, b
no - + has no power TO compensate thei
eAa s-r;oo awav their property. When IL
ioI s-s State It has that sovereign power an
eolaes :.I,r exercise it, because il will proyic
may JUS .,s Stats constitutions, that private pr
q " - shsII not be taken away without adj
qua.e s ,,s.;p IS the Cincinnati platform Is,
~ ~ subjected to misinterpr an
has -. sovereignty, instead of popular so
s5ilal -. has been attempted to be Interpret
srsgFsy' This was one common sense re-
tsd ID INV Il should be fairly explained Mon