The Northern mind had become thoroughly imbued with this great doctrine of popular sovereignty.

You could not tear it out of their hearts unless you tore out their heart-strings themselves.

"I repeat, that upon this question of Congressional non-intervention we are committed by the acts of Congress, we are committed by the acts of National Democratic Conventions; we cannot recede without personal dishonor, and, so help us God, we never will recede!" Between these extremes of recommendation another member of the platform committee--Benjamin F.Butler, of Massachusetts--proposed a middle course.

He advocated the simple reaffirmance of the Cincinnati platform.

If it had suffered a double interpretation, so had the Bible and the Constitution of the United States.