Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-07-14
Sound Democratic Doctrine,

The Ithaca Journal, the only Democratic paper
in Tompkins Co., N. Y, which has struck the
Buchanan and Slavery flag, and hoisted that Of
Fremont and Freedom, justifes its change in an
editorial of great ability of which the following
is sample:
"When in 1854, by the Kanzas- Nebraska
act, the President, the Cabinet, and the De-
mocrats in Congress, upheld and advocated
the doctrine of popular sovereignty, as applied
to those territores-though ours9f opposed
to such application Of the doctrine-we felt
that we should not therefore withdraw our
support from the Democratic cause for we
had a strong hope that the question would be
decided in favor of Freedom in the territories
through the action Of the people at the polls.
Although Kanzas bordered on slave State,
still from the nature of the people of the free
States, we felt cofdent that if the pledge of
the President and OF Congress was sustained,
and the people left free to decide the question
of slavery, that the first inhabitants would be
from the free States, and the decision would
be in favour Of freedom. That such was the
result, the outrages of pro-slavery men in
Kanzas and the Topeka Constitution, both
show. Those outrages demonstrate the fact
that force and wrong were required to establish
slavery in Kanzas-and the Topeka Constitu-
ton, that when force was not resorted to, the
popular voice was for freedom.
At last came the Cincinnati Convention, its
candidates, and its platform. Those candi-
dates, purporting to represent the Democratic
party, we placed at the head Of our columns,
its platform we published, and we had hoped
that time and reflection might overthrow the
first impressions against the resolutions, or
that the candidate might $50 modify his accept
ance of that platform, as to leave US at liberty
l. y,-.4 A.
hope has, however, been vain. We cannot
see on what pretence we can continue to ad-
vocate either the platform or the candidate,
without an utter abandonment of every prin-
cple of Democracy, without our acting in d.
rect opposition to every principle that distin-
gulshed the radical Democracy of New York.
Read the platform as we may, and we can
give to it but one construction, and that is
That the Constitution of the United States
authorizes the STAKEHOLDER to carry his slaves
| into Kanzas, and there keep them under the
| protecting arm of government, in spite of any
act of the Territorial Legislature, and that
slavery cannot be prohibited by the people
except when they form State constitution
Upon this platform we understand james
Buchanan to stand without equivoeation or
qualification.
Believing the slavery issue to be the great
| question which over -ridesall others, we should
in that question sustain any candidate without
regard to his former political opinions, still it
| is a source of qualification to US, to know that
| in John G. Fremont we have a Democrat
whose views in regard to former questions OF
! government, are in accordance with those
heretofore sustained by the Journal, and we
| feel that we abandon the mere shadow of a
| political party, claiming to be Democratic, for
the support of principles and men which tru-
ly represent the great doctrines of the fathers
| of Democracy.