Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-04-10
The Contest of 1856 a Contest for Prin
cin1o

clple.
Since the DAYS of John Adams, VIXEN
the opponents of the Democratic party
boldly avowed their principles. and boldly
set forth their aristocratic doctrines IN IA
vor of clothing the Senate and the Presi-
dent with most unlimited power, and of
declaring the alien and sedition laws neces-
sary to maintain that power unimpaired in
the hands Of those who should be the SER
wants of the people, there has not been one
instance in which the adyersaries of the
democratic party have been as frank and
as courageous in setting forth their princi-
Piles as during the memorable era TO which
we have referred. At last. however, we
are promised an exception to the general
rule. The sectional party, the representa-
tives an | SUCCESSORS Of those who inaugur-
ated their policy in the midst of the earli-
est days of the Republic, have, through
their immediate organs, Messrs. Seward
and others, formally proclaimed their prin-
ciples for the pubic eye. and this fact will
add unusual interest to the contest to be
decided in November next.
The doctrine prominently brought for
ward by Mr. Seward, aid by his adhereats
is this: that the people of the Terri oiies of
the United States shall not be permitted to
manage their own affairs in their own way,
and that this power belongs to, aud shall
be exercised by, the members of Congress
representing other communities, and hav
ing no direct interest whatever III the con-
Germs of the Territories. Proceeding from
this theory, in natural order, is the assump-
ton, that the people OF the Terrific les shall
not control their own affairs III their own
way. SO when they demand admission into
the Union as States the Congress Of the
United States may and must refuse to ad-
nit them unless their State constitution
conforms to the abolition ideas Of Mr. Sew
ard and his coad iuto!s We thank our OPP
ponents for the bodness with which they
set forward these doctrines, and we are
glad to know hat the democratic party
throughout the country is as ready to ac-
ccpt the issue thus rendered rs Mr.. Seward
and lis friends seem to be sincere in pre-
scnting it. The democracy take the broad
ground thai to the people of the Territori. :.
shoul be conGded the regulation Of thcil
municipal concerns, and that as they arc
closely and constantly interested In thci
own local, social and political concerns, st
are they the proper authority by which
these concerns shall be managed and d. eli
ded; and, on the other hand, the democ
racy assume the equally distinct position
that the people of the Territories, wien
they have folmed Il State consti ution il
accordance with the provisions of the fed
eral compact and in like manner us has
been done by those who have preceded
conf-deracy Of American States. These
arc the principles al issue in the campai n
Of 1856. There is no evading them
there is no conccaling them. The opposi
tioa cannot rc;rea! from the attitude they
have boldly taken. They have already
abandoned their ground in favor Of th,
restoration of the Missouri line, AM in Sc
doing have been utterly demoralized. Blu
in taking the step to which we have allud-
ed, in declaring for the Intervention of Con
gress III the Territories, in sitting up As
judges upon these Territories asking ad
mission into the Union as Sta;cs, the abo
Lion majority in the House have clearly
made up their minds to pursue hese theo
lies to their alarming conclusions. On tie
other silc, the democracy. having before
hand announced principles precisely an
tagonis,ic to those proclaimed by the abo
Ii onis 5 or black republicans Of the day
the issue is fairly made up between the par
ties.
We shall not. therefore, have conhic
as we had in 184), when there were n,
principles proclaimed for the public eve
or as We had in l848, when the presilen.ia
candidate of our adversaries contide1 hi
case to a committee. Two rival doctrine
are in the field, each surrounded by il
own devotees, and each alvocltel by the
ablest men in tie respective organizations
We repeat, that we greet the occasioi
when these two doctrines shall meet in op
position, with great saiisfac ion, no matte
who may be the candidate of the Demo
cratic party in the presidential canvass. |
is the principle here asserted by one parry
and denied by the other that will consii
tu,e during the canvass soon to open, th'
grea; attraction to the American masses -
| Union.