New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-16

veub,hav,d maroon In the bsefssipg Of his career,
he was identified with OF the oeno1ons measures
Of The Art Slavery party bun ue san,, ~
r.rf wrought a Wholesome change in bis political
Opinions AT first sdyocsts Of Wilmoi provsos, be
progressed 10 the point o. avOwed opposition 70 any re-
s,re ION an the expansion e. Southern institutions. In
.pnnort ~ the Fugitive Slave law and the ksnsss Me-
h,sst. act he 6spisyed fImnsss and fidelity which
gave him the confidence OF the STATE klghs Demo
er.cy Altogether be ranked among The really hope
fol sfatermep Of the country, aad was regarded a.
possible Presiden. by large lumber Of enterprisins
ohice-burters."
The South clOaes it, bull Of accommodation a.
follow:
"In speech delivered al the capital Of Illinois dur
Ing the last Summer, Judge Douglas explicitly and en-
phaticey s"kno wledgtd the authority OF The Lecomp-
ton Convention ard committed himself 70 abide its
action. And yet again, he supported tue Dill proposal
by Senator TOomDs at the lsst feSson OIL Songress,
which poiItedly excluded The idea OF reerehce OF
the Constitution Of Ksnsss for popular ratification. IN
fact, his change Of position Is as soooen a. vo
lent and pre- csey that sOrt Of conversion vhcn n
pHes either The miraculous agency OF immediate inspi-
ration ., the subte iphueLcs OF corrupt motive. Fbs
Senator has never been suspected OF any intimate con
we're with the nhsbitsnts Of Hesvepi but neither
he TO be Inaccessible TO the apposcnes oil tne
Evil One la an apOstscy 4ignal aud so incapable
of e1pan aton on the hypotheip OF eincere conyic
ton OF Judgment the world will scnceiy be at loss
70 detect the operation Of ambition that would Sac
rfce every Obligation Of pstTiotsm TO the gratlhcan0n
Of its own unchattened desires
We have no part in the controversy into which
20 many Republican journals have plunged concern
ing the motives and the sincerity Of Mr.. Douelm.
Time alone can solve the problems thus premsturey
discussed 1t certainly is not our province to recon.
Gle some Of the positions hitherto confidently maiu-
tanned by Mr.. D., especially in tis advocacy Of tAs
ToOn bs bill and in bis Springfield speech last Sum-
er, with his present attitude; and it is job that
we shall never undertake ss a volunteer. But we
see no ground for the constant assumptions Of the
Buchauan journals that Mr.. Douglas has any idea
of joining the "Bls,k Republicans" or deserving
and prostratrg tie great party with which it has
ever been bis pride to act. On the contrary, il
seems to Us that be has taken TIE only course BY
which that party can be saved from ruin IN the
Free States which still adhere to its fortunes. Had
Mr. Douglas supported the Calhoun Constitution,
and the attempt to force it down the throats Of the
People Of Kansas by the bsyoDet which must fol-
low its Enforcement by Cor gres', be must have lost
his reelection next year. "a Case, aud Dodge, and
Jones, and Toucey, lost theirs before him. Now he
isve.y likely to ave bis party in the North West
and bis reelection, provided that party is not dig
tacted and destroyed by an attempt to enforce &C
quiescence in the Calhoun iniquity. If such acqui-
escence is to be made test Of Democratic ortho-
do1y the party will inevitably be prostrated in
every Free State except California. The South has
therefore the simple choice between such allies as
Douglas and Stuart and such open sdyerssies Ofits
pretensioDs as Trumbull, Harlan Doolittle and
Chandler. There is no likelihood that its prefer
encs will be governed by our predictions.