Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-06-14
BuTLER,s BOOK.

GENERAL BENJAMIN 4. BUTLER In
his recent work, "Butler's Book"
gives q graphic account OF the Demo.
cratic conventions OF 1860. lie wAs n
delegate from Ma'sachu,elts to the
Charleston convention, which was
presided over by Caleb Cushing. lie
aays:
"IIaving become satisfied tina, there was
danger Of an attempt to sever the union
Of tho States upon tho slavery question.
I -odulously devoted myselfto an on
.doavor to keep tho peace, and keep the
Democratic party together, because |
looked to that astho only source Of safety
To the Union. Upon the slavery question
Mr.. Douglas was tho leader OF that part
of tho convention which advocated tho
principle known ~ "squatter sovereign
~" that IN, the right Of people who
setilo'in any part Of tho territory OF the
United States. to organize themselves
undor such laws precisely rs they choose
10 enact, aud thon 10 DO admitted Into
tho Union without being subjected by
Congress to any conditions or any pro-
vision u, to freedom or slavery In their
statehood"
Gen. Butler did not fully endorse the
"squatter soveroignlty" idea. lie be-
liovud that the time hal come when
another slave State could not enter the
Union under any conditions. lie also
believed that Congress should retain
power OF admission over new Estates.
The committee on resolutions of the
Charleston convention contested OF
thlrtythre members, Of whom Gen.
Butler was one. Sixteen Of these
favored the Doug las platform. Sixteen
others were In 10 vor OF leaving the
question Of slavery as State lnstitu.
ton to be decided by the Supreme
Court. Butler did not favor either.
The decision of the "Dred Scott" case
illustrated what the result would 10
should that court be made arbiter. II
satisfied neither party, and was dc.
rided by one and tramped upon by the
other"
Here Butler endeAvored to act the
part OF compromiser. RE introduced a
resolution, which was the exact plat
form Of the Cincinnati National Demo.
cratic convention of 1859, and on
which Buchanan was elected.
The result was that these reports
were presented to the convention, one
a Douglas platform, another anti.
Douglas, and u third the Cincinnati
platform pure and simple, Each OF
the sixteen members on both slide,
spoke In favor Of their respective plat
forms, aad flually the doughty general
got the door to speak for his minority
report Of one. To his surprise h,
carried the convention, anu with tn,
exc ton OF South Carolina his rcsolu
tons were adopted. This caused tn,
Carolina deleg alton to secede, leaving
the hall In body, The convention thel
adjourned for dinner, on reasaomblinl
ballOting began. Butler voted sever
times for Douglas, and on the eight
ballot voted for JtiltreUn Davis, ant
continued 10 do 30 on 90 subscqueu
ballots when tho convention resolve,
to adjourn, and meet again at Baltimor,
ON June Is,
The "Squatter Sovereignty" plat
form came up again at Baltimore, thol
Caleb Cushing, who was presiding
vacated the chair and Withdrew from
the Convention. Several Southern
delegates also withdrew; even Butte
himself left, Finally Douglas got tn
nomination, aud the seceders organ
ICED Convention Of their own.