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THE CHARLESTON CONVENTION. rnHE Democrat...
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TENANT RIGHT. MR. CARD WELL will probabl...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
British Sympathy With Italy. 11 /"^ Arib...
Austria again injbo the fie ; ld , and suck a step woxild still further complicate the attitude of the G ^ ennaji princes , and widen the breach between them , and the supporters of liberal views . No effort of England can prevent France gaining power , and p erhaps territory , out of such circumstances , unless the German peop le can succeed in acting upon the advice of Von Bennigsen and other liberals , and . compel the separate Governments to give up their pretensions and consent to a concentration of military and diplomatic power in the hands of a central and constitutional authority . That the Germans know their danger is something towards averting it ; and Herb . Striegler took a bold and judicious course in the Darmstadt chamber when he denounced the separate alliances which the petty princes are making as " shameful acts of treachery towards the country of Germany /
Everything proves that Europe is tending towards organic changes , and it would be a great gain if , before fresh complications arise , we had the satisfaction of seeing Italy completely emancipated from Austrian and Bourbon misrule .
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The Charleston Convention. Rnhe Democrat...
THE CHARLESTON CONVENTION . rnHE Democrats who met at Charleston to adopt a " platform " Jj and select a candidate , have separated without agreeing upon the one or the other . The " irrepressible conflict" has broken out in the ranks Of the stauncli upholders of the " peculiar institution ; " and the ball is , for the present , in the hands of its determined antagonists . The very strength of the Democratic party has been the great source of its weakness . The Republicans' are confined to the Free States ; they have not the shadow of a chance in the South ; and whatever may be their local jealousies and degrees of fervour or fanaticism in the anti-Slavery cause , they represent only " free soil" interests . The Democrats ,
on the other hand , while the South—now that the old Whi & party is effete—13 entirely their Own , possess an enormous strength-in the North ; Without its assistance they cannot indeed hope to win a presidential contest . Every year tlie relative strength of the Southern States declines , and the interests which at the establishment of the Republic dominated over tlie Union , depend now for tlie maintenance of a mere equal footing in it upon an alliance with such central States as Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and New York , in
which the admirable organization of the democracy of the large towns , and the influence of the inoni « d classes , often overcome the sturdy opposition to Slavery and the fanatic zeal for legislation of the Maine Law stamp of the rural districts . It is the consciousness of this growing weakness which makes the South so jealous Of its rights , and so arrogantly aggressive , and fosters that inkling for disunion , which really underlies the violent speeohes-and-maiiifestoe ^ r-prin ^^ wherewith to frighten opponents .
The members of the Convention which met at Charleston represented , therefore , different interests . They were united in their wish to obtain the election of a candidate of their own party , and consequently secure to themselves the " spoils" for another four years , as well as in their opposition to the anti-Slavery party ; but they were divided in their adherence to the candidates , and differed greatly as to the grounds upon which that resistance should be based , and the extent to which it should be carried . The delegates from the North and West were mostly supporters of Mr . Douglas , and adherents of his doctrine of popular sovereignty , or the right of the territories to determine fcr themselves whether or not they will allow the " institution : " those from the South , on the other hand , were
opposed to Douglas , although not united upon any other candidate , and maintained that Slavery is necessarily legal in a territory so long as it remains in that condition , and only ceases to be so upon its admission into the Union as a State with a constitution prohibiting it . Where such radical differences existed , there was little likelihood of a cordial understanding being come to , and the divergence soon became declared . The Committee appointed to prepare a ' platform ' . ' presented two reports , both reaffirming that of the Cincinnati Convention of 1856 , at which Mr . Buchanan was nominated , both recommending the acquisition of Cuba and denouncing the conduct pf some free States , in opposing the execution of the fugitive slave luvv , but thnt of the majority adoptingin all its
repulsiveness the southern doctrine with respect to slavery in the territories , namely , that all citizens of the United States have an equal right to settle with tlieir property in the territories , without their rights either of person or property being destroyed or injured by congressional or territorial legislation—meaning by tlie word property slaves ; and that of the minority stilting , thnt , inasmuch as there were differences of opinion in the Democratic party , it would abide by the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United Stntes over the institution of Slavery in the territories . Practically , the minority report gives the slave-owners all they
