Year: 1859

The Progress of Principle


That the Lecompton "Democrats'-for they


claim to be Democrats-have utterly iorsaken


the ancient tenets Of the Democratic faith, in
avowino themselves in favor Of Congression


al interference with slavery, is the more and |
more evident, as you trace back the history
| of the Democratic party. The Sectional op
ponents of the Democracy have always con-
tended for Congressional interference. They
undertook, first to assert the right of Con-
gress to regulate the institution Of slavery in
the limits Of individual States and to abolish
it if they saw fit. by an net of sovereign pow
er, as England abolished slavery within her
dominions by net Of Parliament SO well
was this sentiment understood to be the sen
timent Of the Opposition that the Democratic
party repeatedly declared its hostility to the
doctrine of Congressional interference with
slavery within the limits of the States. in or
der to thoroughly distinguish itself from all
other organizations and plant itNelf upon some
grand cardinal principle around which it
could call upon national vnd conservative
men to rally. We do not happen to have
any of the platforms of the Democratic party


before us at this time except the one of ls4s,
adopted at Buffalo In that platform we


find the f. flowing resolution:


"Resolre.l, That slavery in the several States of
this Union that recognize It's existence depends


upon State laws alone, which cannot be repealed
l.,.r "a iad hv he E4d,4 frpyprDmaDt and hi


which that Government Is not responsible We.


therefore prop Sc no interference by Congress


with slavery within the limits Of any State"


The Democratic party thought it necessary


to iterate and r, -iterate that principle of non


intervention over and over again in its plat


forms. The incorporation of the same policy


into the Democratic creed with relation to


Territories was a natural step for the Democ-
racy to take. Yet it was not without n Sc
we're shock to its organization that it was
done A long time indeed was it talked of be
fore it was finally done. Some of the abler
men of the nation expressed the opinion in
advance Of the times, and in advance of any
fore-shadowings of decision from the United
states Supreme Court upon the constitution
ality of - Congressional prohibition of slave
ry in the Territories, that the Democratic
party ought to adapt the doctrine Of States
Rights TO the Territories as well as to the
States. at least to such an extent rs was prac.
ticable. John c. Calhoun afterwards elabo-
rated the idea into a more definite system.
and finally it took the shape in which we now
! find il in the Cincinnati Platform aud the
Kansas Nebraska Bill 1t WIS the most ma
turnl result in the world. if Congress ought
not to interfere with slavery within the limit,
Of State. because it is matter Of local i'm
Portance merely, concerning the people only |
in whose immediate midst the institution is.
it ought not, for the same reason, to interfere
with it in those embryo soveregnties, which
are to becomes States Of the Union. If pure
air and free exercise are necessary to the
health Of a full grown man, it naturally fo!-
lows that it would not be advisable to deny
the same thing to the growing youth. II
Congress is to let full grown States alone in =
this matter, it must also let alone States which
are forming for, TO interfere in the forming
process so as to determine the character OF .
the State, when established, were no better
than to do the same thing after the full and {
complete growth had been attained, because ;
the efect is the sdnas it does not leave the
people free to determine the question for
themselves 8


Now, fifth Democratic party is going to
recede from this position and simply fall back
upon the old doctrine of States Rights as ap-
piled to the States merely, they occupy no
better position than do the Republicans,
for the Republicans do not propose to have
Congress interfere with slavery in the States
at all They only want Congressional legis-
laton for the Territories. But the Democra.
tic party is not going to recede from this po-
sition. Pretended Democrats may.