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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 3, NUMBER 51,
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;JBryan oi the Democratic Party
i (Continued from Paga3.)
raised than is reuulrcd to defray tno
nocossary expenses of the govern
ment. "6. Resolved, That congress has
no power to charter a United States
hank; that wo bellove uich an insti
tution one of deadly hostility to the
best interests of the country, danger-
ous to our republican institutions, and
the liberties of the people, and cal
culated to placo the business of the
country within the control of a con
centrated money power and above the
laws and the will of the, people.
. '7. Resolved, That congress has
- no power under the constitution to in
terfere with or control the, domestic
institutions of the several states; and
that such states are the sole and
proper' judges of everything pertain
ing to their own affairs, not prohibited
by tho constitution; that all efforts by
abolitionists or others, made to in
duce congress to interfere with ques
tions of slavery or to take incipient
steps in relation thereto, are calcu
lated to lead to the most alarming
and dangerous consequences, and that
all such efforts have an inevitable ten
dency to diminish the happiness of
the people, and endanger the stability
and permanence of the Union, and
ought not to bo countenanced by any
friend to our political institutions.
As the names of several different
persons had been presented for vice
president the convention of 1840 mado
no nominations for that office, but ad
vocated resolutions leaving the deci
sion to members of the party in the
various states, and trusting that "oe
foro the election took place the opin
ion would be so concentrated as to
enable the electoral college to secure
the choice of a vice president."
Upon the death of Harrison, John
Tyler became president, and during
his term vetoed two bills, which had
for their object the ro-establishing of
the United States bank. ; . Tyler fav
ored the annexation of Texas, which
had separated from Mexico and had
existed under an independent govern
ment since 1836. Jas. K. Polk, the
democratic candidate, also, favored an
nexation, while Henry Clay, for a
third time a candidate for the presi
dency, opposed annexation.
"In the platform of 1844, the first
nine resolutions of' the platform bt
1840 were reaffirmed, and new resolu
tions added demanding, first, that the
proceeds of public lands be sacredly
applied to the national object speci
fied in the constitution, rather than
distributed among the states; second,
sustaining and defending the veto ot
the president which had "thrice saved
the Americans from tho corrupt and
tyrannical domination of tho banks of
the United States," and, third; declar
ing for the annexation of .Toxas. The
campaign resulted in tho election of
Polk and Dallas, although the ma
jority of the electoral college was pio
portionately larger than tho popular
' majority.
,. The campaign of 1848 was waged
, with Lewis Cass of Michigan and Wil
liam 0. Butler of Kentucky as the
democratic candidates for president
and vice president. The platform of
1848 reaffirmed that of 1840 and 1844,
and added new planks covering new
! questions. Resolution No. 19 of the
platform of 1848 is given below be
cause it reiterates the dsmocratic con
tention in regard to the value of solf-
. government It reads:
. "Resolved, That in view of the re-
. -. cent development of this grand politi
cal truth, of the sovereignty of the
people and their capacity and power
for self-government, which" is pros
trating thrones and erecting republics
on the ruins of despotism in the Old
World, wo feel that a high and sacred
duty Is devolved, with ncreased re:
sponsibility, upon tho democratic par
ty of this country, as tho party of the
us constitutional liberty, equality, and
fraternity, by continuing to resist all
monopolies and exclusive legislation
for tho benefit of the few at the ex
pense of the many, and by a vigilant
and constant adherence to those prin
ciples and compromises of tho con
stitution, which are broad enough and
strong enough to embrace and uphold
the Union as it was, the union as it
is, and the Union as it shall be, in
the full expansion of the energies and
capacity of this great and progres&iyo
people."
Tho whig candidates, however,
Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore,
were successful that year, having both
a nonular majority and a majority in
the electoral college. In the campaign
of 1852, Franklin Pierce of, New
Hampshire and William R. King cf
Alabama were' the democratic nomi
nees, and the platform reiterated the
leading planks of 1840, 1844 and 1848.
The platform of 1852 also reiterated
the principles laid down in the Ken
tucky and Virginia resolutions, and
dofended the Mexican war "as just
and necessary." The campaign of
1852 resulted in an overwhelming
democratic victory, the popular plu
rality being more than 200,000.
The slavery question was constant
ly growing in prominence, and at last
exerted an influence upon every issue
that arose. The position taken by the
various parties in regard to the Mex
ican war was largely determined by
tho slavery views held by the mem
bers of tho parties.
The fugitive slave laws of the vari
ous states also came up for consider
ation, and each election showed an in
crease in the anti-slavery sentiment.
In 1856 the democratic platform" again
reaffirmed the principles set forth in
1840, and reiterated in subsequent
campaigns. It quoted resolution 7 of
the platform of 1S40, and said:
"That the foregoing proposition
covers, and was intended to embrace,
the whole subject of slavery agitation
in congress; and, therefore, the demo
cratic party of the Union, standing1
on this national platform, will abide
by, and adhere to, a faithful execution
of the acts known as the compromise
measures settled by the congress ot
1850; That 'the act for reclaiming
fugitives from service labor included;
which act, being designed to carry
out an express provision of the con
stitution, cannot, with fidelity there
to, be repealed, or so changed as to
destroy or impair its efficiency; that
the democratic party will resist all at
tempts ' at renewing in congress,, or
out of it, the agitation of the slaveiy
question, under whatever shape or
color the attempt may be made."
The republican party took the name
by wliich the democratic party was
originally known, and it held its flist
national convention in 1856, John C.