need , since the Supreme Court , which now , unfortunatel y * has fallen from its former-high estate of good fame , has decided these points in their favour . But such a concession did not content them , theywaritedtheir doctrine distihetly adopted as part of the party creed . The Converitioh , however , agreed with the minority of tlie Committee , arid adoptedits report—a resolution which was immediately followed b y the secession of the delegates of the States of Alabama , Louisiana , Mississippi , Arkansas , South Carolina , Texas , and Florida , who immediately
formed a little convention of their own . The original body proceeded forthwith to ballot for a candidate , but no one obtained the requisite two thirds vote , although Mr . Douglas received a verv large majority of the suffrages given , and in this dead-lock the Convention adjourned to the 18 th June , at Baltimore , in the hope that something might turn up before that time to bringback their erring brethren , and get the party out of its difficulties .. The seceders , finding that they could do nothing themselves , and beginning to entertain some doubts whether their hasty zeal would be approved by their constituents , also adjourned . timeand
The Democrats are , therefore , off the stage for a , public attention is concentrated Upon the proceedings of a small party , only important so far as it may , in case of a close contest , be able to turn the scale—the remains of the old " Knownothings , " which was to assemble at Baltimore on the 9 th , and the Republicans , who met upon the 16 th of this month at that marvellous example of the rapidity with which an American city rises ,, Chicago . The Republican Convention will , probably , have no very great difficulty in agreeing upon a platform , but the selection of a candidate will be a much more serious task . Mr . Seward , who is still first favourite , and who has undoubtedly the strongest * claims to the 'honour , although he ¦ maybe enthusiastically supported in some States , yet has excited a considerable amount of hostility in others .
The question which the delegates have to put to themselves is , not who is the best man in our country or party to be president , but what man holding our opinions , and consenting to distribute his patronage according to _ our wishes , has the best chance _ of uniting all the sections of the party , or of carrying any particularstate the issue in which is doubtful , whilst victory there would be decisive of the contest . Whoever they may choose , the Republicans will have this advantage , that they will be first in the field ; but it may be purchased dearly by the opportunity thus given to the Democrats to nominate at Baltimore , if they can contrive to come to an agreement there , the man best calculated to beat him .
What will be the issue of a contest the conditions of which are not yet determined , no American can at present venture to predict , and it would , of course , be absurd to indulge in any conjectures onTKfsiHcfinrf the Atlantic ! Ttfor is it , indeeclrof mucln ' mp ~ OTt =- ~ ance to us , Whichever party may win in this contest , the policy of the United States with respect to Slavery is really determined . A victory of the Democrats may retard , as that of the Republicans would hasten , its inauguration ; but nothing can long postpone it . The curse works too grievously to be longer borne . Slavery rankles everywhere ; it makes itself felt every day as the great danger of the United States . It interferes in every thing ,
clogs the national action , absorbs the time of Congress preventing useful legislation , creates discord amongst the different members of the Union , and even threatens its continuance . The burden has become too intolerable , and Slavery will cease , not from the dictates of humanity , but the more efficacious promptings of self-interest . The policy of the Union will become an energetic compression Of Slavery within its existing limits , and nn encouragement to its suppression on the part of the different States . The rights of those States will not be interfered with ; the internal sovereignty which the constitution gives them will not be infringed ; but Slavery is an exhausting institution , and
confined to its present bounds must infallibly die out . It will be found to cost more than it is worth ; and , although it must necessarily linger for many years in the extreme Southern States , it will be abolished soon by such border ones as Virginia and Missouri ; and , confined to those States in which slave labour alone is profitable , it will cense to bo a disturbing political cause . The sooner the question is settled for America in this way , the greater and more rapid will be the development of her power and influence ; and on that ground the triumph of the Republican party must be deemed desirable , notwithstanding the protectionist and agrarian heresies with which it is infected .
Tenant Right. Mr. Card Well Will Probabl...
TENANT RIGHT . MR . CARD WELL will probably have more success' than , all those who , before him , have attempted to legislate for landlord and tenant in Ireland , for the simple reason , that ho proposes to do less . His Bill does not confiscate the property of the landlord for the benefit of the tenant- —the object really pro-
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 26, 1860, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_26051860/page/6/
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