2. Resolved. That the Democratic party will abide by the decisions of the 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 citizens whether at home or abroad, and whether native or foreign.
4. Resolved, That one of the necessities of the age, in a military, commercial, and postal point of view, is speedy communication between the Atlantic and Pacific States; and the Democratic party pledge such constitutional govern ment aid as will insure the construction of a railroad to the Pacific coast at the earliest practicable 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 the faithful execution of the Fugitive Slave Law are hostile in character, subversive of the Constitution, and revolutionary in their effect.
7. Resolved. That it is in accordance with the true interpretation of the Cincinnati platform, that, during the existence of the Territorial governments, 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 be finally determined by the Supreme Court of the United States, shall be respected by all good citizens, and enforced with promptness and fidelity by every branch of the general government.
The «Breckinridge platform» was as fol lows: Resolved. That the platform adopted by the Democratic party at Cincinnati be affirmed. with the following explan atory resolutions: 1. That the government of a Territory, organized by an act of Congress 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 rights, either of person or property, being destroyed or impaired by congressional or territorial legislation.
2. That it is the duty of the Federal government, in all its departments, to protect when necessary, the rights of persons and property in the Territories, and wherever else its constitutional authority extends.
3. That when the settlers in a Territory having an adequate population, form a State Constitution in pur suance of law, the right of sovereignty commences, and, being consummated by admission into the Union. they stand on an equal footing with the people of the other States, and the State thus organized ought to be admitted into the Federal Union, whether its Constitution prohibits or recognizes the institution of slavery.
4. That the Democratic party are in favor of the acqui sition of the island of Cuba, on such terms as shall be honor able to ourselves, and just to Spain, at the earliest practicable moment.
5. That the enactments of State legislatures to defeat the faithful execution of the Fugitive Slave law are hostile in character, subversive of the Constitution and revolutionary in their effect.
6. That the Democracy of the United States recognise it at the imperative duty of this government to protect the naturalized citizens in all their rights. whether at home or•in foreign lands, to the same extent as its native-born citizens.
Whereas, One of the greatest necessities of the age. in a political, commercial, postal, and military point of view, is a speedy communication between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts; therefore be it Resolved, That the Democratic party do hereby pledge themselves to use every means in their power to secure the passage of some bill to the extent of the constitutional authority of Congress, for the construction of a Pacific railroad, from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. at the earliest practicable moment.
It will be seen that both conventions re affirmed the Cincinnati platform of 1856. It will also be noticed that the only difference between the platforms grew out of the slavery question, the Douglas platform leaving the question to the Supreme Court, promising to abide by its decision; the Breckinridge platform declaring that the people of a Territory had the right to decide the slavery question for them selves, and also declaring that the citizens of the various States had the right to settle in a Territory and carry their property with them (meaning slaves) without being interfered with by congressional action.