The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-09-20
The Basis on which the Democratic
Organization In this State Rests.

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ger practical existence. To day, the stump
er who should attempt to influence an audi.
ence upon the questions of Extension OF
Slavery, Tariff, Banks, Distribution OF
Proceeds of Public Lands, or any other
obsolete issue. would be booted from the
rostrum as fogy or fool. People would
look at him as another Rip Van Wrinkle,
just awakened from a sleep during which
time had been marked, not "by years, but
beart-throbs the convulsive heart -throbs
of revolution.
We will not indulge in the sarcasm
against the late Democratic Convention
that would be involved in saying that its
members had retained these defunct issues
as the basis of their organization. 1t is
true that the platform declared their adhe-
sion to the Democratic side of the old
questions; but as the questions were dead,
al! this was wholly retrospective, and
amounted simply to an affirmance that when
the issues we're pertinent to the times, the
Democracy was right. No part of their
platform, therefore, can be taken as the ba-
sis of their organization, except such as
pertains to the living questions of the day,
and those questions relate solely to the civil
war, and the policy to be pursued by the
people and the Government. And, in re-
gard to these the positions assumed are
/. The writ OF habeas corpus should not
be suspended except within military lines of
operation.
2. The right of talking and publishing
treason, " is right upon which the pillars
of our Republic rest" and one which should
not be interfered with.
3. Slave property is of a character so
sacred as to be beyond the reach of the
damnatory provisions of law; that, there>
fore, the liberation of the slaves of rebels is
athing that cannot and ought not to be done;
and that the attempt to do it sis calculated
toembitter the sections, dishearten the loyal,
encourage the rebellious, and postpone the
termination of the war;"
4. "That it is the duty of the President
by proclamation to assure the nation
at large that this is not sectional
war, not an anti.slavery war, not war OF
conquest and subjugation, but war simply
and solely for the maintenance of the Gov
eminent, the suppression of rebellion, and
the preservation Of the Magma Charta Of
our National Union
These, amidst mass of verbiage, are the
only points dscoverable in the Democratic
platform.
The right of personal liberty is sacred
right, and the writ of habeos corpus, as the
writ employed to assert that right when dis
regarded, is one always and deservedly high
in the estimation of the people. 1t is a
writ, however, like all other processes of
law, subject to abuse, and capable OF being
turned against the government through the
disloyalty OF the civil tribunals. In revo-
lutionary times like these, if traitor be ar
rested, it is dangerous to the government
that he should be set at large, and thus dam
gerous to the great mass of citizens, on
whose loyalty alone the government rests in
security; and, wherever the civil authority
cannot be relied on to do justice and MAIN
tain law, whether "within military lines"
or motif becomes both duty and necessity,
and duty because necessity, to suspend
the writ. 1t becomes a question whether
individual liberty is superior to the liberty
Of the whole people, and to the safety of the
government; and on such a question the
technical rights of the individual must be
ignored for the general good of the mass.
The right of free speech and free press,
are rights guaranteed by the Constitution
but they are rights which, as they receive
their warrant from the Constitution,
cease to be rights when they are used to
subvert government, and justify and en-
courage rebellion. And it may be safely
said that, whoever defends the right to talk
or print treason, is himself ready to act
treason whenever circumstances promise
safety to its commission.
1t will be seen that the " almighty nig-
ger" occupies a prominent place on the
Democratic platform. He is exalted far
above all the beasts that perish. Consid.
cred merely as work-animal, worth so
many dollars per head, we cannot regard
him in any light more sacred than horse
or an OK. He is more valuable to his mas
ter because he will bring more money; and
as the object in taking property from rebels
is to weaken their resources, the more VAL
liable and desirable the species of property
is to them, the more eager should the Gov.
eminent be to deprive them of it. If a
more enlarged view be taken of the chattel,
and he is looked upon as a human being,
all objections against his liberation ought