Fremont and William L. Dayton be
ing the nominees. James Buchanan
and John C. Breckinridge were the
democratic nominees. They received
a majority of 60 in the electoral col
lege and a popular plurality of .over
500,000. The American party led by
iviuiaru jnumore ana Andrew J.
Donelson, secured only 8 electors, but
polled 874,000 votes. During the
Buchanan administration the Dred
Scott decision was rendered, and this
while it was a legal victory for the
friends of slavery, resulted in an anti
slavery agitation that inured to the
advantage of the republican party.
In 1866 the conflict between the
northern and southern democrats be
came irreconcilable, and the Charies
town convention,' which met April 23,
having failed to harmonise the dif
ferences, adjourned without a nomi
nation. The northern democrats met
at Baltimore June 18 and nominated
president and Herschel V. Johnson of
Georgia for vico. president, while the
southern wing of the party met at
the same place ten days later, and
nominated John C. Breckinridge of
Kentucky for president and Joseph
Lane of Oregon for vice president, s
the platforms adopted at that
time represented the .positions takon
by the two wings of the party they
Will be found below:
, "I. Resolved, That we, the democ
racy of tho Union, in convention as
sembled, herebv declare our affirm
ance of the resolution unanimously
adopted and declared as a platform x5f
principles by the democratic conven
tion at Cincinnati, in the year 1856,
believing that democratic principles
are unchangeable in their nature when
applied to the .same subject matters;
and we1 recommend, as the only fur
ther resolutions, the following:
"Inasmuch as differences 'of opinion'
exist in the democratic party as to the
nature and extent of the powers of a
territorial legislature, and as to the
powers and duties of congress, under
the constitution of the United States,
over the institution of slavery within
the territories.
"2. Resolved, that the democratic
party will abide by the decisions of
tho supreme court of the United States,
on the question of constitutional law.
"3. Resolved, That it is the duty
of the United States to afford ample
and complete protection to all its citi
zens, whether at home or abroad, and
whether native or foreign.
"4. Resolved, That -one of the nec-
I essities of the age, in a military, com
mercial, and postal point of view, is
speedy communication between the'
Atlantic and Pacific states; and the
democratic party pledge such consti
tutional government aid as will insure
the construction of a railroad to the
Facific coastx at the earliest practic
able period.
"5. 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.
"6. Resolved, That the enactments
of state legislatures to defeat tho
faithful execution of the fugitive slave
law are hostile in charactei, subver
sive of the constitution, and revolu
tionary in their effect.
"7. Resolved, That it is in accord
ance with the true interpretation ot
the Cincinnati platform that, during
tho existence of the territorial gov-,
ernmenls, the measure of restriction,
whatever it may be, imposed by the
federal .constitution on .the power of
the territorial legislature over the
subject of domestic relations, as the'
same has been or- shall hereafter bo
finally determined by tho supreme
court of the United States shall be
respectqd by all good citizens, and en
forced with promptness, and fidelity by
every 'branch of the general govern
ment." The ".Breckinridge platform" was as
follows:.
"Resolved, That . the platform
adopted by tho democratic party at
Cincinnati be affirmed, with the fol
lowing explanatory resolutions:
"1. That ihe government of a ter
ritory, organized by an act of con
gress is provisional and temporary;
and, during its existence all citizens
of the United States" have an equal
right to settle, with their property in
the territory, without their rignts,
olthor of person or property, being
destroyed or impaired by congres
sional or territorial legislation.
"2. That it is the duty of the fed
eral government, in all 'is dewart-
ments, to protect when necessary, the
rights of persona and property in the
territories, and wherever else its con
stitutional authority extends.
"3. That -when the settlers in a
territory having an adequate popula
tion, form a state constitution in pur
ty commences, and, oeing consum
mated by admission into tho Union
they stand on. an equal for,ing urh
the people of tao Uher atatoa and the
state thus organized ought 'o be ad
mitted into the federal Union, wheth
er its constitution pronibha or rec
ognizes the institution ot sipvry.
"4. That the democratic party are
in favor of the acquisition of the isl
and of Cuba, on such terms as shall
be honorable to ourselves, and juat to
Spain, at the earliest practicable mo
lnent. "5. That the enactment? of state
legislatures to defeat the t faithful ex
ecution of the - fugitive slave- law aie
hostile in character, subversive of the
constitution ' and revolutionary m
their effect.
"6. That the democracy of tho
United States recognize it as the im
perative duty of this' government, to
protect the, naturalized citbens In all
their rights, wnecner at home ci ia
foreign lands, to the same extent as
Its native-born' citizens:
"Whereas, One of the greatest nec
essities of the ige, in a political com
mercial, postal, and' military point of
view, is a speedy communication be
tween the Pacific and Atlantic coasts; '
therefore, be it
"Resolved, That the democnuic
party do herebv pledge themselves to
use every means in their power to se
cure the passage of some bill to the
extent of the constitutional authority
of congress, for the construction oi a
Pacific railroad, from the Mississippi
river to the. Pacific ocean at the eail
iest practicable moment"
It will be seen that ooth conven
tions reaffirmed the Cincinnati plat
form of 1856. It will aiso he noticed
that the only difference between the
platforms grew out of , the slavoiy
question, the Douglas .piatiorm leav
ing the question tc the supreme court,
promising to abide by -its decision;
the Breckinridge platform declaring
that the people of -a territory had tho
right to decide the slavery question
for themselves and also declaring
that tho citizens of the various states
had the right to settle .in i territory
and carry their property with them
"Once Grown Always Grown"
Tho Maulo motto for more
than 25 years. My new
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