Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-07-01

jory Of the Tennessee delegation to the late Nation
al Democratic Convention to prepare and present to
you history of their action, and the which
produced the disruption of our party, and the nom
nation of two different candidates for the Office of
President and Vice President. we shall proceed at
once to the task without further predatory remark
It became very evident during the session of our
last State Convention that the majority of our party
in Tennessee opposed to the selection Of Hon.
s. A. DOUGLAS as our candidate and that they desi-
red from the National Convention some expression
of dsapprobation of the right of Territorial legis
lature to impair or destroy the rights of savehOld
ers in the Territories. We proceeded to Charleston
with this impression on our minds, although firmly
intending, if his nomination were properly accom-
plished according the usages rules of the
yention, that we would cheerfully submit to and
abide its decision
When we reached Charleston we found the dele
gates to that convention very nearly equally divided
both on the subject of expressing any opinion to
the powers of Territorial Legislature over the in
stitution of slavery in its borders and in their pref
erence or dislike of Mr.. DOUGLASS as our candidate
for the Presidency.
The majority of the States, embracing almost the
give Democratic vote in the Electoral College,
were against the doctrine of Popular Squatter
Sovereignty, and opposed to Mr.. DOUGLAs. The nu-
merical majority given under the rules of the
convention were opposed to the enunciation of any
opinion as to the power of Territorial Legislature
over the Institution of slavery, and favorable
to the claims of Mr. DOUGLAS In the constitution of
the Committee on Resolutions, the oppOsers of Mr..
DOUGLAS had the advantage and in the vote their
adoption by the convention, his friends could re-
verse the action of this committee.
We firmly believe and assert that the ascendency
of the friends of Mr. DOUGLAS in the numerical vote
of the convention was the result OF party tactics,
rather than any real expression of opinion By
some exercise of skill in State Conventions, wherever
Mr. DoUGts had the strength, the delegations were
instructe to cast their votes unit, whilst his
opponents ad not used this strutezie skill, but gen,
orally speaking, left each delegate to vote as he
pleased and carry out his own particular views.
This result very disastrous to throughout all
our action and deliberations it tied up many votes
| in Northern States which never could be given or
| appreciated, whilst it Embossed. some one or two
votes in most of the Southern States that were given
for Mr. DOUGLAS and than all, it entirely de-
stroyed the weight always due to the deliberate
preston of the opinion of a minority.
The opponents of Mr. DOUGLAS could say with
truth, that although they were outvoted by MAORI
ties ranging from to thirty, yet this would have
been reversed at any moment when a free expires
sion could be given to the opinion of the individual
delegates, and they naturally thought that such re-
suits were oppressive and unjust. The majority of
the Committee on Resolutions representing seven
teen States reported for adoption the following
Platform:
Resolved, That the platform adopted by the Dem
ocratic party at Cincinnati be affirmed, with the
| following explanatory resolutions:
LIST. RESOLVED, That the government of Terri
tory organized by act of Congress is provisional
and temporary, and, during its existence all citizens
of the United States have equal right to settle
with their property In the Territory without their
rights, either of person property, being destroy
ed or impaired by congressional territorial egis-
! latiOn re.
| ID ReSolUed, That it is the duty of the Federal
Government n-all its departments to protect when
necessary the rights of persons and property in the
Territories, and wherever else its constitutional
| authority extends.
3D. Rescued, That when the settlers in a Territory
having adequate population form State Consti-
| tuition, the right of sovereignty commences and
| being consGmmated by admission into the Union,
they stand on an equal footing with the people of
other Statesand the State thus organized ought to
be admitted into the Union, whether its Constitution
prohibits recognizes the institution of slavery.
| 4th. Resolved That the Democratic party are In
| favor of the acquisition of the Island of Cuba on
such terms shall be honorable TO ourselves and
just to Spain, at the earliest practicable moment.
| 9Th. Resolved That the enactments of State
Legislatures to defeat the faithful execution of the
fugitive slave law are hostile in character, sub
versive of the Constitution, and revolutionary in
| their effect.
9Th Resolved That the Democracy of the United
States recognize it as the imperative duty of this
government to protect the nsturazed citizen in all
his rights, whether at home Orn foreign lands, to the
same extent as its native born citizens.
And whereas, one of the greatest necessities of
the age in political, commercial, postal and mill
tary point of view, is speedy communication be-
tween the Pacific and Atlantic coasts therefore be il
ReSoUed, That the Democratic party do hereby
pledge themselves to every means in their power
secure the passage of bill to the extent of
the constitutional authority of Congress- for the
structiOn of Pacific railroad from the Mississippi
river to the Pacific ocean, at the earliest practI-
cable moment.
The minority representing only fourteen States
ported the following their substitute for the
ton of the majority.
/. ResolUed That we, the Democracy of the Union,
in Convention assembled. hereby declare affirm
ance of the resolutions unanimously adopted and
declared as a platform of principles by the Demo
cratic Convention at Cincinnati, in the year 1885,
believing that Democratic principles unchange-
able in their nature, when applied to the same sub
ect matter; and we recommend as the only further
resolutions the following:
Inasmuch differences of opinion exist in the
Democratic party to the nature and extent of the
powers of Territorial Legislature, and as to the
powers and duties of Congress under the Constitu-
ton Of the United States over the institution of
slavery within the Territories:
3 Resolved, That the Democratic party will abide
by the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United
States the questions of constitutional law.
g. Resolved That is the duty of the United States
to afford ample and complete protection to all its ct
| zens, whether at home abroad, and whether ma
| tive or foreign.
T. Resolved That one of the necessities of the age,
in military, commercial, and postal point of view,
is speedy communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific States; and the Democratic party pledge
snch constitutional government aid as will insure the
construction of railroad to the Pacific coast, at
the earliest practical pc. iod.
5. Resolved That the Democratic party are in IA
of the acquisition of the Island OF Cuba, such
terms as shall be honorable to ourselves and just
to Spain.
6. Resolved That the enactments of State Legsla-
lures to defeat the faithful execution of the Fug-
tive Slave Law, hostile in character subversive
of the Constitution, and revolutionary in their
effect.
There was another report by Massachutts of the
Cincinnati Platform pure and simple of which it is
unnecessary to speak After some considerable
debate the whole subject was referred to the Com
mttee with instructions. and there was another re-
port with some notifications but the difference was
regarded and treated as immaterial. We soon came
to direct vote between the reports, and that of the
minority substituted in the place of the ma
ority by p votes. We then took up the report
of the minority las it alone remained for consider
ation,) and voted on each proposition contained
therein separately The preamble to the second
resolution together with the resolution itself
stricken out by large vote, and the balance were
adopted the creed of our party. We voted for
most if not all of the resolutions because they
proper and right; our objections to the platform
thus adopted was that it did not il our opinion go
far enough; we thought and so insisted, that it
ought to give construction to language used in the
Cincinnati Platform that had been universally re-
garded as of doubtful meaning.
When the vote on the Platform completed
and announced, the Delegates from South Carolina,
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas Georgia, Ar
kansas, Mississippi and Delaware, either in part
whole, retired from the Convention and refused to
participate further in its deliberations. We had