Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-07-20

day or two-PeraaPs today.
Frons "a, Washington States and Union.
ADDRESS OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC EXE
CUTIvE COMMITTEE TO TIE DEMOCRACY OF
THE UNITED STATES.
DxnoeRArIc NATIONAL Executive
COMMITTEES ROONs,
WASHINGTON CIrY, d. Q, July Is, 1900.
rrttow-CrrzgNs The undersigned have it in charge,
nj the instance Of he National Committee Of the Demo
cratic Marty 70 address you some words OF explanation,
and counsel You all advised by this time, that
pority of the delegates seeded from regular Ne
toual Convention a. Baltimore and have proposed JohH
C. Breckenridge and Joseph Lane as their candidates for
the Presidency and VeePreSdeney Of the United States
Il Is occurrence without example N our history and
for the lcOuseQueHes which may ensue-nyOlSng, pos
sibv the existence Of that Union which fathers be-
sougbt "a constantly 10 maintain-there Is grave
spoasibiisy Somewhere. il the responsibility be upon
those OF rs Who have adhered 20 the Ancen organizA-
ton the Democratic party, whose banners now display
te bouored names Of stephen A. Douglas and Herschel
V Johnson the reguir Democratic nominees, We can
ha protest. in all sincerity that We sought no uni asst ad-
vantage of seeding brethren and have erred 1t at
all through mere mlsludgmenL IL appears 70 US now
ever upon a careful and deliberate review OF all ths,
trassred az Baltimore, vel as a. Charleston, that
the supporters OF Mesr Breckenridge and Lane, In yio-
Iatng the settled uages Of the Democratic party and IN
Abandoning the regular Democrats Organization, have
taxes tie whole responsibility upon themselves.
TIE QCEsIioN Or SLAVERY n rHE rEREiroEiES
Before proceeding to narration OF the disturbances
in our National Convention, a. Charleston and alter
wards AZ Bal hnOre deem IL necessary TO explain the
mast eonduc, OF the Democratic party wilb regErd the
difficult question OF slavery IN the Territories OF the III
ted States This question arose, distinctly, for the hrs,
time when toe House OF Representatives on motion OF
NJ WlmOt Of Pennsylvania, August l2th, 1916, added
proviso 10 the bin appropriatng money in aid OF the
negotiations for peace with Mexico, IN the following
rords
..Providsd, That express aud fundamental coz
dou 10 the acquisition OF a1y territory tOTu the RepC0
lie Of Mexico by the United States ty virtue o. any
sreaty which NAV be negotiated between them, and for
the use by the Execu.ye Of the moneys herein appso-
pria,ed Reither slavery nor Involuntary servude sh
ever exs. in any part OF said territory excep. ioS crime
whereof the party shall fssi be duly convicted"
The bill wa los in the Senate by reason II cOntro
versy upon this particular clause and The very intro
dactioa OF ne esuon ia'o Congress by Mr. Ni-mot re-
suited in defeating bill OF the utmost importance, en-
barrassng tbe Executive, in the midst Of foreign war
aud IN prclonging that twelve eighteen moaths
extending the Of t6c nation ard sacrificing in
subsequent battles the lives Of many OF our country
neD.
We need not pursue the alarming agitation thus mis-
Chievousy connected; an agitation which defeated Gen.
