The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-03-05

have tailed to procure an Endorsement OF
the people.
Mr. Harris, of Virginia. Will the
gentleman from Iowa permit me 10 ask
him question
Mr.. Vandever. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Harris. l ask the gentleman
whether the doctrines of the Chicago
platform have not been repudiated by
nearly million majority of the Ameri-
can people
Mr.. Vandever. The gentleman can
himself enlighten the House on that par
ticular point, if he desires to do so ; but
that is not within the line of my argu-
mert. Mr.. Lincoln, like many other
Presidents, has only a plurality of all
the votes cast.
Mr.. Harris. | prefer that the gentle
man himself should answer the question.
The line of his argument is, that he
ought to adhere to the Chicago platform,
because only a minority of the people
were in favor Of the demand to protect
slavery in the Territories.
Mr.. Vandever. | have said nothing
about the Chicago platform
Mr.. Harris. | ask the gentleman
whether majority of the people of the
country have not. by their votes, repudi-
ated the Chicago platform ?
Mr.. Vandever. | have not said any
thing about the Chicago platform.
Mr.. Harris. But / wish 10 bring you
to that very point.
Mr.. Vandever. l have been paying
my respects to the Democracy. l will
soon reach the Republican side of the
question. Now, as said, this revolution
ary cabal, as it has turned on. to be,
when it retired from the Charleston con-
vention-
Mr. Clark, of Missouri. May be al
lowed, Mr.. Speaker, TO interrupt the gen.
tleman
Mr.. Vandever. Yes, il it will not
come out Of my time.
The Speaker. Itmust come out of the
gentleman time unless ii is otherwise
specially stipulated.
Mr.. Vandever. Then cannot give
way.
Mr.. Rust. There is no objection on
this side TO the gentleman having his time
made up.
The Speaker. Interruptions must come
out of the gentleman's time.
Mr.. Vandeyer. Then | must decline,
unless the gentleman thinks | have mis-
stated the facts.
Mr.. Clark, | only wish to correct the
gentleman's statement as to matter OF
tact.
Mr. Vandever. always give way for
correction
Mr. Clark. The gentleman has un-
dertaken to state the question on which
the convention that nominated the Demo
cratic candidate for President was diyid-
ed. was in that convention. as south.
ern man. voted finally for the nomina
ton Of Judge Douglas. The question OF
the protection of slavery in the Terrific
ties seems not to be well understood by
the gentleman from Iowa. 1t was a
mooted question in that convention wheth
er the Constitution carried slavery into
the Territories, or whether slavery was a
local institution. Those who supported
Judge Douglas preferred TO leave that
matter to the people some OF us hold
ing that, under the Constitution, we had
a right TO carry slaves into the Terrific
ries, and some holding that it depended
on local legislation. The gentleman
therefore, is in error when he supposeS
that this issue was made in that conven.
ton, There was no such issue. As q
matter of proprietY, as a matter Of safe.
ty, as matter of policy, we wanted pro
lection by the Constitution. The Crit.
tenden proposition is TO give that protec
tion, and TO give quiet 10 the country
North and South on that great ques-
ton.
Mr.. Vandever. | do not think the
gentleman has varied the proposition ma
lerially from what l stated il TO be.
think the country is well satisfied 10 day
as to what was the proposition of the
minority at the Charleston convention
Ii was based on the resolutions introduc-
ed by the Senator from Mississippi, il
the Senate of the United States. Mr.
Calhoun himself made the same demand
for specific protection and guarantees fol
slave property in the Territories, which
no other property had. My friend from
Missouri says he was in favor of leaving
IL TO the people of the Territory but tn,
minority of the Charleston convention
would leave IT neither to the people nor L
Congress but claimed il was guaran
tied to them Independent of the people
and Congress of the United States.
am justified, therefore, in making th,
declaration, that the turning point in tina
convention was on the question of pro
tecting slavery in the Territories. regard
less OF the wishes of the people OF th'
Territory. or the power of Congress L
exclude it.
now come back 10 the point at whiol
was interrupted The issue having
been thus fairly made TO the country
having been decided against slavery pro
tectionists in their own section, in lhei
own Democratic convention. being in
hopeless minority in the country. thes
men now seek TO present this question
again for our consideration. Since th
election they have been busily at work
by their insidious wiles and misrepresen
tations.