The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-04-27

Every luttillRtut udu EuoWo tiidb IOf mOft
than year past the party watch-words Of the
so-called Democratic party has been - "The
Constitution as it Is - the Union as it tcds."
Those who have limited that, as the result of
the war, any change might be wrought either
In the Constitution or the Union, have been
denounced as dangerous men, red Republicans,
men uniaithful to the institutes of the fathers.
The Democratic State Convention that assem-
bled in this city on the 14th of August last,
solemuly enunciated the following:
Whereas The American Constitution was or
dained and established by our fathers in order to
form more perfect bond of Union, establish
Justice, ENSURE domestic tranquility, provide for
the common defense, promote the general well
fare, and secure the blessings of liberty to pos
terity, therefore,
Resolved, That the purpose Of the Democratic
party is the restoration of the Union as it was,
and the PRESERVATION Of the Constitution
AS IT Is; and 10 secure THESE OBJECTS zoe
Wiil stand shoulder TO shoulder with Union men
everywhere in support of the Federal Govern
ment in maintaining its safety, integrity, and
legitimate authority, by all proper means.
By appeals to the natural preudices Of men
against changes in their organic and funda-
mental laws, and by assuring them that the
purposes of the Republican party were adverse
to the Constitution as it is, Democratic party
leaders have contrived, In thousands of instan-
ces, to hold their party friends up to their sup
port, and have been enabled to pcrpetuate an
unjust opposition to those who are honestly
laboring to maintain the authority of the fed
eral government, and to put down those who
are in armed rebellion against it.
1t now begins TO crop out, however, that all
this pretended reverence for the Constitution
IS It Is" Is mere sham, a miserable cheat,
designed simply TO throw honest men off
their guard, while scheming politicians are
planning TO pervert the constitution by max.
ing Of 1t only an engine Of despotism with
which to perpetuate human slavery, to subvert
the just rights of the people, to encourage
filibustering, and 10 sasten the damning in
fiuence of negro stacery for all time to come
upon the virgin soil Of territories never as yet
pressed by the foot of slave. This and this
alone, Is the purpose of copperheads, if their
organ in this city is to bOconsidered authority
in the premises. The party claiming to be DEM
ocratic has so far departed from the faith of the
fathers has become so dead to the teachings
OF Jefferson, Madison and all the other early
founders of American Democracy, that it pro-
poses to itself no higher mission than to
become the dirt-eaters, the dough-faces, the
lick-spttles for southern Shareholders, and to
labor for no higher end than the protection,
the perpetuity and the eternity Of negro bond.
age! To such an ignoble end has the self
styled Democracy ofeven our own state become
reduced, and this proposition we now propose
to sustain by the most direct proof
In the Argus Of Saturday we find repro
duced the somewhat notorious resolutions
proposed by Hon. John J. Crittenden, in the
U. S. Senate, Dec. Is, 1860, and which the
mover designed to have incorporated into the
Federal Constitution, and to become a part
and parcel Of that instrument Though the
Missouri Compromise line had been repeatedly
aDemocratic Congress and the actapprovedby
the Democratic party, and though the bred
Scott Decision had, extra judicially, declared
that line to have been unconstitutional, and
though the Democratic party had based its OPP
position TO the compromise line, not upon any
alleged unconstitutionaiity, but upon its sec
tionaiity - the resolutions of Mr.. Crittenden
proposed first and foremost to drdu section
al line across the country, to devote all the
territory on one side Of the line to slavery.
pledging the federal government to the sup
port Of slavery there, and disabling the terri
torial legislatures therein from ever interfering
with slavery except to protect and support it,
and compelling them TO do this they also pro-
posed to perpetuate slaveryin all places over
which Congress has exclusive jurisdiction, for
bidding 1t to exercise jurisdiction over the sub
ject Of slavery except TO protect it; they pro-
hibited Congress from disturbing the domestic
slave trade between the slave States and terri
tories though it had to be carried on over the
territory Of free States, and they denied the
right and forbid the power Of the people ever
to change the Constitution so as to affect
the rights and immunities Of slavery or slave
holders as provided in the provisions referred
TO.
II is notorious that the whole object and
purpose Of the Crittenden resolutions was to
establish aud extend slavery; to restrict free
dom; To compel the people of the territories
70 uphold and protect slavery, no matter how
much opposed to it.; and to make the proyis-
ions of the Constitution irrerocabte in this
respecti Slavery was to be made eternal by
the Constitution, and no earthly power was TO
exist In the people to change s;:ch guaran-
tee! 1t was an infamous Propositions pro-
posed bond Of denominations, giving to slavery
rights, privileges, immunities and pledges that
were given to no other Institution, conceded to
no other people, accorded to no other proper
ty or privilege. Such was the proposed Crit
tenden Compromise = proposed addition to
the Federal Constitution.
ENow what says the Eastern Argus, the organ
Of the Maine Democracy paper which for
twelve months has taken up the refrain, "the
constitution as ii is,-"the Union as it ioas ~
We ask the reader to carefully note the facts
The Argus of Saturday, ater giving the Res
olutions OF Mr. Crittenden, and after reciting
the efforts of their author to secure their in
corporation into the constitution, says:
1t is our deliberate conviction this day, that
ii the loyal States would adopt the Crittenden
or Peace Conference propositions as a part of
the constitution, and those who WELD the admin
istrative powers of the country would recall the
emancipation proclamation and proclaim an
amnesty TO the masses of the South, in case
they lay down their arms and submit TO the fed
eral authority, the rebel leaders would not he
able to hold their followers for n montb-that
the fighting would virtually be over, and that