Year: 1860

ana military point OIL view, is a SPECIFY cofhmu-
nication between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts
therefore, be it


Resolved That the National Democratic party
do hereby pledge themselves to use every means
in their power to secure the passage OF some
bill for the construction of Pacific Railroad,
from the Mississippi River TO the Pacific Ocean,
al the earliest practicable moment.


There is some intended vagueness in the
terms of this Platform, but none at all In its
substance and spirit. The meaning o. its first
aud third planks is just this: aAny slave
holder has the same right to take his slaves in
to any Federal Territory that he or any other
citizen has 10 take any property whatever thith-
er; and both the Federal and Territorial Gov
ernments are under the same obligations and
have the same power to protect in said terrific
ry such STAKEHOLDER in the use and enjoyment
of his slaves labor as to protect him or any
other person in the enjoyment of any property
whatever" And this il in essence the ex-
trelne Southern platform, first propounded by
John q. Calhoun, since embodied in the JEFF
Davis resolves now before the Senate, and
more logically set forth in those Of his col
league, Alberg G. Brown.


Under ordinary circumstances this platform
would have been swallowed by the select office
holders and office-seekers in Democratic Ma
tional Convention assembled, without cavil or
hesitation. The ruling logic would have run
thus "This platform is a more abstraction,
while Sixty Millions per annum is a solid pre-
sent reality; If we do not give way on the
platform, the South viii not bolt en- nsassie, the
Election will be lost, and with it our Sixty
Millions 80 let us shut our eyes and 60 It,
And 90 it they would.


But Mr.. Senator Douglas happens to be a
candidate for the Presidency, backed by nearly
or quite half the delegates to this Convention
and he could not stand on this platform. Even
though his resolute and successful resistance to
the Lecompton fraud had not forbidden, he last
summer saw fit to place himself deliberately
and clearly on the record By writing and print
ing this letter:


WASHINGTON, Wednesday, June p, 1859


ssMY DEAR Sin have received your letter in
quirng whether my friends are at liberty to present
my name TO the Charleston Convention f6r the Pre-
sidential nomination.


ssBefore the question can be fully determined, it
will be necessary TO understand distinctly upon
what issues the canvass is to be conducted. If, as
have full faith they will. the Democratic patty
shall determine, in the Presidential election of
1860, to adhere to the principles embodied in the





people in the Presidential election of 1852, and
affirmed in the Kansas Nebraska act of 1854, and
Incorporated into the Cincinnati platform of 1855,
expounded by Mr.. Buchanan in his letter accept
ing the nomination. and approved by the people
in that event. my friends will be at liberty TO pre-
sent my name to the Convention If they see proper
to do SO. If, on the contrary, it shall become the
policy of the Democratic party-which | cannot
anticpate-to repudiate these, their time-honored
principles, on which We have achieved so many
patriotic triumphs, and if In lieu of them the Con-
venton shall interpolate into the creed of the party
such issues the revival of the slaye-trade
Congressional slave code for the Territories be-
yond the power of the people legally to control it
as other property it is due to candor to say that in
such an event, / could not accept the nomination
if rendered to Trusting that this answer W i'll
be deemed sufficiently explicit,


ssI am, very respectfully, your friend,


SIS. A. DOUGLAS.


"ToJ. B. DoRR, Esq, Dubuque, Iowa.


Now, there can be no need of arguing that
this letter is incompatible with the acceptance
of a nomination ON the platform above given,
for that platform was devised and designed to
render either the nomination of Mr.. Douglas
or his acceptance of il impracticable. Hence
the representatives on the Grand Committee of
sixteen Free States, casting large majority
of the Electoral Votes of the entire Union,
united in reporting the minority Platform:


Resolved, That we, the Democracy of the Union,
in Convention assembled, hereby declare our af-
firmance of the resolutions unanimously adopted,
and declared as a platform of principles by the
Democratic Convention at Cincinnati, in the year
1885, believing that Democratic PRINCIPLES are un-
changeabe in their nature when applied to the
subject matters and we recommend as our lily
future resolutions the following:


TInasmuch as differences of opinion exist in the
Democratic party, as to the nature and extent of
ufafn frwfnI afr1~n
the powers and duties of Congress under the Con-
stituton of the United States, the institution
OF Slavery within the Territories;


Resolved, That the Democratic party will abide
by the decisions Of the Supreme Court of the u.
States, on the question of Constitutional law.1


Resolved, That it is the duty of u. States to af-
ford ample and complete protection to all its citi-
zens, whether at home or abroad, and whether ma
tive or foreign.


Resolved, That one of the necessities of the age.
in military. commercial and postal point of yeg,
is speedy communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific States and the Democratic party pledge such
constitutional Government aid as will insure the
construction of railroad to the Pacific coast at
the earliest practicable period.


Resolved, That the Democratic party are in favor
of the acquisition of the Island Of Cuba, on such
terms as shall be honorable to ourselves and just
to Spain.


Resolved, That the enactments of State Legis-
latures to defeat the faithful execution of the Fu
gtve Slave law are hostile in character, subversve
of the Constitution, and revolutionary in their ef-
feet.


This Platform was substituted for that OF the
majority Of tSe Committee, by direc, vote OF
the full Convention Yeas 165, Nays 1872
majority on vote very nearly sectional, Hay-
ing been thus substituted, the minority demand
ed and secured a vote on the adoption of its
several parts separately Whereon the preamble
and second resolve (given above in brackets)
we're rejected by an almost unanimous VOTE
The explanation of this vote is curiously inter
estIng. The delegates from the Free States
had framed aad presented it as substantial
to the South, which--being so much
over aud above oil that had been hitherto con-