Teachings of Patriots and Statesmen

Page 253

N A'l'I ON A L 'ON V 1£N'l'J ON8. mH1 tho Democratic party pkdgo such conH1 it.ul ionnl enact­ment ns will iii Slll'C th' ·onstru<:tion of n railroad to tho Pn('i[i(' <'OIL~ { at the earli es t pme(iC<Li>]e jll'l'iod. "Rt·.·wl t·l'd, 'L,h:l t th<' l>enl nc·rnti<' pnrly are in favo r of' the n c qui ~·d! ion or the island or Ulll>n., 0 11 Hll !'ll Ll•rJ tlS :t:-, :-- 11 :111 he l1 o 11om I 1 I e to o 11 rs c I r C' s a 11 d j 11 s t t o ~ p :t i 11 . 11Rowll'<'d, 'l,hat the •nadnH·nts of StaLe l eg i ~.datun•s to defeat the fni thful execution of tho fug i ti vo sin ve law, nrc hostile in chn.racter, Hul>vcrsivo of tho Constitution, auu revolutionary iu their effect. Previous to the nomination of Mr. DouglnA, a Rcccs ion of about one hundred, both of N orlhern and South cru dolcgntos, took place, who immediately met in Couvcntion, and nominn.tcd J ohn C. Brcckonrid(ro, of Kentucky, for Presid ·nt, and Jos ph Ln.no, of Oregon, for Vice-President. 'rllis convention adopted tho following plu.tfornt, which i tho same ns adopted by tbo seceding delegates at Charleston : 11 Resol ved, ~rhat tho platform adopted by the Demo­cratic party at Cincinnati be al.Iirmod, with the following expln,natory re 'olutions : H First-'rhnt the government of a rrerritory organized uy au net of Congrcs , is provisional and temporary, and dul'­ing its exi tcnce all citizens of tlte United States have an ClJual right to settle with their property in tho '11cnitory, without theit· rights, eitber of person or property, being de­stroyed or injured by congressional or territorial legis­lation. 11 Second-That it is the duty of tho federal government, in all its departments, to protect the rights of persons and property in tho 'l1enitories, and wherever else its constitu­tional authority extends. 11 'rhird-That when the settlers in a Territory having an adequate populatiou, form a State Constitution, the right of' sovereignty com monces, and, being COllS!l :!lmated by 4.05 th eir admission into tho Un io n, thry Hl:tll tl on nn r qu al it.y wi th the p<'n plo of ol lH·r Htni<'H, nnd a Hta!e thus org-nr1ized ought to he adrn iLted into the f'l'd<·rnl lJ11ion, whetlwr iiH CO IIHt ilu!ion p rohibit.~ or n!eog·lliZ<'H tl1o institution of sin\ <' ~"Y· 11 f/,•solt•('d, 'l1hatiht• l><'lll()('l'ldi<· party nre in favor or the :ll' q II i :-; i ti 0 ll 0 f I h c i. ·Inn d () r culm, {)II HIl l' h I ('!'Ill H :t H s" al l lJC honorable to o ur!::>cl vo~ nnd ju t;L to Spn in, at tho cu.rli 'til prneticablc morn 0n t. 11JlnwLt ('c/, 'L,Itnt the cnaetm nts of SLate 1 •gisln.t.urcs Lo d<'fent the f'ai lhful execution of tl1' f11 git ivc sl1Lvc lttw, aro hostile in charac ter, s u hvl'l't:~i vo of Lhc ConHtitution, ami rcvol tlti onnry in th eir ·fl'ect. 11Jl1·.-;u/Pe<l, 'rhat the Democracy of the Unite<l States recognize it as tho imp<'ral ivc duly of th is govrrrrlllrnt to proLe<'t the nMu ml izcd ci l.i1;en in nil h iH rig Ills, w~t c! he r. at homo or in foreign Ju.nds, to tho stunc extent :u.; Its nuttvo bol'll cit i ~ en s. 11 Whcrcn.s, One of Lho grratcst ner essitics of the ag , inn pol iLieul, commercial, po:::;tal and tni litnry point of vi w, is n. speedy communication l>c twccu the P ucilie and A tlantic coasts ; therefore, be it 111lcsol1 ed, 'l1hat tho national Democratic party do h rcby pledge th emselves to uso every means in their po~er Lo s:­cnre tho pn.'sage of some bill, to tho exton t of tlteu· constL­tutional au thority, by Cottgrcss, for Lho constr uc tion of a Pacific railroad from tho MissisHi ppi rivet· to tho l'ncific ocean, nL the earliest pn.te ticnblo moment. Mt·. T~,itzpatri c k refu sing to n.cccpt tho nomination for Vico-Prcs i<lcn t wi th Mr. DouglnR, the N ationnl Com mit tee placed the nnmo of I r crschel V. J ohnson, of G corgi n, upon Du the ti cket i 11 his stead.