Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-11-12
IFor the Leader.
gsEo nou,o,,.,.Fo n.,,

to be good method of ascertaining th
probable future Of the Democratic party
50 1 propose to present to your readers
few facts from its records. 1t is undoubt
edly the opinion of those who voted tn
Democratic ticket this fall, that they ar
supporting the same principles that fOun,
advocates in Jefferson and jackson, an,
that the Democratic party is the same nov
thatit ever has been. Such, however, i
not the case. ANY unprejudiced mind viii
ling to investigate the subject can arriv
at the correct conclusion that the Demo
cratic party Of the present day is a shan
and counterfeit and poor at that.
At the CuyahOga county Democrat,
Convention in 1849, a series of resolutions
was passed, among which was the fol
lowing:
"ResolVeG, That we are unalterably op-
posed to the extension Of slavery into Ter
ritoTy that is now free, and while we ad.
here TO the belief that it cannot obtain q
legal existence in the Territories Of Cali
fornis and New Mexico, without express
statutory enactments, yet, as it may gain
q foothold there by the conniVsnce Of eX-
eeutive authority, in defiance Of law, we
are in favor Of migrating on every act for
the government Of said Territories the
| principles Of the Jefferson Proviso.P
The Plain Dealer was then an influential
paper, and regarded as good authority by
large circle of subscribers. 1t indOrsed
the CuyahOga resolutions in the following
words:
"Nothing illustrates better the distinct
iveness Of the old standard Democracy
from any and all other parties, than the
plain, practical, and pointed straightfor-
wardness Of these resolutions. They are
the principles Of our candidates"
The Plain Dealer also fully indorses the
Medina county Democratic resolutions pas
sed the same year, the 9th and 9th ofwhieh
were as follows:
" "RssOEusd, That Congress has the con-
stitutionAl power to prohibit slavery in the
Territories of the United States, and that
it is expedient and proper that they should
exercise that power.0
"Rs'olVed, That no more slave States
ought to be admitted into this Union, and
that we will use all constitutional means
10 prevent such a consumation"
Lake and Ashtabula counties passed
similar resolutions, sll of which received
the unqualified approval Of the Plain
Dealer.
In 1850, when Douglas proposed, as a
compromise, to carve a slave State out Of
Texas to Offset the admission of Galifor-
MIA as q free State, the Plain Dealer con-
demned compromises for the extension of
slavery, in the following words:
@ Vote it down, say we. Away with any
compromise in the matter. The subject
is enc that admits Of no compromise
What right has slavery in the Territories
acquired from Mexieo2 It did not exist
there when we sequired them-it was pro-
hibited by Iaw-iT has not been re-estab-
lished. The Territories are free in law
and in fact; what is there to compromised
What can slavery give in return for an
abandonment Of the Territories to its ae-
cursed pretensions! Blight, and mildew,
and blasting snd eternal discord
'fThis system which has no rights save
those created and guaranteed by special
law, Mr.. Douglas proposes to tolerate in
Territories now free by law and in fact
from its presence. And this is called com
prOmisel Away with it"
This was good Democracy then, but now
such sentiments are branded by the Dem
Ocratic press as abolition "disuniOn,
etc.
In 1852 the Democratic State Conven-
ton of Ohio passed the following resOlu-
tion as a plank in their platform:
aResolued, That the Democracy of Ohio
do now, as they always have done, look
upon slavery as an evil, and unfavorable
to the full development Of the spirit and
practical benefits Of free institutions; and
that, entertaining these sentiments, they
viii at all times feel it their duty to use
all power given by the National Com
pact, to prevent any increase, to mitigate,
and finally eradicate the evil
To show that such sentiments met the
approval Of the Democratic press, quote
the following from the Plain Dealer of
those days, VsTJatim ct Eteratim:
HNo more slave Ststesl That is our
doctrine, ever has been and ever will be.
We long to see the day when no bondman,
black or white, shall mingle his groans
with our aspirations for universal liberty
mo more slave States is a Republican
motto, expressive Of Republican senti-
ment as well as a Republican policy
Beh. Letter quoted the above from the
Plain Dealer, and his comments thereon
ELECTED reply from that paper. In its is
sue Of Sept. 9Th, 1856, the above is reprint
ed with the following comments;
"When we penned that article it was
with the belief in common with General
Cass and hosts Of the best Democrats in
the country, that Congress had power to
legislate upon slavery IN the Territories
We were impressed with that belief,
not from a critical examination of
the Constitution, but from the previous
action Of Congress on the subject, in pass
ing the Missouri Compromise and kindred
measures"
Poor Dealer; ithad to acknowledge SIS late
as 1855 that it once believed, with GeHsral
Cass and hosts of the best Democrats in the
country, that Congress had power to leg
late upon slavery il the Territories. Why
then this great change? Simply because
their aSOuthern brethren" saw their
"dear institution" slavery, in dan
ger Of being finally eradica-
ted' if it was not permitted the privilege
Of extension. A complete summersault
was turned, and the Northern Democrats
danced to the tune that their "southern
brethren hddled. The Missouri COmpro-
mise was repealed- and Dernocrafs rnade