Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-07-20


Tennessee, the balance hangs doubtful between lie
| compton and anti .Lecompton And although Inc
advocates of Lecompton doubtless predominate large
y in the Cult States, strong body oi the Denocfa
| cy there are invsterstely opposed to the Enghsi
Compromise.
As to Virginia il ia useless to pretend to the grea
preponderance of either side Of the question lne
tests which the Examiner" brings forward on 'n''
subject are all falacous The voice OF the virgins
| Legislature was not "unaDimous." Several Demo
cratic members voted against the Lecompton resolu
| tions. Others absented themselves from the vote.
The overwhelming majority, which was indeed OBJ
,.ired for tba resolutions, was the result of peculiar
circumstances. A email number of men forced
caucus upon body which was not prepared 10 ue
lberate on the question Many OF them hao NOT even
| read the Lecompton schedule itself. Ano We hno"
positively that number of the very men VINO Voteo
through the Lecompton resolutions, Afterwards iel
Richmond anti Lecompton men. These are all PLAIN
truths, which it is useless to ignore Aud inc Eek
smner' should be the last to point to the exam
Die of the Democratic delegation in the Legisa'
ture The action of that delegation is direct reouke
to the present course of our cotemporary. Twice,
different caucuses, the attempt made to pass res.
olutions directly condemnatory OF anti'Lecompton
Democrats, aud each time the attempt met with a
signal failure. The Democrats OF the Legislature
positively refused to dispute the right OF Democrats
to differ on this point repeatedly refused to DO what
tine Examiner is now doing-to make Lscompton
party test.
As to the press in the State, we have no hesita-
ton in asserting, that OH question dividing the
Democracy this forms no reliable criterion. The
people of Virginia are led neither by the press nor
by the politicians. On two signal occasions, in 1902
and 10 1856, the people OF Virginia nominated
candidate for the Presidency, i'll spite of the efforts
Of majority OF the press and majority OF the
prominent politicians combined.
When called upon 10 prove its accusation that
Judge Douglas has been guilty OF Black Republican
afiiliaton the Examiner" produces an extract from
an Illinois paper stating that "there are republicans
who intend TO vote Tor candidates for the leglsa-
ture pledged to vote for Douglas" We trust that
there are We would wish that every Black Re-
publican in Illinois should vote for Douglas, and
thus destroy their own party altogether. How this
oonyicts Judge Douglas Of any offence, We cannot
perceive by any tliort oi coSHa'iou'
The same Illinois paper calls the action OF the Le'
compton convention "fraud." And 80 does every
anti Lecompton man in the South. The same paper
calls the advocacy of the Lscompton constitution an
attempt to .'iorcs slave State constitution Oh al un'
willing peops." Now, every anti.Lecompton Dem
ocrat, North or South, calls the very came effort III
attempt to force constitution on the people OF Nan
cas- and that constitution was undoubtedly slave
State constitution. The evidence which the E1aii-
iner" adduces to convict Judge Douglas of abolition
s s Just no evidence at ALL but it is fully as good
evidence as we have expected in this instance.
The EXAMINER wishes 20 know whether the 'En.
uuirer" agrees with Senator Douglas, or with the
Presden, on the merits of the Lecompton question
thought that our cotenporary was already aoV'seu
on this point The fact is the enquirer conouc'eu
By editors who differ on the question Some ot US De-
lieve with Mr.. Douglas, SONS with the Prealuene-
Hence we endesyor to write mparlially, to des's'
from discussion of the late issne, and to harmonze
tbe Democracy on solid basis of future policy We
have "agreed to Disagree. and in dong so' we cannot
bseve, as the "E, aminer" evidently doas, that by
80 doing, we have at all deserted our prlncpies' OF
| "giyen the liz 10 our whole conduct"
As for the small minority Of Democrats who oppose
Mr.. Douglas reelection in Illinois, the Examiner
describes them improperly ss administration demo
Gratis" We have good reason to know that these
men are acting in opposition to the wishes OF the Pre'
sident and we are happy to see, that a number oil
them perceive the fact that their euperservcsabe e
forts in aid of black Repubicsnism are by no means
in favor at headquarters.
We again, repeat, that Judge Douglas has never
left his party on any questions neither did bis party
leave him. The party disagreed among themselves
and he was obliged to differ from one opinion or the
| other. According to the logic of the Examiner
every Democrat in the country either left the party, or
| was left by it.
In concluding this review of all the points urged by
the Examiner" We are happy to call the attention o
our readers to the fact tina. many of the ablest and
most Influential Journals, which have hitherto advoca
ted the Lecompton side, are now co operating wilf
our efforts to harmonze the whole party, without re
quirng the disastrous mprobsbilty of any ,recana-
| tion whatever.
|