Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-15
The Compromise Of the Democratic Menu
bers Of the OI,io Legislature.


The Compromise Of the Democratic Menu
bers Of the Ohio Legislature.
The Democratic members of the Ohio Leg
islature have, iD caucus, adopted the COM
promise which was agreed upon by the COM
mittee of the congressman of the border
States. The propositions of this plan are
mostly either settled by the Constitution, or
unimportant. The only one that touches
nyauestion involved in the epresent troubles,
is that in regard to slavery in the Territories,
and that is ambiguous. 1t proposes to di-
vide the Territory by the line of $50 3O';
prohibit slavery north of it, and prohibit
Congress and the Territorial Legislature
from abolishing, prohibiting, or in any man.
ner interfering with slavery south of the
line.
This continues that ''paltering in double
sense which was introduced into the Gin
cinnati Platform. That resolved for "non-
interference" with slavery in the Territories
1t is notorious that the Democratic Party
never agreed upon its meaning, and that the
South were exasperated by what they
claimed to be a breach of faith on the part of
the Northern Democracy in the interpreta-
ton of this term. This was the occasion of
the Richmond Enquirer'S keeping at the
head fits columns the declaration, ''No more
double faced Platforms"
The South claimed, and justly too, that it
declared only against action hostile to
slavery, and therefore implied the duty to
protect it. The Northern Democracy pre-
tended that it declared against any power of
Congress to do any thing either for or against
slavery; and they got the term twisted
around into "non-intervention," THE term
which Douglas always used as the principle
of the Cincinnati Platform, and which the
mass of the party believe to be the one really
used in that article.
This is no time for double-faced phrases,
especially for those whose disputed meaning
has helped bring on the political disturbance.
If the Democrats mean that slavery shall be
protected in the Territories by the General
Government and the Territorial Legislature,
let them say so. If they will not grant this
as a concession to the South, let them say so,
that the South may know what to depend
upon. This is due to them; and it is due to
the Democratic Party in Ohio that its prop.
ositions for compromise shall be put in
plaiA, honest terms.
Furthermore, why should the Ohio De.
mocracy propose to exclude slavery north Of
this line? 1t is quite superfuous; and nc
considerable part Of the Northern people ask
it. That Territory will inevitably be free
and why should an uncalled-for prohibition
be put on question already settled, to make
material for future agitation. That prohi
bition was very offensive to the South while
it existed. 1t never affected the fate o.
slavery in the least. They repealed com
promise to which they conceded considera.
BILE sanctity, to get rid of that which they
regarded as wrong in principle, uncenstitu
tional, and an infringement on the equality
of the States.
To put it in the Constitution will greatly
aggravate the evil. That instrument is now
held to be sacred. Even the Secessionist
profess to be seeding expressly to preserve
! its sanctity. 1t is SO because its founders
restricted it carefully to principles which
were good for all time, leaving questions o
policy to legislation. How long will tina
sanctity continue if things, which in legis
lation have been condemned as wrong il
principle in violation of the equal rights 0
the States, and therefore unconstitutiona
and void, shall be put into the Constitution il
order to fasten them upon the people beyon(
repealP
Tke idea is monstrous. 1t would thrus
sectional legislation into the Constitution
and drag it into our party contests. Mel
would cease to respect it, or to be bound b.
it. We have Constitution which all loya
men respect, and which even rebels are com
PEELED to profess to hold sacred. Let u
preserve it as it is, and leave party question
to the fate of parties. And above all, let u
not attempt to canonize things, condemne
as wrong in principle and sectional in prac
tice, by putting them in a sacred Const
tuition.