Cas- our nominee for the Presidency in 1916, and, at
l in 1880 brought Union % the verge Of d.Ssolu
tioa. That catastrophe avoided, hOweyer, by the
frnnes and wisdom Of the Democratic party 10 Congress
and throughout the country aided by tie most eminent
CHA Sins OF theWhg party: and the basis Of settlement
then agreed upon and Afterwards unanimously affirmed
by the Whg a. vel a. by the Democratic National Coo
Veai0n Al Baltimore in lSJ2 shat Congress should
nos interpOse It's authority, under any circumstance
whether to prohibit introduce. abolish maintain the
Institution Of slavery within the Territories total ex
eusO of the subject from Congress thenceOrh and for
ever was the Oiye-oanch held out and accepted North
aud south by the two great political parties into which
the American people then divided We say, fell
JOs-czeUs thar the North and the South alike accepted
This settlement; because nos only did agitation and dis
cord cease bu. vel the Abolition party Of the North,
the Secession party Of the South, became almost eH
Snct
IN January 1854 at the first session Of Congress IN
DIR General Pieree's Administration necessity
for the Establishment OF Territorial governments in Ne
braska ard Kansas bu; fearful obstacle seemed 70 lie
Al the very Threshold The ac. OF Congress approved
No 1920 sometimes called the Missouri Compromise
prchbited slavery in all the dcmsin which these
Two Territories extended Obviously such euact-
nent was inconsistent with the principle adopted 1850
and ought then have been repealed BY But 1t
had NOT been repealed and although operative in
fact bad acquired al the authority OF age; and OF the
many eminent Who, waving their scruples IN
regard 10 its consutonsty, had accepted as the de-
termination OF another controversy which, 10 1920 bade
fair 70 reDd the Union ssuader The difficulty seemed
a. frst nsurmountable inasmueh repeal Of the Mis-
souri, act might renew the agitation qleied IN lsoO'
hsre4s upon the other hand 10 leave such an act OF
Congress in existence would be abandonment Of the
very principle through which that happy result bad been
attained The Democratic party, after some hes taton
resolved 70 pursue the principle OF 1880 10 lis logical
consequence % 6brogae the Missouri COMPROMISE line,
SO called even the hazard OF and more Danger
Gus agitation Il appealed the Wing Iary for assist
ance and Of the Southern representatives OF thst
party in CoogFess responded 70 the appeal But the
Northern Wings with few exceptions, abandoned their
Southern allies and uaitug with the remnant Of the old
Abolition party raised asrm throughout the North,
that the Democratic party had thus renewed IN Congress-
the Identical agitation which il had solemniy promised
70 oiscountenance.
Tus fusion" OF Northern Wings and Aboitonists was
largely gthened by detection from ranks
WhO abandoned US not because they supported the
wmot provso but because they feared the Democratic
party was about 20 surrender the doctrine Of aonnter-
yentioa" by Congress, and b.come active agent,
through the instrumenta;y Of the Federal government
for compelling the Territories and all 70 accept sa-
very institution forever uH.l fAoe and uneoniol
liable Time has dssipated the fears OF many, and
they have returned 70 their old allegiance. The people
OF the North beginning understand also that the
true responsibility for AL the agitation which resulted
from the KAas Nebraska act Is upon those Who resist
ed the application Of sound principle 10 merely form
al change Of circumstances Bat In 1854 suddenly and
Aluos, as by magical touch the Democratic party Of
fhe North and Northwest disappeared Olly thirteen
Democrats elected to the House OF Representatives
in that year from al the nonaveholdug States, Caior-
MIA included and four Of that number-am0st one-third
were from The State Of Illinois IL required years Of
constant effort 10 satisfy the Northern people thatthe Kan
asNebrAskA not OF Southern aggression,
but an act for carrying into Sec. the principle establish
ell ~ the compromise Of 1850. The undersga-
cd 10 not 70 PALATE msconCepton gross but
merely TO relate BdpuAbe fact Our leader in these
eVentful contests, now OF tue DtOcraLc
party for the Presidency Of the United States did almost
thout exoggeraon travel fromW ashingon city 10 Chi
esgo in 1854 by the light Of his burning fges.
Il after such disastrous consequences 10 the Dem
ocrac patty and With hearts full Of apprehension that
o1s delegates from al the States north and south, as
sembed Cincinnati in June 1885, 10 consult in refer
eucevO public affairs Confident in the justice Of our
cause and appealing to the sober judgement OF the peO
pie the Democratic National Convention, BE- HnaHi-
,0es cote endorsed the Kansas-NebrAsks act aud
solved 70 abide by its principles. The result is well
known The nominees of that convention received a
sufficient number Of electoral votes them in The
Presidercyand Vice Presidency Of the United States
The fact developed, also, that in others Of the
Northern States Mes York, Ohio and Iowa, at least
the Back Republicans had prevailed by plurality
and IN opposition 10 clear and definite msority Of the
popular VQ,e. At time since has the Black Republ
can party attained power 10 the States Of New York
New Jersey, Pennsylvania Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois,
by It's strength but in every instance BY some com
binahoa With the remnant Of the American party in
those States; aTenRaRt opposed TO the administration
or Or. Bucbanan bat satisfied TO cooperate with
AbOHsOuists IN Presidential election.