Year: 1862

questionable. From the beginning of the anti


slavery agitation to the period of the last Dem


ocratic National Convention it has held but


one language in regard to it. Let the record
| speak:


| ''ReSol,ed, That Congress has no power un-
der the Constitution to interfere with or con-


troll the domestic institutions of the several


States, and that such states are the sole and
proper judges of every thing appertaining to
their own affairs not prohibited by the Constitu-
ton; that all efforts of the Abolitionists 9th
ers made to induce Congress to interfere with
questions of slavery, or to take incipient steps
in relation thereto are calculated to lead to the
most alarming and dangerous consequences, and
that all such efforts have an inevitable tenden-
cy to diminish the happiness of the people and
endanger the stability and permanency of the
Union, and ought not to be countenanced by any
friend OF our political institutions"


Upon these principles alone, so far as relates
to slavery, can the Union as-it was, be restored;
and no other Union, except the Unity OF Des-
potisin, can be maintained i'll this country; and
this last we will resist, as our fathers did, with
| our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
| But it is said that you must disband the
Democratic party ''to support the Government" P"
We answer that the Democratic party has al
ways supported the Government; and while it
(! was in power preserved the Government in all
its vigor and integrity, not by force and arms,


but by wisdom, sound policy, and peace But
it never did admit, and never will, that this Ad-
ministration, is ''the Government" 1t holds,
and ever has held that the Federal Govern
ment is the agent of the people Of the several
States composing the Union; that it consists of
three distinct departments-the Legislative, the
| Executive, and the Judicial-each equally q
part of the Government, and equally entitled
to the confidence and support of the States and
the people; and that it is The duty of every pa
triot to sustain the several departments Of the
Government in the exercise of all the constitu-
tional powers of each which may be necessary
and proper for the preservation of the Govern
ment in its principles and in its yigor and in
tegrity, and to stand by and defend to the ut
most the fagwhich represents the Government,
the Union and the country.


In this sense the Democratic party has always
sustained, and will now sustain, the Govern
ment against all foes, at home or abroad, In the
North or the South, open or concealed, in Of
fee or out of Office, in peace or in war.


If this is what the Republican party mean by
supporting the government, it is an idle thing
to abandon the old and tried Democratic party,
which for so many years and through so many
trials supported, preserved, and maintained the
Government of the Union. But if their real
purpose be to aid the ancient enemies of the
Democracy in subyerting our present Constitu-
ton and form of Government, and under pretence
of saving the Union, to erect strong centrali-
zed despotism on its ruins, the Democratic party
will resist them as the worst enemy to the Con-
stitution and the Union, and to free government
every where.


We do not propose to consider now the eau
ses which led to the present unhappy civil war.
A filter time will come hereafter for such discus
sion. But we remind you now that compromise
made your Union, and compromise ] 3 months
ago wouldhav saved it. Repeated efforts were
made at thelast session of the Thirty sixth Con-
gress to this end. AT every stage, the great
mass of the South, with the whole Democratic
party, and the whole Constitutional Union par
ty, of the North and the West, united in favor
of certain amendments to the Constitution-and
chief among hem the we-known "Crttenden
Propositions" which would have averted civil
war and maintained theUnion AT every stage,
all proposed amendments inconsistent with the
sectional doctrines of the Chicago Platform were
strenuously and unanimously resisted and defeat
ed by the Republican party. The "Crittenden
Propositions never received a single Republican
vote in either House. For the proof we appeal
to the Journals Of Congress and to the Congress
ional Globe.


We scorn to reply to the charge that the Dem
ocratic party is opposed to granting aid and sup
port to the Federal Government in maintaining
its safety, integrity, and constitutional suprom-
acy, and in favor of dsbanding our armies and
succumbing to the South. The charge is libel
lous and false. no man has advocated any such
proposition. Democrats recognise it as their
duty as patriots to support the Government in
all constitutional, necessary, and proper efforts
to maintain its safety, integrity, constitutional
authority; but at the same time they are infex-
ibly opposed to waging war against any Of the
States or people of this Union in any spirit of
oppression, or for any purpose of conquest or
subiugation, or of ovcrthroHins or interfering
with the rights or established institutions of any
State Above all, the Democratic party will
notsupport the Administration in any tlingwh
looks or tends to thc loss of our political or per-
sonal rights and liberties, or a change of our
present democratical form of government.


but no, Democrats, II IS Hol inc support ol
the Government in restoring the Union which
the party in power require of you. You are
asked to give up your principles, your policy,
and your party, and to stand by the Admins
tration of The party in power in oil its acts
Above all ii Is demanded of you that you yield
at least silent support to their whole policy,
and to withhold all scrutiny into their public
conduct of every kind, lest you should 'em-
barrass the Administration" Youare thus ask
ed 70 renounce Que Of the first principles of the
chief security of q Democratic Government
the right TO hold public servants responsible to
their master the people, to render the represen-
tatiI.c nnnnrntalIn to the cnnstiLuent: the an